Hey Raha blog · Dubai school life
The KHDA calendar 2026-27, explained for Dubai parents
KHDA's 2026-27 calendar for Dubai private schools on a September start has five fixed points: school starts on Monday 31 August 2026, winter break starts on Monday 14 December with classes back on Monday 4 January 2027, spring break starts on Monday 5 April with classes back on Monday 12 April, and the year ends on Friday 2 July 2027, with at least 185 school days. Everything else, including staff days and how a school handles the October mid-term, sits in your own school's approved calendar.
Last updated: 22 October 2026
KHDA is the regulator for Dubai's private schools. Its calendar page says the academic calendar "is issued by the UAE Government and all private schools in Dubai must abide by the dates specified", covering the start and end of the year and the winter, spring and summer breaks. It is a short list, and knowing what it leaves out saves a lot of guesswork.
What KHDA's 2026-27 calendar says (September-start schools)
| KHDA line | Date | Who it applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Start of academic year | Monday 31 August 2026 | All September-start schools |
| Start of the first mid-term break | Monday 12 October 2026, classes back Monday 19 October | "For MOE Private Schools only" (now past) |
| Start of winter break | Monday 14 December 2026 | All schools |
| Classes resume after winter break | Monday 4 January 2027 | All schools |
| Start of spring break | Monday 5 April 2027 | All schools |
| Classes resume after spring break | Monday 12 April 2027 | All schools |
| End of academic year | Friday 2 July 2027 | Minimum 185 school days |
Get these term dates in your calendar automatically
These match the Ministry of Education's unified calendar for 2026-27, which has the winter break for students from 14 December 2026 to 1 January 2027 and spring break from 5 to 9 April 2027.
April-start schools on the KHDA calendar
| KHDA line | Date |
|---|---|
| Start of academic year | Monday 6 April 2026 |
| Start of summer break | Monday 6 July 2026 |
| Classes resume after summer | Monday 31 August 2026 |
| Start of winter break | Monday 14 December 2026 |
| Classes resume after winter | Monday 4 January 2027 |
| End of academic year | Between 15 and 31 March 2027, once the school has met the minimum of 182 school days |
What KHDA's calendar does not tell you
- Your school's own October and February days. KHDA lists the October mid-term for Ministry of Education curriculum private schools only. The Ministry lets other private schools split a five-day mid-term between October and February, with approval. That's why some Dubai schools took a full October week and others kept a day or two for February. See February half-term and spring break 2027.
- Staff days, phased starts and early finishes. These are set by each school.
- Exact public holiday closures. KHDA says public holidays are communicated tentatively. Islamic holidays depend on the moon sighting.
- Some curricula. The Ministry says the unified calendar does not apply to private schools following the Indian, Bangladeshi or Pakistani curricula.
Dates move after the calendar is printed. Raha catches them.
This year, several Dubai schools published one October week in the summer and emailed a different one in September. The same thing happens with Eid closures, Ramadan hours and staff days. Hey Raha reads your school emails, read-only. When an email changes a date, she spots it, updates your family plan and tells you on WhatsApp, and your nanny or helper gets her own version without fees or private notes. Try Hey Raha free for 14 days, no card needed.
Public holidays and Ramadan in the 2026-27 Dubai school year
| What | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| National Day (Eid Al Etihad) public holiday | Wednesday 2 and Thursday 3 December 2026 | Confirmed (Cabinet Resolution No. 27 of 2024, u.ae). The GEMS and Taaleem school calendars we checked also close on Friday 4 December |
| New Year's Day | Friday 1 January 2027 | Confirmed, inside winter break |
| Ramadan | Expected to begin Monday 8 February 2027 | UNCONFIRMED, moon sighting |
| Eid Al Fitr | Expected Tuesday 9 or Wednesday 10 March 2027. The Ministry's calendar for its own schools closes 8 to 12 March | UNCONFIRMED, moon sighting |
| Arafah Day and Eid Al Adha | Arafah expected 15 or 16 May 2027, Eid 16 or 17 May. The Ministry's calendar closes 15 to 18 May | UNCONFIRMED, moon sighting |
| Hijri New Year | Expected around 6 June 2027 | UNCONFIRMED, moon sighting |
KHDA hasn't announced Ramadan 2027 school hours. In Ramadan 2026 it capped the school day at five hours and asked schools to finish by 11.30am on Fridays. More in Ramadan school timings in Dubai and UAE public holidays 2027. For the UAE-wide view, see Ramadan school timings 2027 across the UAE and which days schools actually close for Eid and National Day.
