UAE August guide: Seven things residents need to know

Dubai: August is shaping up to be an eventful month across the UAE — a public holiday, unpredictable summer weather, the final stretch of Dubai Summer Surprises, a new mall opening, ongoing airline disruptions, and the countdown to the new school year. Here's your complete roundup of what's happening and what to expect.

1. Public holiday: Prophet Muhammad's Birthday (PBUH)

Public and private sector employees across the UAE will get an official day off this month to mark Prophet Muhammad's Birthday (PBUH), as outlined in the UAE Cabinet's resolution on public holidays.

The occasion is expected to fall on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, corresponding to the 12th day of Rabi Al Awwal in the Islamic calendar. As with all Islamic occasions, the exact date remains subject to official confirmation based on moon sighting.

If the UAE applies its usual public holiday transfer rules, the midweek observance could be shifted to give residents a longer weekend. That would mean the religious occasion is marked on Tuesday, August 25, while the public holiday itself is likely observed a day earlier, on Monday, August 24.

2. Scattered rain and dust storms amid ongoing summer heat

Despite temperatures soaring well above 40°C, the UAE is bracing for a spell of unsettled weather.

The National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) has forecast moderate afternoon rainfall continuing through Monday, August 3, with convective clouds expected to build over the country's eastern and western regions each afternoon. This brings a chance of rain on most days during this period, alongside the persistent summer heat.

3. Summer Restaurant Week: Last chance to dine out

Summer Restaurant Week, part of the wider Dubai Summer Surprises programme, wraps up on August 2, 2026. Running since July 13, the event has brought together more than 50 restaurants across the city, each offering specially curated lunch and dinner menus at limited-time prices.

4. Great Dubai Summer Sale: Final Weekend, But Deals Continue

This weekend marks your last chance to catch the citywide Great Dubai Summer Sale, with discounts of up to 80% across more than 1,000 brands and flash sales plunging as deep as 90%.

Dubai Summer Surprises runs until August 30, so shoppers can expect plenty more deals and offers throughout the rest of the month.

5. Airline disruptions: Who's still cancelling, who's resuming

• Air France has extended suspensions across the region, with flights to Dubai now set to resume on August 11.

• Air Astana (Kazakhstan's national carrier) has suspended flights from Almaty and Astana to Dubai until August 31.

• Aegean Airlines has suspended all flights to Dubai until Monday, August 31, 2026.

• KLM has also extended its suspensions into the month.

• British Airways, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, and Lufthansa have pushed their suspensions even further out, into September and October 2026.

On the other hand, major UAE carriers, Emirates and Etihad, continue to operate most of their core routes as normal, minimizing disruption for travellers flying with the national airlines.

6. New Community Mall: The Grand Opens at Nad Al Sheba Gardens

Dubai is welcoming a new retail and lifestyle destination this month. The Grand, located at Nad Al Sheba Gardens, is set to open its doors on August 19.

Shamal, the developer behind Nad Al Sheba Gardens, has confirmed the mall is fully leased ahead of launch. It will house supermarkets, restaurants, cafés, healthcare, wellness, and everyday service outlets, all under one roof, catering to the growing community around it.

7. Back to school: UAE schools reopen August 31

Summer break is coming to an end. Schools across the UAE both public and most private institutions following the Ministry of Education calendar, will reopen for the new academic year on Monday, August 31, 2026.

This unified start date is part of a newly released three-year academic calendar (2026–2029) issued by the UAE Ministry of Education, mapping out key term dates for the upcoming 2026–2027 school year.