UAE Flag Day Holiday 2026: Is 3 November Off for the Public and Private Sector?

UAE Flag Day Holiday 2026

Here is the answer for the private sector, the public sector and schools, then what happens at work and at school on the day, and when the next public holiday comes.

Is UAE Flag Day a Public Holiday?

No, UAE Flag Day is not a public holiday. The UAE has one official list of public holidays for both the public and the private sector, set by Cabinet Resolution No. 27 of 2024, and Flag Day is not on it.

You can read the official list of public holidays on u.ae, the government's own website. It has seven entries:

• Gregorian New Year, 1 January
• Eid Al Fitr
• Arafah Day
• Eid Al Adha
• Hijri New Year
• The Prophet Mohammed's birthday
• National Day, 2 and 3 December

Nothing on the official list falls in November. So who is off on 3 November 2026? Nobody:

The next three sections take those rows one at a time.

Is 3 November a Holiday for the Private Sector?

No, 3 November 2026 is an ordinary paid working day for private-sector employees. The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) announces private-sector days off in a circular, and it issues one only for the holidays on the official list. No circular in any year has given Flag Day off.

Your employer can still hold a flag raising during the working day, and people do gather at their offices for it. If your company gives you time off around it, that is its own choice, not a legal right.

One thing follows from this. The labour law's rule of another day off or extra pay for work on a public holiday covers the listed holidays only, so it does not apply on 3 November.

Is 3 November a Holiday for the Public Sector?

No, 3 November is a working day for government employees too. The Federal Authority for Government Human Resources (FAHR) announces holidays for federal ministries, and no circular from it in any year has given Flag Day off.

What ministries and government bodies receive is a call to raise the flag at one set time, while at work. In 2025 government employees stepped outside their offices at 11am and raised it side by side.

When 3 November falls on a weekend, the flag raising has been moved to a working day before it. In 2024 the date was a Sunday, so the flag went up on Friday 1 November.

Are Schools Closed on UAE Flag Day?

No, schools are open on UAE Flag Day, and Tuesday 3 November 2026 is a normal school day. In the Ministry of Education's 2026-27 calendar the October break is 12 to 16 October, classes start again on 19 October, and the next break is the winter break from 14 December.

No education authority has announced a day off for 3 November in any year. Some private schools set their own break dates, so ask your child's school if you are unsure.

It is still a different kind of school day. In 2025 children sang the national anthem and waved small flags, and one Dubai school asked its pupils to come dressed in the colours of the flag. A Dubai teacher told Khaleej Times that year: "Even though it's not a public holiday, it feels like one."

What Happens at Work and School on Flag Day

On Flag Day, everyone raises the UAE flag at the same time, at the office, at school or at home, and then the day carries on.

The time for 2026 has not been announced yet. It was 11am in 2025 but 10am in 2023, so do not assume 11am.

The call comes each year from Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, about a week before the day. In 2025 it came on 26 October. So from about 24 October, look in these places:

• Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid's official X account, where the call is posted first
• WAM, the Emirates News Agency, and the main UAE newspapers
• a message from your office or your child's school

For what the day is and how it is marked across the country, see our main guide to UAE Flag Day 2026.

When Is the Next UAE Public Holiday?

The next UAE public holiday after Flag Day is National Day, also called Eid Al Etihad, on 2 and 3 December. In 2026 those two days are a Wednesday and a Thursday.

That is what the law sets, and it has not been formally announced for 2026 yet. The days can still change, because the Cabinet may move a holiday to the start or the end of the week. In 2025 the law gave 2 and 3 December, and on 17 November 2025 the holiday was announced for Monday 1 and Tuesday 2 December. So wait for the announcement before you book a trip.

Here are the dates in order:

1. 3 Nov 2026UAE Flag DayTuesday. Not a public holiday.
2. 30 Nov 2026Commemoration DayMonday. Not a public holiday.
3. 2 Dec 2026National Day (Eid Al Etihad)Wednesday. A public holiday by law, not yet announced.
4. 3 Dec 2026National Day, second dayThursday. A public holiday by law, not yet announced.

Notice the second row. Commemoration Day on 30 November is not a public holiday, because it is not on the official list. Some unofficial 2026 calendars wrongly show a holiday on 1 December, which follows an older rule.