Milad Un Nabi Holiday in UAE 2026: Dates, Days Off in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah & Other Emirates
Milad Un Nabi holiday in UAE 2026 is Friday 28 August: a paid day off for the public and private sectors. Confirmed dates, rules and the long weekend.
The UAE public holiday for the Prophet’s Birthday, known as Milad Un Nabi or Mawlid, is Friday, 28 August 2026. The religious date is Tuesday, 25 August 2026, which is 12 Rabi al-Awwal 1448. The UAE Government Media Office confirmed one paid day off for federal government and private sector staff.
The Milad Un Nabi holiday in UAE 2026 is Friday, 28 August. That single day off hands most residents a three-day weekend.
Here is the part that trips people up. The religious day itself is Tuesday, 25 August, three days before the day off.
This guide gives you the confirmed dates, who gets the day off, and the pay rules. Every fact about the Milad Un Nabi holiday in UAE 2026 comes from official announcements.
Milad Un Nabi Holiday in UAE 2026
The Milad Un Nabi holiday in UAE 2026 is one paid day off on Friday, 28 August 2026. It covers federal government staff and private sector staff nationwide.
The day marks the birth of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), meaning peace be upon him. Arabic speakers call it Mawlid Al Nabawi, so a search for Prophet Muhammad birthday UAE lands here too.
| Detail | Milad Un Nabi Holiday in UAE 2026 |
|---|---|
| Public holiday date | Friday, 28 August 2026 |
| Religious date | Tuesday, 25 August 2026 |
| Islamic date | 12 Rabi al-Awwal 1448 AH (Hijri, the Islamic lunar calendar) |
| Days off | 1 paid day |
| Sectors covered | Federal government sector and private sector |
| Long weekend | Friday 28 to Sunday 30 August |
| Back to work | Monday, 31 August 2026 |
| Announced by | UAE Government Media Office, 7 August 2026 |
| Legal basis | Cabinet Resolution No. 27 of 2024 |
| Also called | Mawlid, Mawlid Al Nabi, Prophet’s Birthday |
Milad Un Nabi holiday in UAE 2026 at a glance, per the UAE Government Media Office, 7 August 2026.
Is Milad Un Nabi a public holiday in UAE? Yes, it sits on the official UAE holiday calendar. Cabinet Resolution No. 27 of 2024 lists it, and that decision came into force on 1 January 2025.
That decision names 12 Rabi al-Awwal as one of the UAE public holidays. Our full guide to Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday 2026 in the UAE covers the wider Mawlid traditions.
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How Long Is Your Milad Un Nabi Holiday in UAE 2026?
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Milad Un Nabi Holiday in UAE 2026 Dates: 25 August vs 28 August
The Milad Un Nabi holiday in UAE 2026 carries two dates, and they sit three days apart. The religious date is Tuesday, 25 August 2026, while the paid day off moved to Friday, 28 August 2026.
The UAE Cabinet holds the power to shift a midweek holiday to the start or end of the working week. Eid holidays are the one exception to that rule.
Milad Un Nabi holiday in UAE 2026 timeline, from the 7 August announcement to the 31 August return.
The Cabinet used that power to move the Milad Un Nabi holiday in UAE 2026 to the Friday. Cabinet Resolution No. 27 of 2024 grants it, and the rule has applied since 1 January 2025.
We explain the mechanics in our guide to the UAE public holiday transfer rule. That guide also lists which UAE public holidays qualify for a move.
Same day, different names people search
- Milad Un Nabi holiday UAE and Milad Un Nabi holiday 2026 UAE — the day off
- Mawlid UAE and Mawlid Al Nabi UAE — the Arabic names used across the Gulf
- Eid Milad Un Nabi UAE — another spelling of the same day
- Milad Un Nabi UAE holiday date — for the exact day and the return date
Is Mawlid the same as Milad Un Nabi? Yes, both names describe one day. Milad Un Nabi is simply the spelling used most in everyday English.
