UAE public holidays used by this calculator
Holidays follow Cabinet Resolution No. 27 of 2024, which applies to both the public and private sectors. Islamic holidays depend on moon sighting and may move by a day once officially announced, so treat lunar dates as expected dates and check MOHRE or WAM announcements before finalising a programme.
| Holiday | 2026 | 2027 (expected) |
|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | 1 Jan | 1 Jan |
| Eid Al Fitr | 20–22 Mar | 9–11 Mar |
| Arafat Day + Eid Al Adha | 26–29 May | 15–18 May |
| Islamic New Year | 16 Jun | 6 Jun |
| Prophet's Birthday | 25 Aug | 16 Aug |
| Eid Al Etihad (National Day) | 2–3 Dec | 2–3 Dec |
Which weekend should I choose?
Government entities and most offices in the UAE work Monday to Friday with a Saturday–Sunday weekend. Many construction sites run a six-day week with Friday off, and some keep the older Friday–Saturday pattern. Pick the pattern written in your contract or approved programme, because it changes the finish date considerably on long durations.
Using working days in a construction programme
Planning tools such as Primavera P6 and MS Project schedule activities on a calendar that holds the weekend pattern and holidays. Use this calculator to check activity durations, extension-of-time claims or look-ahead dates against the same calendar. Remember that Ramadan reduces daily working hours under UAE labour law, which affects productivity but not the count of working days.
Frequently asked questions
Does the calculator include the start and end dates?
Yes. Both dates are counted, the same way a P6 activity that starts and finishes on the same working day has a duration of one day.
What happens if a holiday falls on a weekend?
It is counted once, as a weekend day. UAE holidays falling on a weekend are not moved to another day unless the Cabinet announces a change.
Are private sector holidays the same as government holidays?
Since 2024 the official list is unified for both sectors. Individual employers may still grant extra days, which you can add as extra non-working dates.
Why are 2027 dates marked as expected?
Eid and other Islamic holidays follow the lunar Hijri calendar. The final dates are confirmed after moon sighting, usually a few days before.