UAE Announces Unified School Academic Calendar for 2026–2029

Families across the UAE now have long-term clarity on school life, holidays, and term planning.

The Ministry of Education (MoE) has officially announced a three-year academic calendar for public and private schools, covering the academic years 2026–2027, 2027–2028, and 2028–2029. The move introduces a unified structure that allows parents, students, teachers, and schools to plan well ahead — not just for the next term, but for years to come.

In a country where family travel, international commitments, and education planning often overlap, the announcement brings a sense of stability and structure. For many Dubai-based families, it means fewer last-minute calendar surprises and easier planning for holidays, learning programmes, and extracurricular activities.

A long-term calendar built for real life

Unlike annual announcements that arrive close to the academic year, this three-year framework gives households time to organise life properly — from booking international travel to planning summer programmes, tutoring schedules, and even family relocations.

The Ministry stated that adopting a multi-year academic calendar strengthens readiness across the education system, improves resource planning, and allows schools to design academic and extracurricular programmes more effectively.

For working parents in Dubai and across the UAE, this matters. School calendars don’t just affect classrooms — they shape office leave planning, family travel seasons, childcare arrangements, and even housing decisions in some cases.

In practical terms, it means parents can now look at one calendar and plan family life around it for the next three years — a rare level of predictability in a fast-moving, global city like Dubai.

All the important school dates in one place

The calendar outlines start dates, mid-term breaks, winter holidays, spring breaks, and end-of-year dates for each academic year.

Academic Year 2026–2027

• School opens: 31 August 2026
• Mid-term break: 12–18 October 2026 (classes resume 19 October)
• Winter break: 14 December 2026 – 3 January 2027 (resumes 4 January)
• Spring break: 5–11 April 2027 (resumes 12 April)
• Academic year ends: 2 July 2027

Academic Year 2027–2028

• School opens: 30 August 2027
• Mid-term break: 11–17 October 2027
• Winter break: 13 December 2027 – 2 January 2028
• Spring break: 27 March – 2 April 2028
• Academic year ends: 30 June 2028

Academic Year 2028–2029

• School opens: 28 August 2028
• Mid-term break: 16–22 October 2028
• Winter break: 11 December 2028 – 1 January 2029
• Spring break: 29 March – 1 April 2029
• Academic year ends: 29 June 2029

These fixed timelines help create consistency across schools and reduce year-to-year uncertainty for families and educators.

How the new calendar will be implemented?

All schools operating under the Ministry of Education curriculum must strictly follow the approved calendar. This includes:

• Completing curriculum requirements within each term
• Holding final assessments in the last week of term
• Ensuring student attendance until the official last school day

The only exception applies to students sitting pre-scheduled international examinations, where timelines may differ due to external exam board requirements.

The Ministry also stressed the importance of adhering to the first semester mid-term break across the UAE. However, some flexibility may be granted to private schools under local education authorities, allowing them to divide the break between October and February — provided the total duration does not exceed five school days.

Private schools in Sharjah remain governed by the emirate’s existing regulatory framework.

Important exception for certain private schools

Not all schools fall under this new calendar.

The three-year academic calendar does not apply to private schools following alternative curricula, including:

• Indian curriculum schools
• Bangladeshi curriculum schools
• Pakistani curriculum schools

These institutions will continue operating under their respective academic frameworks and regulatory calendars. Parents with children in these systems are advised to continue relying on school-specific schedules.

Real-life impact on parents and students

For families living in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and other emirates, this announcement changes how school life can be planned.

Parents can now:

• Plan family travel years in advance
• Align school breaks with work leave
• Organise tutoring, camps, and learning programmes early
• Reduce disruption around academic transitions

In a city like Dubai — where many residents maintain strong ties to their home countries — school holidays often define when families travel, visit relatives, or host visitors. Having fixed dates for three years brings a level of organisation that fits real family life.

It also supports Dubai’s wider education ecosystem, helping schools, activity centres, sports academies, and community programmes plan their annual calendars more efficiently.

A system designed for stability, not pressure

Beyond logistics, the long-term calendar reflects a broader shift in UAE education — focusing on balance, structure, and student wellbeing. Predictable schedules help reduce academic stress, create healthier learning rhythms, and support consistent academic delivery.

For students, it means fewer disruptions. For teachers, clearer academic planning. And for parents, fewer surprises.

And for families, it brings something rare in modern city life: certainty.

The UAE’s three-year school academic calendar marks a major step towards long-term stability in education planning. With clear dates, structured breaks, and unified timelines, families and schools can now organise their lives with confidence — not guesswork.

In a country built on global movement, multicultural families, and fast-paced living, this clarity matters more than ever.

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