Eid Al Adha 2027 in the UAE: Expected Holiday Dates and a Nine-Day Break

The short answer: Eid Al Adha 2027 in the UAE is expected on Sunday 16 to Tuesday 18 May, with Arafah Day on Saturday 15 May, a four-day public holiday for both the public and private sectors. Add three days of annual leave (Wednesday 19 to Friday 21 May) and the break runs nine days, from Saturday 15 to Sunday 23 May. Nothing is official yet: the UAE Cabinet confirms Islamic holiday dates only after the Dhu al-Hijjah moon is sighted, so the whole block could land a day later than this.

Eid Al Adha 2027 in the UAE at a glance

What	Expected 2027 date
Arafah Day (9 Dhu al-Hijjah)	Saturday 15 May
Eid Al Adha (10–12 Dhu al-Hijjah)	Sunday 16 – Tuesday 18 May
Public holiday length	4 days, the same for public and private sector employees
Nine-day plan	Take Wed 19 – Fri 21 May as leave for Sat 15 – Sun 23 May
Who confirms the date	The UAE Council for Fatwa, by moon sighting, 1–2 days ahead
Who announces it for work	MOHRE for the private sector, the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources for government staff
Pay for working the holiday	A replacement rest day, or wage plus at least a 50% premium
Eid Al Adha 2026, for comparison	Arafah Tue 26 May, Eid Wed 27 – Fri 29 May for the private sector

When is Eid Al Adha 2027 in the UAE?

Eid Al Adha falls on 10 Dhu al-Hijjah in the Islamic calendar, with Arafah Day the day before, on 9 Dhu al-Hijjah. For 1448 AH, calculations from the International Astronomical Center and the UAE's own Astronomy Centre put the Dhu al-Hijjah crescent moon sighting on the evening of Thursday 6 May 2027, which would start the new Hijri month on Friday 7 May. On that basis, Arafah Day falls on Saturday 15 May and Eid Al Adha on Sunday 16 May, running to Tuesday 18 May with the two further days of Eid.

If the crescent is not sighted that evening, Dhu al-Hijjah begins a day later, on 8 May, which would push Arafah Day to Sunday 16 May and Eid Al Adha to Monday 17 May, through Wednesday 19 May. Either scenario keeps the same four-day shape; only the calendar slides by a day. The UAE Government confirms the real date only after the Moon Sighting Committee reports, usually one or two days before Arafah Day itself.

How the UAE sets the Eid Al Adha holiday

Cabinet Resolution No. 27 of 2024, in force since 1 January 2025, gives Arafah Day one paid day and Eid Al Adha three, for a four-day break that applies equally to government and private-sector staff. Unlike New Year's Day, National Day or the Hijri New Year, Eid Al Adha cannot be moved to the start or end of the working week: it stays on its Hijri date. If the Hijri date happens to fall on a Saturday or Sunday, the resolution does not add a replacement weekday either.

Once the moon is sighted, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) issues the holiday circular for private-sector employees, and the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources does the same for federal government staff; individual emirates can add to their own employees' break on top of that. See the UAE Government's public holidays page for the standing rules.

What happened at Eid Al Adha 2026

For comparison, the UAE Council for Fatwa sighted the Dhu al-Hijjah crescent on Sunday 17 May 2026, starting the month on Monday 18 May. That put Arafah Day on Tuesday 26 May and Eid Al Adha on Wednesday 27 May, exactly where the pre-sighting astronomical forecasts had placed it. MOHRE gave private-sector employees four paid days, Tuesday 26 to Friday 29 May, with Monday 25 May a normal working day; with the following Saturday–Sunday weekend, most private-sector residents had six days off in a row.

Pay if you are asked to work on Eid Al Adha

If you are simply off on the holiday, nothing further applies. If your employer needs you to work on Arafah Day or any of the three days of Eid, Article 28 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 entitles you to one of two things: a replacement rest day, or your normal wage for that day plus a premium of at least 50% of your basic wage. Either option has to meet that statutory floor, and your contract can offer more. Agree which option applies before the day itself, check your payslip afterwards, and raise it with MOHRE if neither a replacement day nor the premium appears.

The nine-day plan for Eid Al Adha 2027

Because the expected holiday already opens on a Saturday and closes on a Tuesday, only three days of annual leave are needed to reach the next weekend. Taking Wednesday 19 to Friday 21 May as leave turns the four-day holiday into nine days, from Saturday 15 to Sunday 23 May. That is a better return on leave than Eid Al Fitr 2027, where the same nine-day stretch needs a day of leave before the holiday as well (see our Eid Al Fitr 2027 guide), which is why Eid Al Adha is on track to be the best long break of the year for a trip further afield. Fares and hotel rates on the popular routes tend to firm up quickly once the Cabinet confirms the real dates, so the usual advice applies: agree the leave with your employer early, and book before the announcement if your plans do not depend on the exact day.

Where to go for nine days in mid-May

Nine days from mid-May reaches further than a four-day weekend. Here is how the weather looks at a few options, with the usual caveat that forecasts this far out are averages, not promises.

