• Includes a 4-week winter break
• The new structure comes within the framework of achieving the goals of the "Year of the Community" 2025.
• The new calendar includes a break in the middle of each semester.
• Unifying the schedule for end-of-semester vacations between public and private schools

United Arab Emirates: With the approval of the Education, Human Development and Community Council, the Ministry of Education announced a new school calendar structure to be implemented in public and private schools in the UAE, starting with the 2025-2026 academic year. This structure includes substantial changes to the end-of-term vacation schedule, with the aim of unifying it across public and private schools. This update comes as part of the Ministry's efforts to achieve the objectives of the "Year of the Community," including strengthening family cohesion and supporting students and families by providing a balanced educational environment that considers the distribution of study and rest periods throughout the year .

Her Excellency Sarah bint Youssef Al Amiri, Minister of Education, stressed that the new structure of the school calendar represents a qualitative shift in the management of the academic year, and comes within the framework of a national approach adopted by the Ministry to achieve the goals of the " Year of Community " by building an educational system that is more in harmony with the lives of students and families, and more capable of strengthening social ties and devoting the values of cooperation and community solidarity. She pointed out that the unification of vacations and study times between schools reflects the Ministry's commitment to creating a stable and flexible educational environment that gives families more space for planning, organizing, and active participation in the educational and social lives of their children .

Her Excellency added that this transformation reflects the Ministry's vision to transform the school calendar from a mere timetable into a national strategic tool that contributes to supporting the quality of educational and social life alike. Her Excellency also explained that clarity and consistency of vacation dates facilitates community entities and cultural and tourism sectors in developing their programs and plans that integrate with the national educational calendar and strengthen the connection between education and society in its objectives and priorities .

For his part, His Excellency Eng. Mohammed Al Qasim, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education, affirmed that the Ministry's approach to restructuring the school calendar embodies its commitment to supporting family cohesion and is consistent with the objectives of the " Year of Community " by enabling families to interact with the educational system smoothly, away from the complications resulting from children's varying schedules. He pointed out that clarity of vacation dates and their synchronization between schools will contribute to facilitating advance planning for semester breaks and enhance opportunities for family and community participation in a more harmonious and stable atmosphere .

His Excellency added that the new school calendar structure fundamentally takes into account student comfort through the regular distribution of study and rest periods, reflecting the Ministry's commitment to providing a balanced educational experience that addresses students' needs both inside and outside of school, enhancing the quality of their attendance and engagement with the educational process .

The new calendar includes unified and specific dates for the start of the school year, the end of the three semesters, and the end of the academic year. It will be applied to all schools in the country, both public and private, within a common framework of reference that will contribute to enhancing the efficiency of the education system .

The new calendar will be implemented on August 25, 2025, with the start of the first semester of the upcoming 2025-2026 academic year. The semester will conclude with a long, four-week winter break, from December 8, 2025, to January 4, 2026. Classes will resume on January 5. This will provide students with a sufficient break after an intensive semester, enhancing their ability to absorb and continue their studies. It will also provide them with the opportunity to participate in national and social events and activities taking place across the country during this period.

The second semester begins on January 5, 2026, and continues until the spring break, which extends from March 16 to 29. School will resume on March 30, with the exception of private schools in the Emirate of Sharjah, which will resume on March 23, 2026 .

This timing paves the way for students to have a strong start to the third semester, which begins on March 30, 2026, and concludes on July 3 of the same year. This is part of a more balanced and clear educational system for distributing vacations, which promotes cognitive accumulation and enhances students' mental and psychological health . Private schools in the Emirate of Sharjah are exempt from the end-of-year date, as their last day of school will be on July 2, 2026 .

The school calendar also includes mid-semester breaks for public and private schools that follow the Ministry's curriculum, with the aim of providing short, regular breaks throughout the academic year. The mid-semester break for the first semester will run from October 13 to 19, 2025, and will be an early break during the longest semester of the year. The mid-semester break for the second semester will run from February 11 to 15, 2026, and will come halfway through the semester, giving students time to regain energy and balance. In the third semester, the mid-semester break will run from May 25 to 31, 2026, coinciding with the Eid al-Adha holiday for 2026. These short breaks aim to alleviate academic pressure on students and provide them with additional time with their families .

The Ministry has granted flexibility to private schools that do not follow the Ministry's curriculum to include mid-semester breaks during the months of October and February only, provided that each break does not exceed five consecutive days and that it is not extended or changed outside the specified timeframe, taking into account their operational needs without disrupting the national calendar .

The Ministry emphasized the need for all schools to adhere to the approved calendar, including conducting final assessments or completing curriculum requirements during the last week of each semester, to ensure student attendance until the last day of school. This excludes classes taking international tests, which are held at pre-determined times. The Ministry also emphasized the need for all private schools implementing the Ministry's curriculum to adhere to the calendar for centralized tests approved in public schools .

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