UAE National Day 2026 falls on Wednesday 2 and Thursday 3 December on the official calendar. That is the default, not the last word: in 2025 the federal government and the private sector both observed the Eid Al Etihad holiday on different days, announced on 17 November.
Nothing has been announced for 2026 yet. We checked u.ae, the federal HR authority and the 2025 announcements on 6 October 2026.
| Year | Calendar days | Days announced | Announced on |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Mon 2 and Tue 3 December | 2 and 3 December (private sector) | 23 November 2024 |
| 2025 | Tue 2 and Wed 3 December | Mon 1 and Tue 2 December (federal and private) | 17 November 2025 |
| 2026 | Wed 2 and Thu 3 December | Not announced | Not yet |
The 2024 row rests on the title and date of a MoHRE news item, because the page itself would not open for us.
What the official calendar says
The UAE government portal lists National Day as 2 and 3 December, two days, for both the public and private sectors. The page was last updated on 2 July 2026. It lists no other December holiday.
The same page says a public holiday cannot be moved to another day if it coincides with another public holiday or falls on the weekend. It cites Article 3 of Cabinet Resolution No. 27 of 2024, which we could not open to read ourselves.
In 2026 neither case applies, since 2 December is a Wednesday and 3 December a Thursday, and Commemoration Day on 30 November does not appear on the portal’s list.
What happened in 2025
In 2025, 2 and 3 December fell on a Tuesday and a Wednesday. On 17 November 2025 the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources set the federal holiday for Monday and Tuesday, 1 and 2 December, with work resuming on Wednesday 3 December.
The state news agency reported the same day that the labour ministry had declared 1 and 2 December an official paid holiday for the private sector, in a circular issued in line with the Cabinet’s decision.
For those with Saturday and Sunday off, that made a four-day break.
What is not announced for 2026
As of 6 October 2026 we found no 2026 announcement from the federal HR authority or the labour ministry, so each of the points below stays open until one of them publishes.
- Whether the observed days stay on Wednesday 2 and Thursday 3 December or move, as in 2025.
- Whether Friday 4 December, or Monday 30 November, is added or becomes a remote-work day.
- Whether the private sector gets the same days as the federal government.
- Whether Commemoration Day gets a day off, since the portal’s list does not include it.
The last two announcements came on 23 November 2024 and 17 November 2025, so mid to late November is the likely window. That is a pattern across two years, not a promise.
If you are planning around the date
Treat 2 and 3 December as the working assumption and avoid non-refundable bookings on either side of them until the announcement. If you plan to drive between emirates, our Dubai to Abu Dhabi guide compares the options.
Gulf neighbours keep their own calendars, and our Saudi National Day guide covers the Saudi date. Check the federal HR authority and the labour ministry for the official wording once it appears, because both post such announcements on their news pages.
Quick answers on UAE National Day 2026
When is UAE National Day 2026?
Wednesday 2 and Thursday 3 December 2026 on the official calendar.
Will the holiday be moved in 2026?
No announcement exists yet. In 2025 it was moved from Tuesday and Wednesday to Monday and Tuesday.
Is Commemoration Day a public holiday?
It is not on the UAE portal’s list of public holidays, so we cannot call it one, and no announcement says otherwise.
How many days off is National Day 2026?
Two on the official list, 2 and 3 December. Anything beyond that, such as a Friday or a Monday, has not been announced.
Last checked on 6 October 2026. We update the dates when the federal HR authority or the labour ministry publishes the 2026 days.
