Now Reading
Dubai School Holidays 2022-2023 Announced (and there are some surprises). Exclusive.
0

Dubai School Holidays 2022-2023 Announced (and there are some surprises). Exclusive.

by Tabitha BardaMay 12, 2022

Dubai School Holidays for the academic year 2022-2023 have been announced by many schools, and there are some interesting developments to look forward to next year.

For a start, it looks likely that Ramadan will begin on March 23, just as schools break up for a two-week Spring vacation. The date of Ramadan shifts by 10-12 days each year, and it takes around 33 years for the period of Ramadan to complete a full cycle of the Gregorian calendar. Next year will be the first time Ramadan will have fallen in such a cool-weather month in the UAE for well over a decade.

The fact that Ramadan will again coincide with the Spring vacation (as it did this year) means that there will be only be two weeks of Ramadan timings (reduced school hours) at schools when they return from the break.

Losing holidays

Two key public holidays are set to fall on weekend days – The Prophet’s Birthday on Saturday 8 October (although this date is subject to change), and New Year’s Day on Sunday 1 January 2023.

This means that families will actually LOSE 2 days’ holiday that they would have had in previous years, since the public holiday falls on what would have already been a non-working day for many people. 

Gaining holidays

However, there will be two Eid public holidays in the Summer Term – something that has not happened for many years.

The first Eid – Eid Al Fitr – is likely to fall on Thursday 20 April and run until Saturday 23 April (dates subject to change), meaning a four-day weekend towards the start of the 2023 Summer Term.

Then the second Eid – Eid-Al-Adha – is likely to fall on Wednesday 28 June until Saturday 1 July (dates subject to change), making for a possible five-day weekend, just one week before schools break up for summer holidays on Friday 7 July.

This means that families will actually GAIN 2 holidays that they would have had in previous years.

So…. do we get more, or less, holidays? The net impact of the way the dates fall.

The net impact is that families are left with holidays that are roughly  equivalent to normal years – it is just that they fall very differently.

The Full Picture

The calendar below is relevant for most British curriculum schools, and those that have academic years running from September.

The start and end dates of the Winter Holiday and Summer Holiday are set by the UAE Ministry of Education and cannot be changed. There is more flexibility for schools when it comes to the Spring Holiday (which can either be two or three weeks) and half terms (which not all schools will choose to have). Exact dates may vary depending on individual schools.

Dubai School Holidays 2022 – 2023

WINTER TERM 2022

First Day of Term Monday 29 August 2022
Prophet’s Birthday * Saturday 8 October
Half Term Monday 17 – Friday 21 October
Commemoration Day* Thursday 1 December
National Day* Friday 2 December
Last Day of Term One Friday 9 December
Winter Holiday Monday 12 December – Friday 30 December

SPRING TERM 2023

First Day of Term Two Monday 2 January 2023
Half Term Monday 13 – Friday 17 February
Ramadan starts* Thursday 23 March
Last Day of Term Two Friday 24 March 2023
Spring Holiday Monday 27 March – Friday 7 April

SUMMER TERM 2023

First Day of Term Three Monday 10 April 2023
Eid Al Fitr Holiday* Thursday 20 – Sunday 23 April
Eid Al Adha* Wednesday 28 June – Saturday 1 July
Last Day of Term Three Friday 7 July

*Actual Dates subject to change

Too many holidays – or too few?

Do you think children have been out of school for too many days this year? Read what we had to say about it…

And do you think UAE schools seem to have fewer days than schools in other parts of the world? Find out the true breakdown of school days in countries across the world here.

Learn about this year’s holidays (2022) in our article here.

© SchoolsCompared.com. 2022. All rights reserved.

About The Author
Tabitha Barda
Tabitha Barda is the Senior Editor of SchoolsCompared.com. Oxbridge educated and an award winning journalist in the UAE for more than a decade, Tabitha is one of the region's shining lights in all that is education in the emirates. A mum herself, she is passionate about helping parents - and finding the stories in education that deserve telling. She is responsible for the busy 24x7 News Desk, our Advisory Boards and Specialist Panels - and Parents United's WHICHPlaydates - a regular meeting place for UAE parents to discuss the issues that matter to them, make friends and network with others. You can often find Tabitha too on Parents United - our Facebook community board, discussing the latest schools and education issues with our parent community in the UAE - and beyond.

Leave a Response