Hey Raha blog · School calendars

Kuwait school holidays 2026-27: the Ministry of Education calendar in English

By Marie Adly · Last updated: 22 October 2026

Kuwait's public schools started the 2026-27 year in mid-September: Grade 1 on Sunday 13 September 2026, all other grades on Monday 14 September and kindergarten on Wednesday 16 September. The mid-year break runs from Sunday 24 January to Thursday 4 February 2027, and the second semester starts on Sunday 7 February. The Ministry also gives a special leave in the last week of Ramadan, Monday 1 to Monday 8 March 2027, for students as well as school staff. All dates below come from the Ministry of Education's official calendar, which is published in Arabic.

The calendar covers public schools and Arabic private schools (المدارس الأهلية), plus religious and special education. Foreign-curriculum private schools (British, American, IB and Indian) publish their own calendars.

Kuwait school calendar 2026-27 at a glance

The calendar also lists catch-up assessments for Grades 1 to 3 who missed final assessments with an accepted excuse (10 to 18 January and 23 to 31 May 2027), and school transfer windows (until 29 October 2026 for semester 1, and 7 to 24 February 2027 for semester 2).

The end-of-Ramadan leave, Eid and national holidays

End-of-Ramadan leave. The Ministry's calendar gives a special leave from Monday 1 to Monday 8 March 2027 to all staff in public, Arabic private, religious and special education. It covers the last week of Ramadan, just before the expected Eid al-Fitr. The calendar entry names staff, but when the Minister of Education announced the five-year calendar on 1 September 2025 he said the last-week-of-Ramadan leave covers students as well as teaching and administrative staff, without reducing the number of school days. Private schools with foreign curricula set their own calendars, so check yours.

Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha are not on the Ministry calendar. They follow the official public holiday for ministries and government bodies, which the Cabinet announces ahead of each Eid (for Eid al-Adha 2026 it set Tuesday 26 to Sunday 31 May, as reported by Kuwait Times). The exact day of Eid depends on the moon sighting. Eid al-Fitr is expected on 9 or 10 March 2027 and Eid al-Adha on 16 or 17 May 2027. Both are UNCONFIRMED.

National Day (25 February) and Liberation Day (26 February) fall on a Thursday and Friday in 2027, during the second semester. The Cabinet decides each year whether to add or move any days.

Ramadan school hours are not on the calendar; your school will confirm them. For a comparison with neighbouring countries, see how UAE schools handle Ramadan hours and our Ramadan school timings guide for Qatar.

Private and international schools

Foreign-curriculum schools set their own calendars, and they can look very different. The British School of Kuwait, for example, runs five terms in 2026-27:

That school started two weeks before public schools and finishes on 10 June 2027, while public Grade 12 exams run until 21 June. If one child is at a public school and another at a private school, you will have two different winter and spring breaks. Our guides to IB school calendars in the Gulf and CBSE school calendars in the Gulf explain how those curricula plan the year.

When the calendar changes, Raha tells you

The Ministry calendar is set in advance, but the details arrive later: Eid is confirmed, a national holiday gains an extra day, Ramadan hours are published, or the school moves an exam. That news usually comes through school messages and email. Hey Raha reads your school emails, read-only, and spots the change. She 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.

If class chats are part of the noise, our piece on class WhatsApp groups can help.

Planning with a nanny or helper

• Share the whole year now, with exam weeks marked. Exam days can mean earlier pick-ups.
• Plan early March. The end-of-Ramadan leave and Eid al-Fitr come close together, which makes a natural time for a helper's leave.
• Watch the end of May. Kindergarten finishes on 27 May 2027, weeks before older siblings' last exams.
• Mark Eid as "expected" until the official announcement.

Our guide to briefing your nanny or helper on the school week has a template you can adapt. Neighbouring calendars: Qatar school calendar 2026-27, Saudi school holidays 2026-27 and UAE school holidays for Eid and National Day.

Kuwait school holidays FAQ

When is the mid-year break in Kuwait 2027?
The Ministry of Education's calendar sets the mid-year break from Sunday 24 January to Thursday 4 February 2027. Semester 2 starts on Sunday 7 February 2027.

Is there a Ramadan holiday for Kuwait schools in 2027?
Yes. The Ministry gives a special leave in the last week of Ramadan, from Monday 1 to Monday 8 March 2027, just before the expected Eid al-Fitr. The Minister of Education confirmed in September 2025 that this leave covers students as well as teaching and administrative staff. Private schools with foreign curricula set their own calendars.

When did schools in Kuwait start in 2026?
Grade 1 started on Sunday 13 September 2026, all other grades on Monday 14 September and kindergarten on Wednesday 16 September 2026.

When does the school year end in Kuwait in 2027?
It depends on the stage. Kindergarten finishes on Thursday 27 May 2027, primary report cards are handed out on Thursday 3 June, and Grade 12 exams run until Monday 21 June, with results on Wednesday 23 June 2027.

Do private schools in Kuwait follow the Ministry calendar?
Arabic private schools follow it. Foreign-curriculum schools, such as British, American, IB and Indian schools, publish their own term dates, so check your school's calendar.

Sources

• Ministry of Education, Kuwait, education calendar 2026-27 (Arabic)
• Ministry of Education, Kuwait, Minister approves the five-year education calendar, including the last-week-of-Ramadan leave for students and staff (Arabic, 1 September 2025)
• Gulf News, last week of Ramadan will be a holiday for students and staff in Kuwait (1 September 2025)
• Kuwait Times, Eid al-Adha holiday from May 26 to 31 (2026, Cabinet decision)
• The British School of Kuwait, important dates 2026-27

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