Eid Al Fitr in the UAE: holiday dates set for March 2026
UAE authorities have announced Eid Al Fitr holiday dates for 2026. The decision covers employees in federal government entities and the private sector. There is also a key clarification: the length of Ramadan could extend the private sector break by one day.
What the dates look like by sector
For federal government entities, the Eid Al Fitr holiday will start on Thursday, March 19, 2026. It will continue until Sunday, March 22, 2026. Official working hours will resume on Monday, March 23, 2026.
For private sector employees, the holiday will run from Thursday, March 19, 2026 until Saturday, March 21, 2026.
Eid Al Fitr UAE holidays could be extended
Authorities clarified one possible change. If Ramadan lasts 30 days, the private sector holiday will be extended to Sunday, March 22, 2026.
In other words, the final day off for private sector staff depends on how the lunar month ends.
Why the Eid date still needs confirmation
Eid Al Fitr is confirmed after the sighting of the crescent moon. The crescent moon is the first thin visible phase of the new moon that marks the start of a new month in the Islamic lunar calendar.
In the UAE, the moon-sighting committee is scheduled to meet on March 18, the 29th day of Ramadan, to look for the crescent that signals the start of Shawwal.
If the crescent is sighted on the evening of March 18, Ramadan will end that day and Eid celebrations will begin on March 19.
If the crescent is not sighted, Ramadan will be completed as 30 days. Fasting would continue on March 19, and Eid Al Fitr would begin on March 20.
How some residents may turn it into a longer break
Some employees may try to maximise the time off by combining the Eid break with annual leave. One example shared by local reporting suggests that taking leave from Monday to Thursday, March 16–19 could create nine consecutive days off, from Saturday, March 14 through Sunday, March 22, including weekends and the Eid holidays.
For now, the core dates are set, but the exact start of Eid still hinges on the official moon sighting decision on March 18.
