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Public Holidays in United Arab Emirates 2026 + Free Staff Planning Template

Complete list of official public holidays and free downloadable staff planning templates

Official Public Holidays

12 holidays in United Arab Emirates for 2026

United Arab Emirates flag
Holiday Date Day Applies To
New Year's Day
New Year’s Day is the first day of the year, or January 1, in the Gregorian calendar.
 January 01 Thursday Nationwide
Eid al-Fitr
Eid al-Fitr is a holiday to mark the end of the Islamic month of Ramadan, during which Muslims fa...
 March 20 Friday Nationwide
Eid al-Fitr Holiday
Eid al-Fitr Holiday is a national holiday in United Arab Emirates
 March 21 Saturday Nationwide
Eid al-Fitr Holiday
Eid al-Fitr Holiday is a national holiday in United Arab Emirates
 March 22 Sunday Nationwide
Arafat (Hajj) Day
Arafat (Hajj) Day is a national holiday in United Arab Emirates
 May 26 Tuesday Nationwide
Eid al-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice)
Eid al-Adha (Id ul-Adha) is an Islamic festival falling on the 10th day of the month of Dhul Hijj...
 May 27 Wednesday Nationwide
Eid al-Adha Holiday
Eid al-Adha Holiday is a national holiday in United Arab Emirates
 May 27 Wednesday Nationwide
Eid al-Adha Holiday
Eid al-Adha Holiday is a national holiday in United Arab Emirates
 May 28 Thursday Nationwide
Al-Hijra (Islamic New Year)
Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar and a time of remembrance or mourning.
 June 17 Wednesday Nationwide
Mouloud
Mawlid, or Milad, marks the birth of the Islamic prophet Muhammed, or Mohamed, in the year 570 of...
 August 26 Wednesday Nationwide
National Day
National Day is a national holiday in United Arab Emirates
 December 02 Wednesday Nationwide
National Day Holiday
National Day Holiday is a national holiday in United Arab Emirates
 December 03 Thursday Nationwide

Legal Notice: This information is for guidance only and should not be considered legal advice. Always validate with local authorities or legal practitioners in United Arab Emirates.

📅 Free Staff Holiday Planning Templates

Download our ready-to-use templates to plan your team's time off around United Arab Emirates's public holidays

Google Sheets Template Excel Template

Perfect for HR managers, team leads, and small business owners planning staff coverage around public holidays

Managing staff leave around these holidays?

Stop juggling spreadsheets and manual processes. Leavetrack automatically handles public holidays and makes employee leave management effortless.

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Why HR Teams Choose Leavetrack

Everything you need for seamless leave management

Automatic Public Holiday Import
All public holidays for United Arab Emirates and 180+ other countries automatically loaded. No manual data entry required.
Save 5+ Hours Per Week
Eliminate manual leave calculations and reduce administrative overhead by up to 80%.
Compliance Made Easy
Built-in compliance tracking ensures you meet local employment laws and holiday entitlements.
Team Visibility
Everyone sees who's off when, preventing scheduling conflicts and ensuring adequate coverage.

Trusted by HR teams worldwide

160,478
Absences managed
5048
Employees using Leavetrack
4.8/5
Average customer rating

"With a team of over 50 employees, keeping track of absences and holidays using a paper based system used to be time consuming and prone to errors. Since introducing Leavetrack, the whole process has become a lot simpler and easier."

Cynthia Fisher
Commercial Director, Intatec Limited

How It Works

Simple, powerful leave management in four steps

1

Employees Request Leave

Simple, intuitive interface lets employees request time off in seconds. Public holidays are automatically excluded from calculations.

  • Book leave in under 30 seconds
  • See available leave balance instantly
  • Mobile-friendly for on-the-go requests
2

Managers Approve Instantly

Managers see all request details including conflicts with public holidays and other team members' leave.

  • Approve/reject directly from email
  • See team coverage at a glance
  • Complete audit trail of decisions
3

Plan Team Coverage

Beautiful visual calendar shows exactly who's off when, including public holidays, so you can plan optimal team coverage.

  • Color-coded wall chart
  • Filter by department or team
  • Spot conflicts before they happen
4

Generate Reports

Comprehensive reporting gives you insights into leave patterns, costs, and compliance - all exportable to Excel.

  • Full audit trail of all leave
  • Export to CSV for further analysis
  • Track entitlements and accruals

Don't Forget Your Free Planning Templates!

Get our ready-to-use staff planning templates to organize your team around United Arab Emirates's 2026 public holidays

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About Public Holidays in United Arab Emirates

Public holidays in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are a blend of Islamic traditions and national celebrations, reflecting the country's rich cultural heritage. The UAE observes several public holidays throughout the year, including Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, and the UAE National Day, which falls on December 2nd. These holidays are significant for both employees and employers, as they provide opportunities for staff leave and family gatherings. Understanding the public holiday calendar is essential for effective absence management and staff leave planning within businesses operating in the UAE. For more detailed information on public holidays in the UAE, you can visit the official government website at UAE Government Public Holidays.