UAE Public Holidays 2027: Official List, National Day and Business Planner

Public holidays decide when banks, couriers, government offices and customers are available. If your team knows the 2027 calendar early, payroll, deliveries, customer support and campaigns can all be planned around it instead of being disrupted by it. This guide lists the expected public holidays, explains how National Day and the other national days work, and ends with a planner your team can reuse.

How the 2027 dates are decided

Two things shape the calendar. First, the Islamic holidays follow the lunar Hijri calendar and are confirmed only after the moon is sighted, so the dates below are expected dates and can shift by a day. Second, since early 2025 a UAE law allows certain mid-week holidays to be moved to the start or end of the week. New Year's Day, the Hijri New Year, the Prophet's Birthday and National Day can be transferred by Cabinet decision, while Eid Al Fitr and Arafah Day with Eid Al Adha cannot. In 2025 this was used for the first time, when the National Day holiday moved from 2 and 3 December to 1 and 2 December.

UAE public holidays 2027 at a glance

Notice that the Islamic holidays arrive roughly ten to eleven days earlier each year. That is why last year's plan can never simply be copied forward.

UAE National Day (Eid Al Etihad) on 2 December

National Day marks the union of the emirates on 2 December 1971. The 2026 celebration is the 55th, so the 2027 celebration will be the 56th. The holiday is officially two days, 2 and 3 December. In 2027 those days fall on a Thursday and a Friday, which joins the normal weekend into a four-day break from Thursday 2 to Sunday 5 December. If the Cabinet moves the dates, as it did in 2025, the break could shift, so wait for the official announcement before locking in leave or deliveries.

For business, the practical effect is that the first week of December is short. It also sits right beside White Friday sales and the Dubai Shopping Festival, so retailers should plan stock, staffing and delivery cut-offs for that stretch in November.

Commemoration Day and other national days

The UAE marks several other days that are not all public holidays but still matter to people and brands.

• Commemoration Day (30 November): honours Emirati martyrs who died in service at home and abroad. It was decreed an annual public holiday in 2015, but it does not appear in the recent official public holiday lists, so treat it as a day of remembrance and confirm each year. In 2027 it falls on a Tuesday, two days before National Day. It is a solemn day, so avoid sales messaging.
• Flag Day (3 November): a national occasion, not a public holiday, when the flag is raised and the National Day season begins to warm up.
• Emirati Women's Day (28 August): a Saturday in 2027, and a major moment for brands that work with Emirati women and heritage stories.
• Zayed Humanitarian Day (19 Ramadan): a day of giving, expected around 26 February 2027 if Ramadan begins on 8 February.

Other dates worth putting in your calendar

Public holidays are only part of the picture. These dates are not days off, but they influence demand, staffing and advertising across the year.

Long weekends to plan around

• New Year (1 to 3 January): Friday to Sunday. The first working day is Monday 4 January.
• Eid Al Fitr (9 to 14 March): if the holiday runs from Tuesday to Friday, the weekend extends it to a six-day break.
• Eid Al Adha (15 to 18 May): four days from Saturday to Tuesday, so many residents will travel.
• National Day (2 to 5 December): four days from Thursday to Sunday, subject to any Cabinet transfer.
• Hijri New Year and Prophet's Birthday: both land on a weekend in 2027, so watch for an announcement on whether a weekday is given instead.

What holidays mean for your operations

• Payroll and payments: send transfers a few working days early, because banks and payment partners slow down around Eid.
• Deliveries: agree courier and supplier cut-off dates in writing before each break.
• Customer service: assign cover and set an auto-reply stating your return date.
• B2B sales: decision makers are often away, so send proposals before the holiday and follow up after.
• Contracts and filings: check that renewals, tender deadlines and licence dates do not fall inside a closure.

Business holiday planner

How holidays affect marketing

Holidays change when people shop, scroll and search, and competitors push offers around the same dates. Brands that plan early have time to build creative and audiences before auction prices climb. Schedule content in advance through your social media marketing calendar, and set holiday budgets and bidding rules ahead of time with a performance marketing plan.

Frequently asked questions

How many public holidays does the UAE have in 2027?

Six named holidays are expected. The Islamic ones span several days, and the exact number of days off depends on the moon sighting and how the dates fall against the weekend.

Is Commemoration Day a public holiday?

It was decreed one in 2015, but recent official lists show only the National Day dates. Confirm each year before you plan around it.

Can the National Day holiday be moved?

Yes. A Cabinet decision can transfer it, as happened in 2025.

Is Ramadan a public holiday?

No, but working hours are reduced during the month. Eid Al Fitr, which follows it, is a public holiday.