The Milad Un Nabi holiday in UAE 2026 is the one UAE public holiday August 2026 brings. Your payslip and your prayer mat read the name differently.
📌 One rule to know
A transferred holiday keeps its full value. Moving Mawlid to 28 August still leaves you one paid day, taken on the Friday.
For the same question asked the other way round, see when is Prophet’s Birthday 2026 in the UAE. It tracks how the Prophet Muhammad birthday UAE 2026 date settled on the Friday.
Anyone who marks the day at home follows the religious date of 25 August. The office diary, though, follows the 28th.
Milad Un Nabi Holiday in UAE 2026 for Public and Private Sector Staff
The Milad Un Nabi holiday in UAE 2026 gives both sectors one paid day off on Friday, 28 August 2026. In its announcement, the UAE Government Media Office named the federal government and the private sector together.
Each emirate’s own HR authority then confirms the date for its local government staff. The Dubai Government Human Resources Department (DGHR) confirmed it on 11 August 2026.
🏛️ Who sets your day off
Three bodies pass the same Cabinet date down to staff:
- FAHR — the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources, for federal staff
- MOHRE — the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, for the private sector
- DGHR — for Dubai government entities
DGHR sets working hours for Dubai government staff, and those hours resume on Monday, 31 August. Its statement wished the country “continued security, stability and prosperity”.
| Who you are | Day off | Paid? | Set by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal government staff | Fri 28 Aug | Yes, full pay | UAE Government Media Office |
| Dubai government staff | Fri 28 Aug | Yes, full pay | DGHR |
| Private sector staff | Fri 28 Aug | Yes, full pay | MOHRE |
| DIFC and ADGM staff (Dubai International Financial Centre, Abu Dhabi Global Market) | Fri 28 Aug | Yes, full pay | Zone employment law |
| Shift and public-service roles | Work as rostered | Pay plus at least 50%, or a day in lieu | Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 |
Is Milad Un Nabi a paid holiday in UAE? Yes, and UAE law sets the pay rule. Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 keeps your full salary intact for the day.
Working the day changes your entitlement instead. Staff called in get a day off in lieu, or normal pay plus at least 50% of basic wage.
However, DGHR added one exception worth knowing. Its statement excludes staff “whose roles require them to work shifts or whose duties involve serving the public”.
Those teams work to hours set by their own entity. In practice, that keeps clinics, metro stations and service centres running.
🏢 Free zones and the mainland
DIFC and ADGM employers apply the same date under their own employment rules. On the mainland, the MOHRE holiday list matches the Cabinet calendar exactly.
For sector-by-sector detail, read our breakdown of the Prophet Muhammad birthday 2026 public holiday. Either way, searches for Prophet Muhammad birthday public holiday UAE 2026 all land on the same Friday.
The Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday 2026 in the UAE guide sets out the Mawlid customs behind the date. It also explains how families across Dubai mark the day at home.
Milad Un Nabi Holiday in UAE 2026 for Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain
All seven emirates take the Milad Un Nabi holiday in UAE 2026 on the same day, Friday, 28 August 2026. What changes from emirate to emirate is the working week around it.
Six local governments run a four-and-a-half-day week, so Friday is normally a half day. Sharjah is the exception, because its staff already rest on Friday.
| Emirate | Government working week | Normal weekend | What 28 August adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai | Mon–Thu, plus summer flexible hours | Sat & Sun | A full paid day off, unless already on the Friday-off pattern |
| Abu Dhabi | Mon–Thu 7.30am–3.30pm, Fri 7.30am–12pm | Sat & Sun | Replaces a half working day |
| Sharjah | Mon–Thu 7.30am–3.30pm (four-day week) | Fri, Sat & Sun | No extra day off |
| Ajman | Mon–Thu full days, Fri half day | Sat & Sun | Replaces a half working day |
| Ras Al Khaimah | Mon–Thu full days, Fri half day | Sat & Sun | Replaces a half working day |
| Fujairah | Mon–Thu full days, Fri half day | Sat & Sun | Replaces a half working day |
| Umm Al Quwain | Mon–Thu full days, Fri half day | Sat & Sun | Replaces a half working day |
| Private sector, all seven | Set by the employer | Usually Sat & Sun | A full paid day off |
Government working weeks per the UAE Government portal (u.ae). Private sector hours follow the employer contract.
