October mid-term school break moved forward: UAE parents rebook flights and change holiday plans

Dubai: For some Dubai families, the October half-term break has meant going back to the drawing board, with schools bringing the holiday forward by a week and parents having to adjust travel and family plans made around the original dates.

Some Dubai private schools, recently sent parents emails informing them that the October mid-term break would now run from October 12 to October 16, with classes resuming on Monday, October 19, 2026. The previous dates were October 19 to October 23, meaning the break has been brought forward by one week.

The notices were sent after the new 2026-27 academic year began at many UAE schools, with the new academic calendar coming into effect. For parents who had already booked flights and accommodation around the original dates, the change has meant making last-minute adjustments.

Dubai parents adjust travel plans as school break moves earlier

Rosette Marquez, mother of a Year 3 student, said her family had to rebook flights after the dates changed.

“We have rebooked our flights. We booked it earlier for a lesser price and also so that the two kids will have something to look forward to, but because of the changes, we had to rebook it.

We will just spend the midterm break around UAE since the time is very less. We plan to go to Ras Al Khaimah and also experience the Etihad Rail. Hopefully, we secure a booking since it's always full.”

For another Dubai parent, the earlier break has meant scaling back plans for a longer holiday and considering options closer to home.

Mariya Mukhtar, mother of a Year 2 student, said the change had affected her family's plans, although they were likely to remain in the UAE during the break.

“It does affect our plans a little. The school had shared the calendar in advance, which was helpful as we could plan around the dates. The new academic year only began last week, so the midterm break coming up quite soon does make it a little different from how we usually plan. We normally like to take a short trip or plan a staycation around this time of the year. With the break moving earlier, we have had to make a few adjustments to our plans,” Mukhtar, said.

This year, the interval between the summer break and the midterm break is relatively short, and many families who already travelled during the summer are likely to opt for activities within the UAE instead of organizing another major trip.

“We are still figuring out our plans for the midterm break, but we are likely to keep it fairly relaxed this time. We may do a short staycation or a couple of day trips and plan some fun activities for our daughter, like a beach day, visiting an attraction, going outdoors and just spending some quality family time together.”

Earlier break works better for one family

Nejuma Iqbal, mother of 14-year-old Naureen and seven-year-old Ayzel, said the revised break works better for her family's existing plans.

“When the original break was scheduled from October 19 to October 23, we had actually planned to take the children out of school for a few days because we had an important family reunion the week before, and the dates were going to overlap with their school schedule.

But with the break now being brought forward, it actually works much better for our family. The children can attend the family reunion without us having to worry about them missing school, and enjoy their mid-term break. So, for us, the change in dates has actually worked out in our favour and made our plans much easier to manage.”

Calendar dates were announced earlier

The October dates themselves are not a new announcement. Earlier this year, in February, the UAE's Ministry of Education (MOE) announced that it had approved school dates for the next three years of the academic calendar, covering 2026 to 2029 across the public and private sectors. The calendar stated that the mid-term break would take place from October 12 to October 16.

According to a statement from the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), all private schools in Dubai must adhere to the unified academic calendar dates issued by MOE.

With the updated dates, families must adjust plans that were arranged around the original break, whether that involves rescheduling flights or opting for a staycation within the UAE.