The Eid Al Adha 2026 UAE holiday gave federal government staff a nine-day break and private sector employees four paid days off. Here are the official dates, how the weekends stretched the break and when work resumed.
The Eid Al Adha 2026 UAE holiday for federal government employees ran from Monday 25 May to Friday 29 May 2026, with work resuming on Monday 1 June. With the weekends either side, that made a nine-day break from Saturday 23 May to Sunday 31 May.
Private sector staff had four paid days, from Tuesday 26 May to Friday 29 May, and also returned on 1 June. Arafat Day fell on Tuesday 26 May and Eid Al Adha itself on Wednesday 27 May, after the crescent was sighted on 17 May.
Eid Al Adha 2026 UAE at a glance
- Federal public sector: Monday 25 May to Friday 29 May 2026, nine days with weekends
- Private sector: Tuesday 26 May to Friday 29 May 2026, six days with the weekend
- Arafat Day: Tuesday 26 May 2026 (9 Dhu Al Hijjah 1447)
- Eid Al Adha: Wednesday 27 May 2026 (10 Dhu Al Hijjah 1447)
- Return to work: Monday 1 June 2026
- Sharjah government: up to 10 days, thanks to its Friday to Sunday weekend
- Announced by: the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources (public sector) and the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (private sector)
Eid Al Adha 2026 UAE: the public sector holiday
The Federal Authority for Government Human Resources announced the federal dates on 12 May, as Khaleej Times reported. Five working days were off, from Monday 25 May to Friday 29 May.
Add the Saturday and Sunday before and after, and the Eid Al Adha 2026 UAE break ran for nine days. Federal employees were back at their desks on Monday 1 June.
Sharjah government employees did even better. The emirate runs a four-day working week with a Friday to Sunday weekend, so the same five days of leave turned into a ten-day holiday.
Private sector Eid Al Adha 2026 UAE dates
On 18 May the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation confirmed four paid days for private sector employees, from Tuesday 26 May to Friday 29 May. With the standard Saturday and Sunday weekend, that made a six-day break.
The ministry said the decision followed the UAE Cabinet resolution on official public holidays. It meant the Eid Al Adha 2026 UAE break for private staff was three days shorter than the public sector’s nine.
How private sector staff could still get nine days
Taking one day of annual leave on Monday 25 May joined the weekend to the official holiday, giving nine straight days from 23 to 31 May. As Gulf News pointed out, that depended on each employee’s contract and their company’s leave approval process.
Eid Al Adha 2026 UAE school holidays
The Ministry of Education’s midterm break for public schools ran from Monday 25 May to Friday 29 May, matching the federal holiday. Classes resumed on Monday 1 June.
Private schools in Dubai followed the same dates under the KHDA unified calendar. That gave pupils the full nine days off, so private sector parents who took 25 May as leave could match the school break.
Why the Eid Al Adha 2026 UAE dates depend on the moon
Eid Al Adha falls on the 10th day of Dhu Al Hijjah, the final month of the Islamic calendar, and the day after Arafat Day. Because Islamic months begin with the sighting of the crescent moon, final dates are confirmed only days in advance.
The UAE Council for Fatwa confirmed the sighting on the evening of Sunday 17 May, making Monday 18 May the first day of Dhu Al Hijjah 1447, Aletihad reported. That fixed Eid on Wednesday 27 May, the date the Sharjah Space and Astronomy Hub at the University of Sharjah had predicted.
Eid Al Adha 2026 UAE prayer times
Eid prayers take place shortly after sunrise on the first morning. The General Authority of Islamic Affairs, Endowments and Zakat announced these times for Wednesday 27 May, as Gulf News reported, noting they could vary slightly in line with the approved prayer calendar:
- Abu Dhabi: 5.51am
- Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman: 5.45am
- Umm Al Quwain: 5.44am
- Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah: 5.43am
What Eid Al Adha marks
Eid Al Adha means “Feast of the Sacrifice”. It commemorates the Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to God, and it marks the end of the annual Hajj, when pilgrims gather on Mount Arafat the day before.
Those who can afford it sacrifice a sheep, goat or camel after the Eid prayer, and the meat is traditionally divided into three parts for the family, relatives and friends, and people in need. In the UAE, Qurbani is carried out through licensed abattoirs and approved apps and charities, not at home.
Travelling over the Eid Al Adha 2026 UAE break
The Eid Al Adha 2026 UAE long weekend was the first major holiday after the airspace fully reopened. Australian outlet The New Daily reported on 3 May that the General Civil Aviation Authority had lifted its temporary precautionary measures, imposed during the regional conflict that began on 28 February.
The authority said the airspace would stay under close monitoring. Demand around Eid is always high, so anyone flying was wise to book early and check their airline’s schedule before leaving for the airport.
How to spend the Eid Al Adha 2026 UAE break
- Eid prayers: held at mosques and prayer grounds across the country on the first morning.
- Family gatherings: the heart of the holiday, built around a shared meal on Eid day.
- Staycations: hotels across the emirates run Eid packages, and Hatta and Ras Al Khaimah are popular escapes before the summer heat peaks.
- Something to watch: Dhurandhar: The Revenge arrived on Netflix UAE on 15 May, just in time for a long weekend in.
Eid Al Adha 2026 UAE FAQs
When was the Eid Al Adha 2026 holiday in the UAE?
For federal government employees, from Monday 25 May to Friday 29 May 2026. Private sector staff were off from Tuesday 26 May to Friday 29 May.
When was Arafat Day 2026 in the UAE?
Arafat Day fell on Tuesday 26 May 2026, with Eid Al Adha on Wednesday 27 May. Official public holiday lists are on the UAE government portal.
When did UAE employees return to work after Eid Al Adha 2026?
Both federal and private sector employees returned on Monday 1 June 2026.
For more festive ideas, browse our must-have Eid Al Adha dishes, and find more UAE news in Local Buzz.