The official dates for Eid al-Adha 2026 are in. The crescent moon sighting, which marks the official start of the Islamic month of Dhul Hijjah—the twelfth and final month on the Islamic calendar—has been spotted on Sunday, May 18. This means Arafah Day will begin on Tuesday, May 26, with Eid al Adha following from Wednesday, May 28, to Friday, May 29.
An official announcement from The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) said that private sector employees will receive a 4-day break. Combining with the weekend, this means the official holiday will be a 6-day weekend. For government employees and the education sector, the official Eid al Adha dates begin from May 25 onwards, translating into a 9-day mini break.
The same can be said for Sharjan government employees who will receive a 10-day holiday when combining the five days with their three-day weekend (Friday-Saturday-Sunday). The country will officially log back in to work (and school) on Monday, June 1.
The country normally pulls out all stops to celebrate the festival with fireworks and drone shows. However, with recent regional tensions, this might not be the case this year. For Eid al-Fitr, shows were promptly cancelled with officials advising against gathering in public crowds. For Eid al-Adha, no official announcements have been made regarding fireworks or drone shows. That being said, there are still plenty of fun things to do over the 6-day break. Check out our guide in case you’re looking to fill up your schedule.
