The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Education (MOE) has announced a fixed academic calendar for public schools and most private schools, covering the 2026–27, 2027–28, and 2028–29 school years. This three-year schedule aims to provide families with greater transparency and consistency regarding term dates and holidays, moving away from the previous practice of annual announcements.

One of the significant changes involves a reduction in the length of certain school breaks. The winter holiday, which in the 2025–26 year lasted four weeks from December 8, 2025, to January 4, 2026, will be shortened by one week, now lasting three weeks in each of the upcoming academic years. The spring break has also been shortened and rescheduled; previously set for two weeks in mid-May 2026, it will be reduced to one week, running from April 5 to April 11, 2027, with classes resuming on April 12.

The summer break changes reflect an adjustment in the academic year’s start and end dates. The school year will begin six days later than in 2025–26 and conclude one day earlier, effectively extending the summer vacation period before the new school year commences in late August.

Additionally, the MOE requires all schools covered by the new calendar to complete final assessments and curriculum requirements during the last week of each term. This mandates student attendance until the official end of each term, except for schools with pre-scheduled international exams, which are exempt from this rule.

However, the updated calendar does not apply universally across all schools. Private schools in Sharjah remain outside the MOE framework and will continue operating under the emirate's existing regulations, with parents advised to confirm holiday dates directly with their schools. Furthermore, private institutions offering curricula from countries such as India, Bangladesh, or Pakistan are not automatically included in the three-year calendar. These schools may have different academic year start and end dates or alternative term break structures.

Local education authorities may permit some private schools to split a mid-term break into segments between October and February, on the condition that the total break duration does not surpass five school days and aligns with the schools' operational needs. This provision aims to introduce flexibility while maintaining overall consistency in the academic schedule.

The new three-year academic calendar represents an effort by UAE education authorities to provide families and educators with more predictable schooling timelines, though some variation remains for certain private and region-specific schools.