Legal Regulations
Employees are entitled to paid days off for major public holidays. A UAE Cabinet resolution allows mid-week holidays (excluding Eid) to be transferred to the start or end of the working week to create a long weekend. Public sector employees receive paid holidays separate from annual leave, and the public sector typically has more holidays than the private sector.
The UAE labor law, Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, governs working hours and holidays. It mandates a standard 48-hour work week (8 hours per day) for the private sector, with reduced hours during Ramadan. A Cabinet resolution allows for the transfer of certain mid-week public holidays to create long weekends, though this rule does not apply to Eid holidays.
News
For 2026, the UAE has announced two possible scenarios for the Eid Al Fitr holiday in the private sector, depending on whether Ramadan lasts 29 or 30 days. All Islamic holiday dates remain tentative and subject to official moon sighting confirmation closer to the date.
For 2026, the UAE has outlined two possible scenarios for the Eid Al Fitr holiday in the private sector, dependent on the length of Ramadan (29 or 30 days). All dates for Islamic holidays (Eid Al Fitr, Eid Al Adha, Hijri New Year, Prophet's Birthday) are tentative and subject to official moon sighting confirmations closer to the dates.
Insights
The typical weekend in the UAE is Saturday and Sunday. Residents often strategically plan annual leave around mid-week holidays to create extended breaks with minimal leave used. Islamic holidays, which are determined by moon sighting, can lead to extended breaks used for travel, such as trips to Mecca.
The typical work week in the UAE is Monday to Friday, with Saturday and Sunday as the weekend. Residents often strategically use annual leave to 'bridge' mid-week holidays, creating extended breaks. Work culture often involves a midday break during the hottest summer months, and business hours may shift earlier during Ramadan.
2026 Working days summary for United Arab Emirates
Note: The calendar shows nationwide holidays only. Holiday and working-day counts show the range across individual regions of the country.
United Arab Emirates has between 247 and 251 working days in 2026, depending on the region. This is calculated from 365 total calendar days, minus 101 weekend days (Saturday-Sunday), and minus between 13 and 18 holidays, varying by region. The standard work week runs Monday through Friday.
247–251
Working Days
depending on region
101
Weekend Days
13–18
Holidays
depending on region
Monthly Breakdown
| Month | Working | Weekend | Holidays | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 20 | 10 | 1 | 31 |
| February | 20 | 8 | 0 | 28 |
| March | 21–22* | 6 | 3–4* | 31 |
| April | 22 | 8 | 0 | 30 |
| May | 18 | 9 | 4–5* | 31 |
| June | 20–22* | 8 | 0–2* | 30 |
| July | 22 | 9 | 0 | 31 |
| August | 20–21* | 9 | 1–2* | 31 |
| September | 22 | 8 | 0 | 30 |
| October | 21 | 10 | 0 | 31 |
| November | 21–22* | 8 | 0–1* | 30 |
| December | 20–21* | 8 | 2–3* | 31 |
| Total | 247–251* | 101 | 13–18* | 365 |
* Values vary by region.
2026 Calendar for United Arab Emirates
January 2026
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 New Year's Day New Year's Day | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
20 working days, 10 weekend days, and 1 holiday in January 2026.
February 2026
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ||||||
2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
20 working days, 8 weekend days in February 2026.
March 2026
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ||||||
2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 Eid al-Fitr Eid al-Fitr | 21 Eid al-Fitr Eid al-Fitr | 22 Eid al-Fitr Eid al-Fitr |
23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
30 | 31 |
22 working days, 6 weekend days, and 3 holidays in March 2026.
April 2026
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
22 working days, 8 weekend days in April 2026.
May 2026
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
25 | 26 Arafat (Hajj) Day Arafat (Hajj) Day | 27 Eid al-Adha Eid al-Adha | 28 Eid al-Adha Eid al-Adha | 29 Eid Al Adha Holiday Eid Al Adha Holiday | 30 | 31 |
18 working days, 9 weekend days, and 4 holidays in May 2026.
June 2026
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
15 | 16 | 17 Al-Hijra (Islamic New Year) Al-Hijra (Islamic New Year) | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
29 | 30 |
21 working days, 8 weekend days, and 1 holiday in June 2026.
July 2026
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
22 working days, 9 weekend days in July 2026.
August 2026
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | |||||
3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
24 | 25 | 26 Mouloud (Prophet Muhammad's Birthday Mouloud (Prophet Muhammad's Birthday | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
31 |
21 working days, 9 weekend days, and 1 holiday in August 2026.
September 2026
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
28 | 29 | 30 |
22 working days, 8 weekend days in September 2026.
October 2026
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
21 working days, 10 weekend days in October 2026.
November 2026
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ||||||
2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
30 |
22 working days, 8 weekend days in November 2026.
December 2026
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 National Day National Day | 3 National Day National Day | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
21 working days, 8 weekend days, and 2 holidays in December 2026.
Changelog
| 2026-05-17 22:23:18 | The holiday set for the United Arab Emirates in 2026 has been slightly adjusted, with some holidays renamed and one additional holiday added. |
| 2026-05-05 10:48:33 | The holiday set for the United Arab Emirates in 2026 has been expanded and refined, with additional holidays introduced and some renamed for clarity. |