When is the next UAE School Holiday 2024? All the upcoming UAE school holidays 2024 – 2026 (and there are some big changes ahead)

With UAE schools returning back today after the Winter Break, you’re probably wondering when is the next UAE school holiday?

Depending on your school’s individual timetable, you might have a half-term break coming up in mid-February. Half-term breaks are not required by the UAE school authorities’ academic calendars, so it’s up to individual schools to decide whether or not to have them. This means some schools do not have a half-term break at all, while others have one week off, and some opt for just a long weekend. Each school’s individual academic calendar varies – find out how to find your school’s academic calendar online. 

Those schools that don’t have a February half term at all will have to wait until March for their next day off school, when Spring Break kicks off three months away on Friday 22 March 2024.

However, the big news is that Spring Break could end up effectively being a full three weeks, instead of the usual two weeks, since there’s the strong likelihood of a bumper public holiday on the horizon…

Want to get planning your holidays even further in the future? We’ve now got the official UAE School Holidays Dates for the whole of 2024 – 2026 – and there are some BIG changes to the usual timings that are likely to affect your future vacation plans. Read below for our take on the upcoming UAE School Holidays Dates and the changes that are coming up…

UAE School Holiday and UAE Public Holiday Dates 2023-2026 Overview

All the school holiday dates for the next three years, including currently available public holidays, at a glance:

ACADEMIC YEAR 2023-2024

First Day of Term: Tuesday 2^nd January 2024

Half Term (for some schools): Monday 12^th to Friday 16^th February 2024

 

Ramadan starts*: Sunday 10^th March 2024

Last Day of Term: Friday 22^nd March 2024

Eid Al Fitr Holiday*: Tuesday 9^th to Friday 12^th April 2024

SUMMER TERM 2024

First Day of Term: Monday 15^th April 2024

Eid Al Adha*: Monday 17^th to Tuesday 18^th June 2024

Last Day of Term: Friday, 5^th July 2024

ACADEMIC YEAR 2024-2025

Return from Summer Break: Monday 26 August 2024

Winter Break: 16 Dec 2024 – 5 Jan 2025

Spring Break: 24 March – 13 April 2025

ACADEMIC YEAR 2025-2026

Return from Summer Break: 25 August 2025

Winter Break: 15 Dec 2025 – 4 Jan 2026

Spring Break: 23 March – 12 April 2026

* Subject to official confirmation/moon sightings

BIG CHANGES: Bumper 9-day public holiday falls in Spring Break

Get planning those holidays for academic year 2024 now!

Here’s a tip for you: book in your week away to coincide with your child’s Spring Break 2024 and you might not need to take any annual leave off work at all.

That’s because there’s the possibility of a whopping nine-day public holiday coming up in April 2024 over Eid Al Fitr

Ramadan is predicted to begin on Monday March 11, 2024, which would mean Eid al Fitr will fall on Wednesday April 10, 2024.

The UAE public holiday for Eid Al Fitr is granted from the 29^th Day of the Islamic month of Ramadan (which coincides with Monday 8th April in the Gregorian calendar), until the 3^rd day of the Islamic month of Shawwal (which coincides with Friday 12^th April in the Gregorian calendar). This means a full working week off. Taking into the account the two weekends either side, you could be looking at a whopping nine days off in a row.
Since schoolchildren will already be off on Spring Break, this could make for the perfect opportunity for a family holiday abroad, without you needing to tap into that annual leave allowance (although bear in mind that all Islamic holidays are subject to official moon sightings and government confirmation closer to the time).

BIG CHANGES: Earlier Back-to-School Dates

One of the most challenging things about the Back-To-School period? It has to be the fact that the weather is still sweltering, so all those new pick-ups and drop-offs that you’re still getting used to are done under a haze of fogged up sunglasses and blazing heat.

Unfortunately this is unlikely to get better any time soon, since the Back-To-School dates in 2024 and 2025 are only going to get earlier – which might also mean a premature curtailing of your usual summer vacation plans:

UAE Back-To-School Dates 2023 – 2026

The whole month of August tends to be the height of Summer holidays for schoolchildren in many parts of the world, with schools often not reopening until it’s firmly Autumn in mid-September. This also used to be the case in the UAE, with the 2017 UAE Back-To-School date being as late as 10 September.

However, the UAE’s Back-To-School Dates have been creeping earlier and earlier into the summer over the years. In 2025 UAE schoolchildren will recommence school as early as 25 August – a full week before the end of a month that is usually perceived as a summer holiday period:

Looking back: How UAE Back-To-School Dates have got earlier over the years

As you can see, there’s been a steady trend over the years for schools to return earlier and earlier into August, with there being a significant 16-day difference between the later Back-To-School date in 2017 and the early one planned for 2025.

Although parents might not be happy with this due to its potential to cut short the traditional summer holiday period, they are likely to be more pleased by another of the upcoming changes to UAE school holiday dates…

BIG CHANGES: Later Winter Break and More Time off in January

UAE schools have always enjoyed a lengthy three-week break over the December to January Winter period over the past decade.

However, one common complaint in recent years is that schools return after the Winter Break very promptly in January, often the day immediately following New Year’s Day.

Parents gripe that this means they are unable to celebrate New Year’s Eve with family and friends abroad or in their home country, since children are required to be back in school so soon afterwards.

Although the prompt return in January continues this Academic year, parents will be glad to hear that from 2025 onwards there will be a marked change, with schools breaking up later in December and returning later in January.

In 2025 and 2026 there will be a whole extra week off for school children in January, with the first day of Term after Winter being Monday the January and Monday 5^th January respectively.

This should enable a more relaxed return from abroad for those families who choose to celebrate New Year overseas:

UAE Winter Break School Holiday Dates 2023 – 2026

This represents a return to previous traditions; in academic year 2017-2018, schools did not return in the new year until 7 January, but this has gradually been getting earlier. The new year of 2025 will see a reversion to the former custom:

Looking back: How UAE School Winter Break School Holiday Dates have varied over the years

Please note: The above dates are for schools with academic years that begin in August.

For those Private Schools beginning their academic year in April, these alternative dates for the current academic year will apply:

• Students returning after the summer break: August 28, 2023
• Winter break: December 11, 2023
• Reopening of classes following the winter break: January 02, 2024
• End of the academic year: March 01 – 31, 2024

The Exact Dates for Individual Schools

Want to find out the exact dates for UAE School Holidays 2024? Although certain vacation dates are set by the UAE Ministry of Education and cannot be changed, there is some leeway for schools to choose their own dates for staff training days and holidays such as half term and Spring Break. This means that all UAE school calendars vary, and your child’s precise academic calendar will be unique to their individual school.

See here to find out how to find your child’s academic calendar online.

Further information

Read our Back to school Guide here

Visit the official UAE government Guide to Public Holidays here

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