Destination	Weather in mid-May	Visa for UAE residents
Georgia (Tbilisi)	Spring in full swing: days around 21–25°C, cool evenings, occasional showers	Visa-free for many UAE residents; see our Georgia guide and visa service
Armenia (Yerevan)	Mild, around 22–25°C by day and 11°C at night, with occasional showers	Visa-free or an e-visa, depending on your passport and residence; see our Armenia guide and visa service
Azerbaijan (Baku)	Warming through the month, roughly 20–26°C, mostly dry	E-visa for most passports; see our Azerbaijan guide and visa service
Turkey (Istanbul and Cappadocia)	Istanbul mild and fairly dry; Cappadocia good for balloon flights, with cool nights	E-visa for some passports, a consulate visa for others; see our Turkey guide and visa service
Europe (Schengen)	Mild spring across most of the continent; our Athens, Mykonos and Santorini tour departs Friday 14 May 2027 and runs seven days, from AED 8,870	A Schengen visa; appointments can take weeks, so start early (visa service)
Japan	Comfortable spring before the tsuyu rains, which usually reach Tokyo and Kyoto in early June	See our Japan visa guide and best time to visit
Bali	Start of the dry season: mostly sunny with light showers possible, and cheaper than June–August	Visa on arrival or e-VoA for many passports; see our Indonesia and Bali visa guide and Bali guide
Sri Lanka	The south-west (Yala) monsoon reaches the west and south coasts around May, so Colombo, Galle and the south coast turn wet; the east coast, the hill country and the Cultural Triangle stay dry and sunny	See our Sri Lanka visa guide and best time to visit

Hajj season, fares and Saudi travel

Dhu al-Hijjah is also Hajj month, and Hajj 2027 is expected in the same mid-May window as Arafah Day and Eid Al Adha. Flights into Jeddah and Madinah fill with pilgrims, and fares on routes into Saudi Arabia and the most popular leisure routes rise once the dates are confirmed. If you are not travelling to Saudi Arabia, this mainly argues for booking the destinations above before the Cabinet publishes the official list. Hajj itself runs on a separate pilgrim quota and is not bookable as an ordinary trip; see our Saudi visa guide for the Umrah rules that apply outside the Hajj season.

Booking tips for Eid Al Adha 2027

• Start the Schengen visa process early. Appointments can take weeks, so begin this one first if Europe is on your list.
• Book flexible fares where you can. A one-day shift in the moon sighting can move your dates after you have booked.
• Avoid the first evening. Flights departing as Arafah Day begins are usually the dearest; a day earlier or later is often cheaper.
• Check passport and residence validity. Most destinations above want six months left on your passport, and Armenia also wants six months left on your UAE residence.

Plan your Eid Al Adha trip with Holidayys

For Bali, our 4N/5D Bali package starts from AED 3,899 and the Magical Bali Adventure from AED 4,799. Thailand, Vietnam and a Thailand–Singapore combination are on our Asian holiday packages page from AED 2,500. To join an escorted group instead, our Athens, Mykonos and Santorini tour departs Friday 14 May 2027 and runs seven days, from AED 8,870, so with the Eid holiday it takes three days of leave (14, 19 and 20 May); see all our escorted tours. For the visa, start with our visa services or the country page for your destination. Prices are per person and change with dates and availability. Message us on WhatsApp +971 4 589 0001 or through our contact page and we will plan the trip around your dates.

Frequently asked questions

When is Eid Al Adha 2027 in the UAE?

Most likely Sunday 16 May 2027, with Arafah Day on Saturday 15 May, running through Tuesday 18 May. A one-day-later moon sighting would move Eid to Monday 17 May instead. Nothing is official until the UAE Cabinet confirms it, a day or two before Arafah Day.

When is Arafah Day (Arafat Day) 2027?

Expected on Saturday 15 May 2027, the 9th of Dhu al-Hijjah 1448, the day before Eid Al Adha. If the crescent moon is sighted a day later than projected, Arafah Day moves to Sunday 16 May.

How many days off is Eid Al Adha 2027 in the UAE?

Four days: Arafah Day plus the three days of Eid Al Adha, under Cabinet Resolution No. 27 of 2024. The same four days apply to the public and private sectors.

Do private-sector employees get the same Eid Al Adha holiday as the government?

Yes. Since Cabinet Resolution No. 27 of 2024 took effect on 1 January 2025, the public and private sectors share one official holiday list, including Arafah Day and Eid Al Adha.

Do I get paid extra if I have to work during Eid Al Adha?

Yes. Article 28 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 entitles you to either a replacement rest day or your normal wage plus a premium of at least 50% of your basic wage for that day, and the four days cannot be deducted from your annual leave.

How can I turn Eid Al Adha 2027 into a nine-day break?

Take Wednesday 19 to Friday 21 May as annual leave. Added to the expected four-day holiday (Saturday 15 to Tuesday 18 May) and the following weekend, that gives nine days off, from Saturday 15 to Sunday 23 May.

Related guides

• Eid Al Fitr 2027 in the UAE
• UAE public holidays 2027 and how to make nine-day breaks
• Georgia trip from Dubai
• Best time to visit Japan
• Bali holiday guide from Dubai
• Best time to visit Sri Lanka

Last checked 9 October 2026 against the UAE Government's public holidays page (u.ae), Cabinet Resolution No. 27 of 2024, projections from the International Astronomical Center and the UAE Astronomy Centre for 1448 AH, and reporting on the 2026 Eid Al Adha announcement from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation. The 2027 dates are estimates, not the Cabinet's official list, and can move by a day once the moon is sighted, so confirm before booking leave or flights.