Academic year
The academic year in the UAE starts in September and ends in June. There are two shorts breaks and a long summer vacation.
Three terms in an academic year
The academic year has been divided into trimesters since the academic year 2010-2011. All public and private schools in the UAE must offer the minimum number of instruction days set out by Ministry of Education.
School calendar for 2025-26
Find the dates of the school calendar for the academic year 2025-2026.
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School calendar for 2025-26 |
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Start of the academic year |
25 August 2025 |
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Winter break |
8 December 2025 - 4 January 2026 |
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Spring break |
16 - 29 March 2026 |
All schools must follow the approved calendar, including final assessments or completion of curriculum requirements during the last week of each term, to ensure students remain engaged until the final school day.
Private schools that do not follow the Ministry’s curriculum have limited flexibility to schedule mid-term breaks within a defined time frame, provided that this does not affect compliance with the national calendar.
Useful links:
- New school calendar for academic year 2025-2026 - Ministry of Education
- View the academic calendar for public and private schools 2025–2026 (PDF, 500 KB)
Source: Ministry of Education