How to find your own school's KHDA-approved calendar
- Start with your school's website or parent portal. Most post the approved calendar as a PDF.
- Check the school's KHDA profile. KHDA's calendar page says to "click on schools' profiles to check the individual academic calendar".
- Keep the latest email. If a school email and a saved PDF disagree, the newer one usually wins. Ask the school if in doubt.
- Want it on paper? KHDA publishes its calendar as a web page, not a download. Our free printable UAE school calendar puts the 2026-27 dates on one A4 page (direct PDF).
Group schools: see GEMS term dates and Taaleem term dates. For the whole Dubai year in one place, see Dubai school holidays 2026-27, and for the reasons dates differ by school, our guide to keeping track of UAE term dates.
Looking ahead: Dubai school calendar 2027-28 and 2028-29
The Ministry of Education has published a three-year national calendar. KHDA hasn't posted its 2027-28 Dubai page yet, so these are the national dates, UNCONFIRMED for Dubai private schools until KHDA and your school publish.
| 2027-28 | 2028-29 | |
|---|---|---|
| First day | Monday 30 August 2027 | Monday 28 August 2028 |
| October mid-term (Ministry schools) | 11 to 17 October 2027, back Monday 18 October | 16 to 22 October 2028, back Monday 23 October |
| Winter break | Monday 13 December 2027 to Sunday 2 January 2028, back Monday 3 January | Monday 11 December 2028 to Monday 1 January 2029, back Tuesday 2 January |
| Spring break | Monday 27 March to Sunday 2 April 2028, back Monday 3 April | Back Monday 2 April 2029. Start date UNCONFIRMED: the Ministry's page says 29 March, its news agency WAM says 26 March |
| Last day | Friday 30 June 2028 | Friday 29 June 2029 |
KHDA calendar FAQ
What is the KHDA calendar for 2026-27?
For September-start Dubai private schools, the year starts on 31 August 2026, winter break starts on 14 December 2026 with classes back on 4 January 2027, spring break starts on 5 April 2027 with classes back on 12 April, and the year ends on 2 July 2027.
Does the KHDA calendar include an October half-term for every Dubai school?
No. KHDA lists the 12 October 2026 mid-term for Ministry of Education curriculum private schools only. Other schools set their October and February days within Ministry rules, so check your school's calendar.
Is there a KHDA calendar 2026-27 PDF download?
KHDA publishes its calendar as a web page. Your school's approved calendar is usually a PDF on its website or KHDA profile, and Hey Raha has a free one-page printable UAE school calendar for 2026-27.
When does the 2027-28 school year start in Dubai?
The Ministry of Education's national calendar starts 2027-28 on Monday 30 August 2027. KHDA and individual schools still have to publish their 2027-28 calendars.
When do April-start schools in Dubai finish 2026-27?
Between 15 and 31 March 2027, once the school has completed the minimum of 182 school days.
Sources
- KHDA, Academic calendar for Dubai's private schools (did not load from our server on 22 October 2026; text read through the search index)
- UAE Ministry of Education, academic calendar 2026-2027 page
- UAE Ministry of Education, Academic Calendar 2026-2027 (PDF)
- UAE Ministry of Education, academic calendar for the next three years (2027-28, 2028-29; curricula not covered)
- UAE Ministry of Education, academic calendar 2026-2028 page (2028-29 spring break given as 29 March)
- WAM (Emirates News Agency), Ministry of Education sets three-year academic calendar (2028-29 spring break given as 26 March)
- UAE Government portal, Public holidays
- UAE Legislation, Cabinet Resolution No. 27 of 2024 concerning public holidays
- Khaleej Times, likely dates for Ramadan and Eid 2027 (Astronomy Centre estimates)
- The National, 12 February 2026, KHDA's 2026 Ramadan rules (five-hour cap, Fridays by 11.30am)
A little help from Hey Raha
The KHDA calendar gives you the frame. Your school's emails fill in the rest, and change it. Hey Raha reads those emails, read-only, and sends you and your helper one clear WhatsApp plan, with a message when anything moves. 14 days free, no card needed.
Start freeMarie, founder of Hey Raha
If schools ever move online, our UAE remote learning guide for parents sets out what MOE, KHDA and ADEK asked of schools and parents during the spring 2026 period.
Related: Dubai school holidays 2026-27 · Eid and National Day school holidays · Ramadan school timings 2027 · Printable UAE school calendar
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