The UAE Ministry of Education has announced the official academic calendar for public and private schools covering three consecutive academic years – 2026-2027, 2027-2028 and 2028-2029. The decision reflects the Ministry’s commitment to building a stable, forward-planned education system that balances instructional time with quality learning, supports student outcomes and gives schools the certainty they need to plan effectively.
This is the first time the Ministry has published a three-year rolling calendar, a move it says will strengthen system-wide readiness, improve resource management and allow schools to plan academic and extracurricular programmes well in advance.
The Academic Calendar
| 2026–2027 | 2027–2028 | 2028–2029 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term starts | 31 Aug 2026 | 30 Aug 2027 | 28 Aug 2028 |
| Mid-term break | 12–18 Oct 2026 | 11–17 Oct 2027 | 16–22 Oct 2028 |
| Schools resume | 19 Oct 2026 | 18 Oct 2027 | 23 Oct 2028 |
| Winter break | 14 Dec 2026 – 3 Jan 2027 | 13 Dec 2027 – 2 Jan 2028 | 11 Dec 2028 – 1 Jan 2029 |
| Schools resume | 4 Jan 2027 | 3 Jan 2028 | 2 Jan 2029 |
| Spring break | 5–11 Apr 2027 | 27 Mar – 2 Apr 2028 | 29 Mar – 1 Apr 2029 |
| Schools resume | 12 Apr 2027 | 3 Apr 2028 | 2 Apr 2029 |
| Term ends | 2 Jul 2027 | 30 Jun 2028 | 29 Jun 2029 |
What Schools Need to Know
The Ministry has emphasised that all schools across the UAE must adhere to the mid-term break for the first semester as outlined in the official calendar. However, local education authorities have been granted flexibility to allow private schools under their jurisdiction, those not following the MoE curriculum to split 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 under the emirate’s own regulatory framework.
All schools must also ensure that final assessments or curriculum requirements are completed in the last week of each term, so that students attend through to the final school day. Schools whose students are sitting pre-scheduled international examinations are exempt from this requirement.
The new three-year calendar does not apply to private schools following alternative curricula, including Indian, Bangladeshi and Pakistani curricula.
Why This Matters
The shift to a three-year forward calendar is a significant step for UAE education planning. For school leaders, it means the ability to lock in staff contracts, timetabling and extracurricular programming years in advance. For families, it brings much-needed consistency and predictability for holiday planning. And for the system as a whole, it signals a maturing education infrastructure, one that is thinking in cycles rather than year by year.
The Ministry noted that the calendar has been designed to carefully balance instructional time with the social and educational needs of students, reinforcing the school’s role in preparing future generations for a rapidly changing world.
For more information about the Ministry of Education, visit their website below