Public Holidays and Working Hours in Dubai (2026)

Since January 2022 the UAE has followed a Monday-to-Friday working week, in line with global markets, with Saturday and Sunday as the weekend. This applies across Dubai and the wider UAE, in both the public and private sectors.

Public-sector offices work a full day Monday to Thursday and a shorter day on Friday, finishing around midday to allow time for Friday prayers. Government service counters and ministries follow the same pattern.

Private companies have more flexibility. Most work Monday to Friday, and many treat Friday as a normal full working day. Some firms in retail, hospitality and construction work six days a week or on rotating shifts, so your schedule depends on your employer and industry.

A standard office day in Dubai runs from around 9am to 6pm, with an hour for lunch. UAE labour law caps the working week at 48 hours, which works out at eight hours a day over a six-day week, and many white-collar roles work fewer.

Shops and malls stay open longer, often 10am to 10pm or later, with staff on shifts. Restaurants, hotels and leisure venues run late into the evening, especially at weekends.

Banks and many government-facing services keep shorter public hours, so check opening times before you go. In the hot summer months, outdoor and construction work stops during a mandatory midday break covering the hottest hours.

Two of the main holidays fall on fixed dates. New Year's Day is 1 January, a single day off.

UAE National Day, also called Eid al-Etihad, celebrates the founding of the union in 1971. It falls on 2 December, and the official holiday covers 2 and 3 December. The Cabinet can move the break, as it did in 2025 when it ran on 1 and 2 December, but it stays a two-day holiday. It is one of the most festive times of year, with fireworks, parades and displays across the city.

Commemoration Day honours Emiratis who have given their lives in service and is marked on 30 November, just before National Day, with official ceremonies. It does not appear as a separate day off in the current official public holiday list on u.ae, so treat it as a working day unless the government announces otherwise.

Most UAE public holidays follow the Hijri lunar calendar, so they arrive roughly ten to eleven days earlier each year against the Gregorian calendar. The official moon-sighting committee confirms the exact days, often only one or two days in advance.

Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan and brings a break of three to four days. In 2026 Ramadan ran to 30 days, Eid fell on Friday 20 March, and the holiday ran from Thursday 19 to Sunday 22 March for both private-sector and federal government staff. For future years, treat any date as provisional until the government confirms it.

Arafat Day and Eid al-Adha, the Feast of Sacrifice, fall during the Hajj pilgrimage season and together give a longer break of several days. In 2026 the private-sector holiday ran from Arafat Day on Tuesday 26 May to Friday 29 May. The Islamic New Year (Hijri New Year) and the Prophet Muhammad's Birthday (Mawlid al-Nabi) are single days; both move with the lunar calendar and are confirmed closer to the time.

Ramadan, the holy month of fasting, changes the city's daily rhythm. UAE labour law reduces working hours during Ramadan, commonly by around two hours a day, so an eight-hour day becomes about six. Many workplaces apply the shorter day to fasting and non-fasting employees alike.

Government offices and many businesses adjust their hours, and some shops open and close later. Restaurants may limit daytime service, though hotels and many food outlets keep serving, and the city comes alive after sunset with iftar gatherings.

Ramadan itself is not a public holiday, but it leads straight into Eid al-Fitr. Its start date follows the lunar calendar, shifts each year and is confirmed by moon sighting shortly beforehand.

If you are moving to Dubai, buying property or scheduling business here, build the holiday calendar into your plans. Long weekends around Eid and National Day are popular for travel, so flights and hotels fill up and prices rise. Government offices and some private firms close, which can slow title transfers, visa steps and bank appointments.

Because the Islamic dates are only confirmed close to the time, leave some slack in any deadline that depends on them. A meeting or completion set for the week of Eid may need to move if the holiday lands a day earlier or later than expected.

For anything time-sensitive, check the latest official announcement, not last year's dates. If you are buying or selling property around a holiday, our team can sequence viewings, offers and paperwork so nothing stalls.

The only official public holiday left in 2026 is UAE National Day, which the UAE government portal (u.ae) lists as 2 and 3 December. This year those dates fall on a Wednesday and Thursday. Commemoration Day on Monday 30 November is marked with official ceremonies but is not listed as a separate day off.

Every Islamic holiday in 2026 has now been confirmed by moon sighting and taken. The Cabinet also showed this year that it will move a holiday to create a long weekend: the Prophet Muhammad's Birthday fell on Tuesday 25 August, but the day off for both the public and private sectors was moved to Friday 28 August.

The summer midday break for outdoor workers, which the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) ran from 15 June to 15 September 2026 between 12:30pm and 3pm, has now ended. Before you book December travel or schedule a property completion, check the official Federal Authority for Government Human Resources and MOHRE announcements, which confirm the exact National Day break.