The UAE has declared Friday, August 28, 2026, a public holiday for employees in both the public and private sectors to mark the birthday of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The occasion, known as Al Mawlid Al Nabawi, is observed annually on 12 Rabi Al Awwal and is included in the UAE’s official holiday calendar.
For employees whose regular weekend falls on Saturday and Sunday, the Friday holiday will create a three-day weekend. In Sharjah’s public sector, where Friday is already part of the regular weekend, the holiday falls on an existing day off. The break also comes during the final weekend of the school summer holidays, with the 2026-27 academic year scheduled to begin on August 31.
Al Mawlid Al Nabawi falls on the 12th day of Rabi Al Awwal, the third month of the Islamic calendar. Since the Hijri calendar follows lunar cycles, Islamic occasions fall on different Gregorian dates each year. In the UAE, official Islamic dates are determined in accordance with the lunar calendar and relevant official announcements.