Dubai carries a twist no other emirate runs this year. Its Our Flexible Summer scheme covers 29 June to 10 September 2026, so it is live on the holiday.
Staff there pick one of two patterns. They work seven-hour days Monday to Thursday plus a short Friday, or eight-hour days with Friday off.
☀️ Dubai only: Our Flexible Summer
“The Our Flexible Summer initiative has demonstrated that employee well-being and quality of life do not come at the expense of performance,” said Abdullah Ali bin Zayed Al Falasi, Director General of DGHR, on 24 June 2026.
Anyone already on that Friday-off pattern gains nothing extra from the Milad Un Nabi holiday in UAE 2026. Every other Dubai government employee swaps a working Friday for a paid day.
Private sector staff see no emirate-level difference at all. The Milad Un Nabi holiday in UAE 2026 is one paid day in every emirate.
Is Milad Un Nabi a Long Weekend in UAE?
Yes — the Milad Un Nabi holiday in UAE 2026 creates a three-day weekend, Friday 28 August to Sunday 30 August. Work resumes on Monday, 31 August 2026.
That works because most UAE staff already rest on Saturday and Sunday. Adding the Friday builds a proper Milad Un Nabi long weekend UAE 2026 residents can travel on.
Three ways to stretch the Milad Un Nabi holiday in UAE 2026
- Book Monday 31 August as annual leave for a four-day run.
- Add Thursday 27 August instead, and start the break a day early.
- Take both, and one leave day either side buys you five days off.
One catch sits on that Monday. The 2026-27 school year starts on Monday, 31 August 2026, so the school run restarts the moment the break ends.
After this, the next UAE public holiday is National Day, on Wednesday 2 and Thursday 3 December 2026. So our Prophet’s Birthday 2026 long weekend guide matters for the travel options.
⚖️ The limit on transfers
Article 3 of Cabinet Resolution No. 27 of 2024 blocks a transfer in two cases. The Cabinet leaves a holiday in place when it clashes with another holiday, or when it already falls on the weekend.
For a sense of how a longer holiday window works, compare the Eid Al Adha 2026 UAE holidays calendar. Eid runs three days, while this one runs a single day.
Either way, the planning job is the same. Read the day-by-day detail in our Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday 2026 UAE guide before you book.
Key takeaways
- The Milad Un Nabi holiday in UAE 2026 is Friday, 28 August 2026, one paid day.
- The religious date for Prophet Muhammad’s birthday in the UAE is Tuesday, 25 August 2026.
- Federal government and private sector staff share one Prophet Muhammad birthday UAE date, on full pay.
- All seven emirates take the same date, but Sharjah gains no extra day off.
- The break runs 28 to 30 August, and work resumes on Monday 31 August.
- Staff who work the day get a day in lieu, or pay plus at least 50% of basic wage.
Milad Un Nabi Holiday in UAE 2026 FAQs
The Milad Un Nabi holiday in UAE 2026 is Friday, 28 August 2026, and it is one paid day. Below are the questions UAE residents ask most about the date, the pay and the break.
FAQs
When is Milad Un Nabi holiday in UAE 2026?
The Milad Un Nabi holiday in UAE 2026 is Friday, 28 August 2026. The UAE Government Media Office announced it on 7 August 2026. It is a paid public holiday for the federal government sector and the private sector. The religious date, 12 Rabi al-Awwal 1448, is Tuesday 25 August 2026. The UAE Cabinet moved the day off to the Friday. It holds that power for every UAE public holiday except Eid.
