Ramadan 2027 in the UAE: Expected Dates, Working Hours and What Changes

The short answer: Ramadan 1448 AH is expected to begin in the UAE on Monday 8 February 2027, based on astronomical projections from the International Astronomical Center and the UAE's own Hijri calendar; the real start is only confirmed a day or two before, once a moon-sighting committee meets. Whether the month runs 29 or 30 days decides if Eid Al Fitr falls on Tuesday 9 or Wednesday 10 March 2027. Private-sector working hours are cut by two hours a day under UAE labour law, government and school hours are shortened too (announced fresh each year), and the old rules about eating and drinking in public have been eased in recent years, though it is still polite to avoid it in front of people who are fasting.

Ramadan 2027 in the UAE at a glance

Detail	Expected
1 Ramadan 1448	Monday 8 February 2027 (provisional; the moon-sighting committee meets on the evening of Saturday 6 February)
Private-sector working hours	Cut by 2 hours a day for the whole month, confirmed yearly by MOHRE
Government working hours	Shortened separately by FAHR and local authorities; in 2026 federal staff worked 9am–2:30pm Mon–Thu, 9am–noon Friday
School hours	Shortened under MOE/KHDA circulars issued each year; in 2026 Dubai private schools ran a 5-hour day, Mon–Thu
Last 10 nights	Expected from the evening of Saturday 27 February 2027
Laylat al-Qadr (widely observed night)	Many UAE mosques mark the 27th night, expected around the evening of Friday 5 March 2027; the exact night is not fixed
29/30 Ramadan	Monday 8 or Tuesday 9 March 2027, depending on the sighting
Eid Al Fitr (1 Shawwal)	Tuesday 9 or Wednesday 10 March 2027

When Ramadan 2027 is expected to start

Ramadan follows the lunar Hijri calendar, so its start depends on sighting the new crescent, not a fixed date. Astronomical calculations from the International Astronomical Center put the new moon's birth on Saturday 6 February 2027, too faint and low to be seen from the UAE that evening. That rules out a sighting on 6 February, which is why the projection lands on Monday 8 February 2027 as the first day of fasting, after Shaban runs its full 30 days. The same date is echoed by Egypt's National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics and by several regional outlets reporting on the UAE's prepared Hijri calendar.

None of this is official yet. The UAE's Ramadan Crescent Sighting Committee, formed under the UAE Council for Fatwa, meets on the evening of 29 Shaban (expected to be Saturday 6 February 2027), and the result is announced that night. In recent years the UAE's own call has occasionally landed a day apart from Saudi Arabia, Oman or other neighbours, so don't assume every GCC country starts together. Dubai's Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department (IACAD) and the Emirates Astronomical Society also publish their own expected dates in the weeks before, which sometimes differ by a day from the IAC's figures until the committee actually meets.

How working hours change

Private-sector working hours are reduced by two hours a day for the whole month, a provision carried in the executive regulations (Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022) under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, the UAE's labour law. The cut applies to practically every private-sector role, Muslim and non-Muslim staff alike, and MOHRE reissues the formal reminder every year rather than relying on the standing rule alone. Employers can run flexible or remote schedules around the shorter day, provided nobody works beyond the reduced daily limit, and any hours asked beyond that limit should be paid as overtime.

Government working hours are set separately, by the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources (FAHR) for federal entities and by each local government for its own staff, and the hours are announced fresh each year rather than fixed in law. As a guide, FAHR's Ramadan 2026 schedule ran federal employees 9am to 2:30pm Monday to Thursday and 9am to noon on Friday, with some roles carved out for different schedules and a cap on how many staff could work remotely on Fridays. Expect a similar announcement for 2027, typically a week or two before the month starts.

Schools shorten their day too, under circulars from the Ministry of Education (for the national curriculum) and from regulators such as Dubai's KHDA (for private schools), reissued every year. In 2026, Dubai's KHDA capped private-school instruction at five hours a day from Monday to Thursday, with Friday classes ending by late morning; MOE-curriculum schools ran shortened periods and sent Cycle One, Two and Three pupils home earlier, with Friday lessons held remotely. Treat these as the pattern rather than confirmed 2027 timings, and check your own school's circular once it is issued.

What changes day to day

Restaurants, cafés and shisha lounges in Dubai and Abu Dhabi no longer have to screen or curtain their dining areas, and food courts and restaurants inside malls can serve customers throughout opening hours in both emirates. Many standalone restaurants still choose to open later in the day and extend into the night for suhoor, so hours can run unusually late, sometimes into the small hours; check a venue's Ramadan hours before you go rather than assuming its normal timetable. Hotels are usually the most reliable option for daytime dining if you are not fasting.

