Hey Raha blog · Dubai school life

Dubai Schools This Month: October 2026

By Marie Adly · 7 October 2026

Most Dubai schools on the unified calendar have their October half-term from Monday 12 to Friday 16 October 2026, with classes back on Monday 19 October. There are no UAE public holidays in October 2026; the next is National Day on 2 and 3 December. Cambridge November exams run from 28 September to 12 or 13 November, and IB November exams from 23 October to 13 November.

Last updated: 7 October 2026

October is the month the Dubai school year finds its feet. The first-day nerves have gone, the weather starts to soften, and then there's a half-term, an exam season for older students and a run of dress-up and awareness days. It's also the month when one school email can change your whole week.

Here's everything worth knowing for October 2026, checked against official sources on 7 October. Your school's own calendar and emails are always the final word.

October at a glance

Half-term, exam timetables and dress-up days all arrive by email this month. Hey Raha reads your school emails and sends you and your helper one clear daily WhatsApp plan. Try Hey Raha free for 14 days.

Half-terms and school breaks

The October mid-term is Monday 12 to Friday 16 October 2026, with classes back on Monday 19 October. With weekends, that's nine days at home, from Saturday 10 to Sunday 18 October.

If your school first said 19–23 October, check your inbox. In September, several Dubai private schools, including some British-curriculum schools, moved their break a week earlier to match the Ministry of Education's unified calendar, after KHDA reminded schools to follow it.

Not every school breaks this week:

• Split breaks. Private schools that don't follow the MoE curriculum can, with KHDA approval, split the five mid-term days between October and February. So your school may have only two or three days off now.
• Indian and other Asian-curriculum schools. Many CBSE schools don't have an October half-term. October is often first-term exam season, and the next break comes around National Day.
• April-start schools set their own October timetable.

More on the whole year in our guide to Dubai school holidays and term dates for 2026-27, or print our one-page school calendar for the fridge.

Public holidays and national days

There are no UAE public holidays in October 2026. The next public holiday is National Day (Eid Al Etihad) on Wednesday 2 and Thursday 3 December.

Two national days come up in November, so watch for school emails about them late this month:

• Flag Day – Tuesday 3 November. A school day. Flags go up at 11am across the country, and many schools ask children to wear UAE colours.
• Commemoration Day – Monday 30 November. A school day of remembrance.

Our Flag Day and National Day school guide covers what children usually wear and bring.

Exam and assessment windows

October is busy for older students, and exam weeks often bring changed timetables, early finishes and study leave.

• Cambridge IGCSE and AS & A Level, November 2026 series: exams run from 28 September to 12 or 13 November, depending on the school's exam zone. Mid-term week isn't exam-free, so students with entries should check their own timetable.
• IB Diploma, November 2026 session: Friday 23 October to Friday 13 November.
• MoE-curriculum schools: the Standardized Proficiency Assessment (SPA) window runs until 30 October. The Arabic Baseline Assessment closed on 9 October. Mock exams follow on 18–20 November and end-of-term exams from 25 November.
• PIRLS 2026 (main study): 19 October to 12 November, for selected schools and grades. If your child's school takes part, you'll usually get a letter.
• Indian-curriculum schools: many hold first-term exams around October. Dates are set by each school.

Seasonal school events

These are the days schools often mark with a theme, an assembly or a "please send…" email. Not every school celebrates every one.

• Pink October. Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Expect a pink dress-up or fundraising day at some schools.
• World Mental Health Day – Saturday 10 October. Falls on a weekend, so schools may mark it the week before or after.
• Global Handwashing Day – Thursday 15 October and World Food Day – Friday 16 October. Both fall in mid-term week this year, so any school activities may move.
• Dussehra – Tuesday 20 October. Some Indian-curriculum schools give a day off or hold celebrations. Check your school's calendar.
• United Nations Day – Saturday 24 October. International schools sometimes hold a "national dress" or international day around it.
• Halloween – Saturday 31 October. Some schools run a dress-up or "book character" day on the Friday before, others don't mark it at all. Wait for the email before buying a costume.
• Global Village Season 31 opens on Wednesday 14 October, in the middle of half-term week, and runs until May 2027.
• Dubai Fitness Challenge runs from Saturday 31 October to Sunday 29 November. Some schools join in with their own 30-minute activity challenges.
• Cooler weather usually means more outdoor PE and break times. A refillable water bottle and a hat still matter.

Coming up in November

• Tue 3 Nov: Flag Day (school day, 11am flag-raising)
• Wed 4 – Sun 15 Nov: Sharjah International Book Fair, with school visits and family days
• Sun 8 Nov: Diwali. Some Indian-curriculum schools give extra days around it
• 13 Nov: IB and Cambridge November exams finish (12 or 13 Nov for Cambridge, depending on zone)
• Wed 18 – Fri 20 Nov: MoE mock exams
• Mon 30 Nov: Commemoration Day
• Wed 2 – Thu 3 Dec: National Day public holiday (MoE schools close 2–4 December)

Your October checklist

1. Confirm your mid-term dates in your school's latest email or app, not the calendar you saved in August.
2. Tell your helper about half-term now. It changes meals, routines and maybe their own day off. Our weekly helper briefing template makes it one message.
3. Ask older children for their exam timetable and pin it somewhere visible.
4. Check after-school clubs. Most pause in mid-term week. Some restart a week later.
5. Hold off on costumes until the school confirms what it wants for Pink October, Halloween or Flag Day.
6. Sort Flag Day outfits early. UAE-colour clothes for children get harder to find in the last week of October.
7. Skim the circulars. Changes like this year's half-term move arrive by email. Here's how I keep on top of school emails and class WhatsApp groups.

For new KHDA rules affecting families this term (school timings, photos, fees, refunds), see our round-up of new Dubai school rules for October 2026.

Sources

• KHDA: Academic calendar for Dubai's private schools
• UAE Ministry of Education: Academic Calendar 2026-2027 (PDF) (SPA, ABA, PIRLS, mock and end-of-term exam windows)
• UAE Ministry of Education: Academic calendar for the next three years
• UAE Government portal: Public holidays
• Cambridge International: November 2026 final exam timetable (zone 2 example) and all timetables
• Dubai Media Office: Global Village announces Season 31 opening date (14 Sep 2026)
• Dubai Media Office: Dubai Fitness Challenge returns from 31 October to 29 November
• Sharjah International Book Fair: Visit (4–15 November 2026)
• Gulf News: Dubai private schools revise October mid-term break dates for 2026-27 (4 Sep 2026)
• Khaleej Times: 9-day school break in UAE as Dubai schools revise October half-term dates (7 Sep 2026)
• Khaleej Times: Why do some UAE schools get an October half-term while CBSE schools don't? (2 Oct 2026)
• IB: November 2026 examination schedule (final version, via a school's published copy); check with your DP coordinator

Frequently asked questions

When is half-term in Dubai in October 2026?
Monday 12 to Friday 16 October 2026 for most schools on the unified calendar. Classes resume on Monday 19 October.

Is there a public holiday in October 2026 in the UAE?
No. The next public holiday is National Day on 2 and 3 December 2026.

Do Indian schools in Dubai have an October break?
Many don't. CBSE and other April-start schools often hold first-term exams in October and set their own breaks, so check your school's calendar.

Are there exams during the October half-term?
For some older students, yes. The Cambridge November series runs from 28 September to mid-November, including mid-term week, so check your child's exam timetable.

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