How many days holiday for Milad Un Nabi in UAE?
The Milad Un Nabi holiday in UAE 2026 gives you one paid day off. Cabinet Resolution No. 27 of 2024 sets 12 Rabi al-Awwal as a single-day public holiday. Eid Al Adha runs three days, with Arafah Day listed as a separate holiday before it. Because the day off lands on Friday 28 August 2026, most staff enjoy a three-day break from 28 to 30 August. Only one of those three days is the public holiday itself.
Is Milad Un Nabi a holiday for private sector employees in UAE?
Yes. Private sector employees across the UAE get Friday, 28 August 2026 as a paid day off. The UAE Government Media Office named the private sector alongside the federal government. MOHRE applies the same date to every registered private company. Under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, staff keep their full salary. Anyone required to work receives a day off in lieu, or normal pay plus at least 50% of basic wage.
Is Milad Un Nabi a holiday for government employees in UAE?
Yes. Federal government staff get Friday, 28 August 2026 off on full pay. The UAE Government Media Office announced it on 7 August 2026. The Dubai Government Human Resources Department confirmed the same date on 11 August 2026. It covers all Dubai government departments, authorities and institutions. Work resumes on Monday 31 August. Employees on shift rotas, or in roles serving the public, follow hours set by their own entity instead.
Do all seven emirates get the same Milad Un Nabi holiday date?
Yes, all seven take the same date. Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain get Friday, 28 August 2026. What differs is the working week around it. Six local governments run a four-and-a-half-day week with a Friday half day, so the holiday replaces that half day. Sharjah has kept a Friday to Sunday weekend since January 2022, so its staff gain no extra day off. The Milad Un Nabi holiday in UAE 2026 still counts as one paid day for them.
What date is Prophet Muhammad’s birthday in UAE 2026?
The religious Prophet Muhammad birthday UAE date is Tuesday, 25 August 2026. It matches 12 Rabi al-Awwal 1448 in the Hijri calendar. That is the religious date, and it is not the day off. The paid Prophet’s Birthday public holiday UAE staff receive falls on Friday, 28 August 2026. The two dates differ because the UAE Cabinet transferred the holiday to the end of the week. The Cabinet takes that step for every public holiday except Eid.
When do UAE employees return to work after the Milad Un Nabi holiday?
UAE employees return to work on Monday, 31 August 2026. That is the first working day after the Milad Un Nabi holiday in UAE 2026. The Dubai Government Human Resources Department confirmed that official working hours resume that morning. Private sector staff follow the same pattern. The break runs from Friday 28 August to Sunday 30 August for anyone on a Saturday-Sunday weekend. The 2026-27 school year also begins on Monday 31 August, so the school run restarts the same day.
Do I get paid extra if I work on Milad Un Nabi in the UAE?
Yes. Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 regulates labour relations in the UAE. An employee required to work on a public holiday receives one of two things. The first option is a substitute day off in lieu of the holiday. The second is payment for the day worked plus at least an extra 50% of basic wage. Employees in the DIFC and ADGM free zones follow separate rules. Those give a day in lieu, or a full extra day of wages.
Are schools and banks closed for Mawlid in the UAE?
Banks, government service centres and licensing offices treat Friday, 28 August 2026 as a holiday. Schools, however, are still on summer break that week. Ministry of Education schools return for the 2026-27 academic year on Monday, 31 August 2026. Private schools set their own start dates. Meanwhile malls, hotels, restaurants and Dubai’s attractions run normal hours through the long weekend. The RTA, Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority, publishes a separate holiday timetable for the Metro, tram and buses.
Sources: UAE Government Media Office announcement (7 August 2026); Dubai Government Human Resources Department statements (24 June and 11 August 2026); UAE Government portal (u.ae) public sector working hours; Cabinet Resolution No. 27 of 2024 on Official Holidays; Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations.
