United Arab Emirates bank holidays 2026 and 2027
United Arab Emirates has 15 bank or public holidays listed here between November 2026 and December 2027. Over the year-end peak (1 December 2026 to 15 January 2027) the dates to plan around are: Wed 2 Dec 2026 (National Day (Eid Al Etihad)), Thu 3 Dec 2026 (National Day (second day)), Fri 1 Jan 2027 (New Year's Day).
Currency: AED · Time zone: Asia/Dubai · Subscribe to this calendar (.ics)
Why this matters for prefunding
When United Arab Emirates banks or payment rails close, a top-up sent to a local payout partner may not land until the next business day. Remittance demand often rises around the same holidays. Fund the corridor before the closure, sized for the closed days plus your normal top-up lead time. Check your corridor runway.
Holiday calendar
| Date | Holiday | Type | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed 2 Dec 2026 | National Day (Eid Al Etihad) | public holiday | Expected | Cabinet Resolution No. 27 of 2024 on public holidays. Wednesday. Article 2 lets the Cabinet move non-Eid holidays to the start or end of the week; in 2025 it moved National Day to Monday 1 and Tuesday 2 December, announced on 17 November. |
| Thu 3 Dec 2026 | National Day (second day) | public holiday | Expected | Cabinet Resolution No. 27 of 2024 on public holidays. Thursday. Subject to the same possible transfer as 2 December. |
| Fri 1 Jan 2027 | New Year's Day | public holiday | Confirmed | Cabinet Resolution No. 27 of 2024 on public holidays. Friday, giving a three-day weekend. |
| Tue 9 Mar 2027 | Eid Al Fitr (Ramadan 30 or Eid day 1) | public holiday | Expected | Astronomical calculations put 1 Ramadan on Monday 8 Feb 2027. If Ramadan lasts 29 days, Eid runs Tuesday 9 to Thursday 11 March; if it lasts 30 days, Ramadan 30 (Tuesday 9 March) is also a holiday under the Resolution and Eid runs Wednesday 10 to Friday 12 March. Depends on moon sighting; the date is expected and is announced days before. |
| Wed 10 Mar 2027 | Eid Al Fitr | public holiday | Expected | Wednesday. Depends on moon sighting; the date is expected and is announced days before. |
| Thu 11 Mar 2027 | Eid Al Fitr | public holiday | Expected | Thursday. Depends on moon sighting; the date is expected and is announced days before. |
| Fri 12 Mar 2027 | Eid Al Fitr (only if Ramadan lasts 30 days) | public holiday | Expected | Friday. A holiday only if the Shawwal crescent is not sighted on the evening of 8 March. Depends on moon sighting; the date is expected and is announced days before. |
| Sat 15 May 2027 | Arafat Day | public holiday | Expected | Falls on a Saturday. Depends on moon sighting; the date is expected and is announced days before. |
| Sun 16 May 2027 | Eid Al Adha (day 1) | public holiday | Expected | Falls on a Sunday. Depends on moon sighting; the date is expected and is announced days before. |
| Mon 17 May 2027 | Eid Al Adha (day 2) | public holiday | Expected | Monday. Depends on moon sighting; the date is expected and is announced days before. |
| Tue 18 May 2027 | Eid Al Adha (day 3) | public holiday | Expected | Tuesday. Depends on moon sighting; the date is expected and is announced days before. |
| Sun 6 Jun 2027 | Hijri New Year (1 Muharram 1449) | public holiday | Expected | Falls on a Sunday. Article 3 of the Resolution bars moving a holiday that falls on the weekend. Depends on moon sighting; the date is expected and is announced days before. |
| Sat 14 Aug 2027 | Prophet Muhammad's Birthday | public holiday | Expected | Falls on a Saturday; Article 3 bars moving it. Depends on moon sighting; the date is expected and is announced days before. |
| Thu 2 Dec 2027 | National Day (Eid Al Etihad) | public holiday | Confirmed | Cabinet Resolution No. 27 of 2024 on public holidays. Thursday. |
| Fri 3 Dec 2027 | National Day (second day) | public holiday | Confirmed | Cabinet Resolution No. 27 of 2024 on public holidays. Friday, giving a four-day weekend. |
Expected: the date depends on an annual declaration or moon sighting.
Payment rails and operating hours
| Rail | Operator | Hours | Runs on holidays |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aani (Instant Payment Platform) | Al Etihad Payments (subsidiary of the Central Bank of the UAE) | 24/7 | yes source |
| UAEFTS (UAE Funds Transfer System, RTGS) | Central Bank of the UAE | Real-time gross settlement during system business hours on UAE banking days; closed on UAE bank holidays. Each bank sets its own customer cut-off: Emirates NBD processes AED local transfer requests placed before 18:00 UAE time on the same working day. | no source |
What to watch
Highest-risk window: Eid Al Fitr, expected Tuesday 9 to Sunday 14 March 2027. If Ramadan lasts 30 days, Ramadan 30 is added to the three Eid days and banks are closed for six days in a row with the Saturday and Sunday weekend; if it lasts 29 days, Friday 12 March is a working day. Which case applies is known only after the sighting on the evening of Monday 8 March, so prefund by Monday 8 March. Eid Al Adha (expected Saturday 15 to Tuesday 18 May 2027) takes two more working days. National Day 2026 falls on Wednesday 2 and Thursday 3 December, and the Cabinet can move it to the start or end of the week (it did in 2025, with two weeks' notice). Commemoration Day (30 November) is not on the Resolution's list of public holidays, and local governments can add holidays for their own departments. Aani runs 24/7 including holidays, with a platform cap of AED 50,000 per transfer and lower limits at many banks (AED 5,000 at Commercial Bank of Dubai), so larger AED top-ups wait for UAEFTS on the next banking day.
Other calendars
Sources
- Cabinet Resolution No. (27) of 2024 Concerning the Public Holidays in the State · UAE Legislation
- Public holidays · The Official Portal of the UAE Government
- 54th Eid Al Etihad: 1 and 2 December 2025 declared as official holiday for the private sector · Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation
- Monday and Tuesday, 1 to 2 December, are official holidays for the Federal Government on the occasion of the 54th Eid Al Etihad · Federal Authority for Government Human Resources
- UAE holidays 2027: possible 6-day break, multiple long weekends expected · Khaleej Times
- Aani · Al Etihad Payments
- Aani FAQs · Commercial Bank of Dubai
- UAE Fund Transfer System (UAEFTS) · Central Bank of the UAE
- UAE country atlas · BNP Paribas Cash Management
- Help with transfers and payments · Emirates NBD
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