Eating, drinking, chewing gum or smoking in full view of people who are fasting is discouraged everywhere in the UAE, and legal commentary is divided on whether a specific fine still applies on the street since the 2021 overhaul of the federal Penal Code; either way, the practical rule for residents and visitors is the same: keep it indoors, in a mall, a hotel or your home, out of plain public view. Dress a little more conservatively than usual, covering shoulders and knees in public areas. Loud music and public displays of affection are toned down everywhere, and many offices and venues hold their own iftar gatherings for staff and guests once the sun sets.

Ramadan on the road

If you are travelling abroad during Ramadan, suhoor and iftar times move with the time zone and the local sunrise and sunset, not your UAE schedule, so check local prayer-time apps once you land rather than carrying over Dubai's timings. Airlines and airports in Muslim-majority countries are used to the month: expect prayer rooms, dates handed out before some flights close to sunset, and busier evening security lines as people clear the airport before iftar. If your trip runs into the final days of Ramadan, build in flexibility, because Eid Al Fitr's exact start can only be confirmed the night before, and fares out of Dubai climb fast once the moon-sighting result is known, so a ticket with free date changes is worth the extra cost.

The expected key dates

Milestone	Expected date (2027)
1 Ramadan	Monday 8 February
Start of the last 10 nights	Evening of Saturday 27 February
Laylat al-Qadr (27th night, widely observed)	Evening of Friday 5 March
29 Ramadan	Monday 8 March
30 Ramadan (if the month runs the full length)	Tuesday 9 March
Eid Al Fitr (1 Shawwal)	Tuesday 9 March (29-day Ramadan) or Wednesday 10 March (30-day Ramadan)

For the full public-holiday picture around Eid Al Fitr, including how many days off it gives the public and private sectors, see our dedicated guide, linked below.

Plan your Ramadan or Eid trip with Holidayys

Many residents use the Eid Al Fitr break at the end of Ramadan for a short trip, and fares and hotel rates both rise once the dates firm up, so it pays to book early with flexible tickets. We can put together a holiday package, an escorted group tour from our tours listing, or sort the visa for your destination; see packages, Asian holiday packages and visa services for current options and from-prices. Message us on WhatsApp +971 4 589 0001 or through our contact page and we will work around your dates, including the chance that Eid moves by a day.

Frequently asked questions

When does Ramadan 2027 start in the UAE?

Astronomical projections point to Monday 8 February 2027, but the UAE only confirms the date once its moon-sighting committee meets, expected on the evening of Saturday 6 February.

How many hours shorter is the working day during Ramadan?

Private-sector employees work two hours less a day for the whole month, under the UAE labour law's executive regulations. Government and school hours are also shortened, but those are announced separately each year rather than fixed by law.

Is it illegal to eat or drink in public during Ramadan in the UAE?

Restaurants no longer need to screen dining areas in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, and malls allow eating throughout the day in both emirates. Eating or drinking in full view of people who are fasting on the street is still discouraged, and whether a specific fine still applies is unclear, so treat it as a matter of courtesy rather than a tested rule.

When is Eid Al Fitr 2027 expected to fall?

Around Tuesday 9 or Wednesday 10 March 2027, depending on whether Ramadan runs 29 or 30 days. See our Eid Al Fitr holiday guide, linked below, for what that means for days off.

Do non-Muslim employees also get shorter hours in Ramadan?

Yes. The two-hour reduction in the private sector applies to the whole workforce, not only Muslim staff.

What is Laylat al-Qadr and when is it in 2027?

It is the night widely held to be the holiest of Ramadan, within the last ten nights of the month. Its exact date is not fixed, but many UAE mosques mark the 27th night, expected around the evening of Friday 5 March 2027.

Related guides

• Eid Al Fitr holiday in the UAE 2027
• Eid Al Adha holiday in the UAE 2027
• UAE public holidays 2027 and how to make nine-day breaks
• Visa services

Last checked 9 October 2026 against the UAE Government portal (u.ae), MOHRE's Ramadan working-hours circulars, Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 and Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022, the International Astronomical Center's published projections, and reporting from WAM, Gulf News and Khaleej Times on recent Ramadans. The 2027 dates are expected dates, not an official announcement, and working hours, school timings and dining rules are reconfirmed every year, so check closer to the date before you rely on any of them.