UAE Academic Calendar: Official School Holiday Dates

If your kids are still in the school stage, then knowing about the UAE academic calendar and its updates is important. It allows you to plan your timeline ahead and avoid any overlaps in your plans.

This guide will outline the UAE school holidays from 2023 to 2026 so that you can know all key dates.

• UAE Academic Calendar Breakdown
  • 2023-2023 Academic Year
  • 2024-2025 Academic Year
  • 2025-2025 Academic Year
• Things to Consider 
• FAQs

The Academic Year in UAE

The educational system surely differs from one country to another, and the division of the academic is among those aspects. 

In the UAE, the academic year is divided into 3 semesters. This applies to the public and private schools in the country alike. During the academic year, your little ones will enjoy two breaks in their schools in UAE: spring break and winter break.  

If you have recently moved here and are about to enroll your little ones, having an overview of education in the UAE is surely important. This allows you to have a look at all the options to choose the best.

Moreover, the division of the academic year is the same for Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and the other emirates, as they all follow the government’s regulations. 

UAE Academic Calendar Breakdown

The Ministry of Education has released the upcoming 3 academic calendars for schools in the UAE. This is in light of the government’s continuous efforts to offer you complete visibility. 

For expats, this is pretty beneficial as it will help you schedule ahead of your vacation or any other plans that need pre-planning.

Furthermore, the UAE school term dates (school vacation dates) for 2023 have been officially released by the Ministry of Education, which apply to both public and private schools across the UAE.

Here are the divisions of the UAE academic calendars for schools 

2023 – 2024 UAE Academic Calendar 

Here are the official UAE school holiday dates for the 2023-2024 academic year:

2024 – 2025UAE Academic Calendar  

Here are the UAE school holidays for the 2024-2025 academic year:

2025 – 2026 UAE Academic Calendar 

These are the UAE school holidays for the 2025-2026 academic year:

After this direct and clear breakdown, no more wondering about the timings of the semester’s start or the winter vacation in UAE’s schools.

Things to Consider 

Here are some points to consider regarding the regulations of schools in the UAE.

• According to the Ministry of Education rules, the school days should be at least 182/academic year, which applies to all public and private schools.

• The winter vacation applies to all schools in the UAE, regardless of their curriculum. 
  
  On the other hand, the above timings of the spring break apply to private and public schools in UAE, which follow the Ministry of Education curriculum. 

• The private schools offering foreign curricula have the option of taking a three-week break consecutively, as per the regulations set by each emirate.
  
  The other option is that they can choose to have two weeks off and allocate the third week at a later time during the year.

FAQs 

1. What Is the Academic Year in UAE?

The academic year in the UAE is the timeline through which students complete one educational year. It’s divided into 3 semesters, including two breaks: winter and spring.

2. When Does School Start in UAE in 2023?

The academic year starts in UAE in August.

3. When Does the School Vacation Start in UAE?

The school vacation starts almost by the end of June.

4. Is there a Mid-Term Break in the UAE Schools?

Yes, there is. In UAE, schools usually have 2 mid-term breaks; the first is during the winter, while the second is during spring.

Once you’re done with the step of choosing the best school, knowing about the academic calendar in UAE is crucial. This guide brings you full visibility about all the dates so nothing to worry about.