Ministry of Education announces the academic calendar for the next three years

United Arab Emirates, 23 February 2026: The Ministry of Education has announced the academic calendar for public and private schools for the next three years: 2026-2027, 2027-2028 and 2028-2029, as part of the Ministry’s commitment to building a stable and sustainable education system—one that carefully balances instructional time with quality learning, takes into account educational and social considerations, and supports improved student outcomes.

Calendar overview for the next three academic years

2026-2027
The 2026-2027 academic year for students will start on 31 August 2026, with the first semester mid-term break running from 12 October to 18 October 2026, and schools resuming 19 October 2026. Winter break will kick-off from 14 December 2026 to 3 January 2027, with schools resuming on 4 January 2027. Spring break for students will be from 5 April to 11 April 2027, with schools resuming on 12 April 2027. The academic year will end on 2 July 2027.

2027-2028

The 2027–2028 academic year will start on 30 August 2027, with the first semester mid-term break running from 11 October to 17 October 2027, and schools resuming on 18 October 2027. Winter break will commence from 13 December 2027 to 2 January 2028, with schools resuming on 3 January 2028. Spring break will start from 27 March and ends 2 April 2028, with schools resuming on 3 April 2028. The academic year will end on 30 June 2028.

2028-2029

The 2028-2029 academic year will begin on 28 August 2028, with the first semester mid-term break from 16 October to 22 October 2028, and schools resuming on 23 October 2028. Winter break will be from 11 December 2028 to 1 January 2029, with schools resuming on 2 January 2029. Spring break will start from 29 March and end 1 April 2029, with schools resuming on 2 April 2029. The school year will end on 29 June 2029.

MoE emphasised the importance of all schools across the UAE adhering to the mid-term break for the first semester, as outlined in the official academic calendar. Local education authorities have been granted the flexibility to 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.

Additionally, MoE noted that 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.

MoE noted that adopting a three-year academic calendar strengthens system-wide readiness, improves resource management and enables schools to plan academic and extracurricular programmes well in advance, reinforcing the school’s role in preparing future generations.