UAE Holidays 2027: Possible 6-Day Eid Break and Multiple Long Weekends Expected
By Thasmiya
UAE residents planning their annual leave for 2027 could have several opportunities for extended breaks, including a **possible six-day Eid Al Fitr holiday**, a three-day New Year weekend and a four-day break for Eid Al Etihad.
The UAE’s 2027 public holiday calendar includes New Year’s Day, Eid Al Fitr, Arafah Day and Eid Al Adha, Islamic New Year, Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) Birthday and Eid Al Etihad.
However, most Islamic holiday dates remain predictions for now because they depend on official crescent-moon sightings.
## **New Year’s Day — 3-day weekend**
The first public holiday of 2027 falls on **Friday, January 1**.
With Saturday and Sunday immediately following, residents working a standard Monday-to-Friday schedule can expect a **three-day weekend from January 1 to 3**.
The first regular working day of 2027 will be Monday, January 4.
## **Eid Al Fitr — Potential 6-day break**
This could be one of the most interesting holidays of 2027.
Ramadan is currently expected to begin around **Monday, February 8, 2027**, although the official start will depend on moon sighting.
If Ramadan lasts 29 days, the expected Eid holiday would run from **Tuesday, March 9 to Thursday, March 11**.
However, if Ramadan completes 30 days, Ramadan 30 becomes an additional public holiday under UAE rules. In that scenario, the holiday could run through **Friday, March 12**.
Combined with the Saturday-Sunday weekend, residents could potentially enjoy **six consecutive days off from Tuesday, March 9 to Sunday, March 14**.
This remains subject to the official Shawwal crescent sighting.
## **Want an even longer Eid Al Fitr holiday?**
Those planning their annual leave strategically could potentially extend the break further.
If you take **Monday, March 8** as annual leave and Ramadan lasts 30 days, the surrounding weekends and public holidays could potentially create a **nine-day break from Saturday, March 6 to Sunday, March 14**.
That would use just one day of annual leave, assuming you normally have Saturday and Sunday off.
## **Arafah Day and Eid Al Adha — Expected 4-day break**
Arafah Day and Eid Al Adha are currently expected to fall between **Saturday, May 15 and Tuesday, May 18**.
Arafah Day provides one public holiday, followed by three days for Eid Al Adha.
The expected dates are:
**Saturday, May 15:** Arafah Day**Sunday, May 16:** First day of Eid Al Adha**Monday, May 17:** Eid Al Adha holiday**Tuesday, May 18:** Eid Al Adha holiday
The exact dates will be determined by the sighting of the Dhu Al Hijjah crescent.
## **Turn Eid Al Adha into a 9-day holiday**
Employees willing to use some annual leave could potentially create another significant break.
Taking **Wednesday, May 19, Thursday, May 20 and Friday, May 21** off could extend the expected Eid break through the following weekend.
For employees with a Saturday-Sunday weekend, that could mean **nine consecutive days away from work from May 15 to May 23**, using three annual-leave days.
## **Islamic New Year**
Islamic New Year, which falls on the first day of Muharram, is currently expected around **Sunday, June 6, 2027**.
The exact date remains dependent on the moon sighting.
Because the expected date falls on a weekend, residents should wait for an official announcement regarding how the holiday will be observed. UAE rules allow certain public holidays to be transferred by Cabinet decision, but this should **not be assumed in advance**.
## **Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) Birthday**
Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) Birthday is also expected to fall during a weekend in 2027.
Current projections place the occasion around **Saturday, August 14**, although astronomical calendars differ slightly and the official date will depend on the Hijri calendar and moon sighting.
Residents should therefore wait for the UAE’s official announcement rather than booking travel based solely on the predicted date.
## **Eid Al Etihad — 4-day weekend**
One of the easiest 2027 breaks to plan in advance comes at the end of the year.
The UAE’s **56th Eid Al Etihad** holidays will fall on:
**Thursday, December 2** **Friday, December 3**
With Saturday and Sunday immediately afterwards, residents working a standard five-day week could enjoy a **four-day break from Thursday, December 2 to Sunday, December 5**.
## **How many UAE public holiday days could there be in 2027?**
The calendar could provide **12 or 13 public holiday days**, depending particularly on whether Ramadan lasts 29 or 30 days.
Not all of those days necessarily translate into additional weekdays off because some expected holidays fall on Saturdays or Sundays.
The UAE’s standard public holidays cover New Year’s Day, Eid Al Fitr, Arafah Day, Eid Al Adha, Islamic New Year, Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) Birthday and the two Eid Al Etihad holidays.
## **Can UAE public holidays be moved to create long weekends?**
Under the UAE’s public-holiday framework, the Cabinet can transfer certain holidays to the beginning or end of the working week.
However, this does not mean every holiday falling near or on a weekend will automatically move.
The final arrangements are announced by the authorities, so residents should avoid making non-refundable travel plans based on a predicted transferred holiday.
## **Expected UAE public holidays for 2027**
**January 1:** New Year’s Day — 1 day
**March 9–11 or 12:** Eid Al Fitr — 3 or potentially 4 public holiday days
**May 15–18:** Arafah Day and Eid Al Adha — 4 days
**Around June 6:** Islamic New Year — 1 day
**Around August 14:** Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) Birthday — 1 day
**December 2–3:** Eid Al Etihad — 2 days
All Islamic dates remain subject to official confirmation and moon sightings.
## **Which are the biggest potential breaks?**
For residents planning ahead, **Eid Al Fitr could be the highlight of the 2027 calendar**, with the possibility of six consecutive days off without using annual leave if Ramadan lasts 30 days.
New Year’s Day is positioned for a three-day weekend, while Eid Al Etihad should create a convenient four-day December break.
Eid Al Adha could also become a substantial holiday for employees willing to combine the expected public holidays with a few days of annual leave.
## **Important before booking flights**
The fixed Gregorian-calendar holidays can be planned with greater certainty, but Islamic holidays should be treated as **expected dates rather than confirmed dates**.
Hijri months contain either 29 or 30 days, with UAE moon-sighting authorities determining the beginning of relevant months.
This means an Islamic holiday can differ from an astronomical prediction, and official public-sector and private-sector holiday announcements are typically issued closer to the occasion.
## **Why this matters**
The 2027 calendar could be a good one for UAE residents who plan their annual leave carefully.
There is a possible **six-day Eid Al Fitr break**, a three-day weekend to start the year and a four-day Eid Al Etihad weekend to finish it.
And by strategically placing a small number of annual-leave days around the expected holidays, some residents could turn the Eid breaks into much longer vacations.
For now, mark the dates in pencil rather than pen. The Islamic holidays will only become final once officially confirmed by UAE authorities.
## **Source Credits**
Information source/resource owners: UAE Government, UAE Astronomy Centre, Khaleej Times, Gulf News and The National.
## **Image Credits**
Suggested image resource owners: UAE Government Media Office, Eid Al Etihad official media channels, Dubai Media Office, Abu Dhabi Media Office and UAE tourism authorities.
**Main reference:** Khaleej Times — UAE holidays 2027: Possible 6-day break, multiple long weekends expected
**Additional reference:** Gulf News — UAE public holidays 2027 and expected long weekends
**Latest Eid Al Fitr forecast:** The National — Ramadan and Eid Al Fitr 2027 expected dates