UAE Announces Public, Private School Academic Calendar For Next Three Years

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) The new academic calendar does not apply to private schools following alternative curricula, such as Indian, Bangladeshi, or Pakistani

• PUBLISHED: Mon 23 Feb 2026, 9:48 PM UPDATED: Mon 23 Feb 2026, 10:49 PM

• By:
• Supreeta Balasubramanian

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The Ministry of Education in the UAE (MoE) has announced the academic calendar for public and private schools for the next three years: 2026-2027, 2027-2028 and 2028-2029.

The calendar overview for the next three academic years includes start and end dates, semester dates and holiday dates as well.

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The ministry said that dopting a three-year academic calendar strengthens system-wide readiness, improves resource management and enables schools to plan academic and extracurricular programmes well in advance.

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2026-2027

• The academic year for students will start on August 31, 2026 and end on July 2, 2027.

• The first semester mid-term break will run from October 12 to October 18, 2026, with classes resuming on October 19, 2026.

• Schools will have winter break from December 14, 2026 to January 3, 2027, with schools resuming on January 4, 2027.

• Spring break for students will be from April 5 to April 11, 2027, with schools resuming on April 12, 2027.

2027-2028

• The academic year for students will start on August 30, 2027 and end on June 30, 2028.

• The first semester mid-term break will run from October 11 to October 17, 2027, with classes resuming on October 18, 2027.

• Schools will have winter break from December 13, 2027 to January 2, 2028, with schools resuming on January 3, 2028.

• Spring break for students will be from March 27 to April 2, 2028, with schools resuming on April 3, 2028.

2028-2029

• The academic year for students will start on August 28, 2028 and end on June 29, 2029.

• The first semester mid-term break will run from October 16 to October 22, 2028, with classes resuming on October 23, 2028.

• Schools will have winter break from December 11, 2028 to January 1, 2029, with schools resuming on January 2, 2029.

• Spring break for students will be from March 29 to April 1, 2029, with schools resuming on April 2, 2029.

Mid-term break for first semester

MoE emphasised the importance of all schools across the UAE adhering to the mid-term break for the first semester. Local education authorities can allow private schools under their jurisdiction (those not following the MoE curriculum) to divide the break between October and February, provided the total duration does not exceed five school days and aligns with their operational needs.

This applies to all relevant private schools across the UAE, with the exception of private schools in Sharjah, which continue to operate in accordance with the emirate's established regulatory framework.

Last week of term

All schools must follow the approved calendar, including holding final assessments or completing curriculum requirements in the last week of each term, to ensure students attend until the last school day. This excludes grades taking pre-scheduled international exams.​

The new academic calendar does not apply to private schools following alternative curricula, such as Indian, Bangladeshi, or Pakistani.

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