Understanding the UAE Academic School Calendar - Key Dates and Term Breaks

Relocating to another country can be thrilling and a brand new adventure. That said, you’re sure to have lots of questions about life in the United Arab Emirates, especially about school. You may want to know when the school year starts, what the holidays are, and when you can plan trips back home. You can now use this handy guide on the UAE academic calendar to prepare for your move.

Note that the UAE Ministry of Education (MoE) sets and releases the UAE academic calendar. All the UAE schools follow it, including private British, Indian, IB, and American curriculum schools in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and other parts of the UAE.

The UAE Academic Year: Start and End

In the UAE, the academic school year generally begins in September or thereabouts (can be late August) and ends in June (also early July), these are usually IB, British and American schools. However, some UAE private schools start school in April and end in March. This is common practice among Indian-curriculum schools. 

Things to Remember

Please take note of the following things:

• Seasons

When we talk about seasons, we mean the seasons that apply to countries in the northern hemisphere like China, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States, the UAE, and Canada.

Your season timings would be different if you’re from the southern hemisphere. For instance, September would be spring, not autumn.

• At Least 182 Days

The UAE MoE stipulates that a school must have at least 182 school days per academic year.

Number of School Terms

The UAE academic school year has three terms. The UAE MoE determines the start and end of every term.

1. Terms for Schools That Run From September to June

Schools whose academic calendar begins in September have these term timings.

• The autumn term is from September (or late August) until December. It starts with the academic school year and ends just before the winter break.
• The winter term is from January to March. It starts right after winter break and ends just before spring break.
• The spring term is from April to June (or early July). It begins right after spring break and ends on the last day of the academic year.

1. Terms for Schools That Run From April to March

UAE schools whose academic year starts in April follow this term schedule.

• The spring term is from April to June (or early July), right before summer break. 

• The autumn term is from September (or late August) until December, ending with the onset of winter break.
• The winter term starts in January, anytime after the Gregorian calendar New Year’s Day, and lasts until the end of the academic year in March.

School Breaks

The UAE MoE decides the commencement and conclusion of the school holidays. There are three main breaks in the year where the students have holidays, these separate the three terms.

Generally, UAE students enjoy the following school breaks:

• Winter break: Winter break is three weeks long. Winter break can start on the second or third Monday of December and end on the third Sunday of the three-week period. This can be the same for both September-June schools and April-March schools, as is the case for the 2023-2024 academic year.

• Spring break: Spring break is also three weeks long. For September-June schools, It starts on the last Monday of March and ends on the third Sunday of the three-week period.. For April-to-March schools, the spring break separates the end of one school year from the subsequent school year and can start any day in March. The start and end dates of spring break for September-June and March-April schools may differ from one another.

• Summer break: Summer break is typically two months long but cannot be more than 8.2 weeks long. It may start at the last week of June or the first week of July. For September-June schools, the summer break separates one school year from the subsequent school year, while it interrupts the school year for April-March schools. 

Half-Term Breaks

Private international schools also provide short half-term breaks. These may last from two to five days. The school determines the schedule and duration of their half-term holidays.

• The first half-term break is usually in mid-October.
• The second half-term break is typically in mid-February.

The Public Holidays in the UAE Academic Calendar

Aside from term breaks and half-term holidays, UAE schools don’t hold classes during public and religious holidays.

Public Holidays 

These are the public holidays in the UAE academic calendar: 

• Commemoration Day

Commemoration Day honours the bravery of Emiratis who died to keep the country safe and sovereign. Commemoration Day is observed on 30 November every year, but the annual holiday is calendared for 1 December.

• National Day

National Day commemorates the unification of the individual emirates into the federation that is now known as the United Arab of Emirates. The UAE was established on 2 December, but it is celebrated for two days: 2 and 3 December.

Religious Holidays

Islamic holidays depend on moon sightings, so schools can only provide tentative Gregorian calendar dates for Islamic holidays. The UAE moon-sighting committee determines the start and end of each month in the Islamic calendar, so the dates for religious holidays vary year to year.

The UAE MoE and the respective government agencies in charge of private education in the emirates must also announce and confirm Islamic holidays separately.

Note: The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) is in charge of private education in Dubai. The Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) is KHDA’s equivalent agency in Abu Dhabi.

• Eid Al-Fitr

Eid Al-Fitr is a festival that marks the end of the holy month of fasting and runs from Ramadan 29 to Shawwal 3. Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic Calendar, while Shawwal is the 10th month.

• Arafat Day

The Day of Arafat is the second day of the Hajj pilgrimage, the ninth day of Dhu al Hijjah (the twelfth and last month of the Islamic calendar) and the day before Eid Al-Adha. It is the most sacred day, when God draws near to the faithful and forgives their sin.

• Eid Al-Adha

Eid Al-Adha is a religious festival that commemorates Ibrahim’s faith and sacrifice. This three-day feast begins on the 10th day of Dhu al Hijjah, right after Arafat Day.

Holidays During School Breaks

Some holidays could fall during school breaks (summer, spring or winter break). In this case, the students would be off school and there would be no need for a separate suspension of classes.

• New Year’s Day

New Year’s Day is the first day (1 January) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. This always falls during winter break. For instance, it signals the end of winter break in the 2023-2024 academic year. In the succeeding academic years, New Year’s Day falls near the end of winter break; winter break ends 5 January in 2024-2025 and 4 January in 2025-2026.

• The Islamic New Year

The Islamic New Year, which is also called the Arabic New Year or Hijri New Year, is the first day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar. Since the Islamic calendar depends on moon cycles, the corresponding Gregorian calendar dates for the Islamic New Year varies from year to year.

The Islamic New Year can fall during summer break, as it does in the 2023-2024 academic year; the Islamic New Year fell on 21 July 2023. However, this will not always be the case. In the near future, the Islamic New Year may be celebrated right before summer break commences.

• Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) birthday

Mawlid Al-Nabawi, also known as Eid-e-Milad, is the Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) birthday. It is celebrated on the 12th day of Rabi-ul-Awwal, the third month of the Islamic calendar. In the Gregorian calendar, this could fall during summer break (i.e., August), although it falls on 29 September in the 2023-2024 academic year.

The UAE Academic Calendar: In a Nutshell

The Ministry of Education decides the UAE academic calendar. Whether schools follow the September to June or the April to March calendar, they must have a minimum of 182 school days in their school year.

There are three terms and two term breaks, and some schools enforce half-term holidays. UAE schools don’t hold classes during the public and religious holidays of Commemoration Day, National Day, Eid Al-Fitr, Arafat Day, and Eid Al-Adha. Exact Islamic holiday timings are announced during the school year as they depend on moon sightings.

GEMS Education is a leading provider of private education in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and the rest of the UAE. Contact us to learn about online enrolment at GEMS American Academy Abu Dhabi, GEMS Modern Academy Dubai, or any other GEMS schools in the UAE.