UAE announces 2026-2027 university academic calendar

Dubai: The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research on Tuesday announced the academic calendar for the 2026-27 academic year, setting key dates for universities and other higher education institutions across the country.

The calendar applies to all public and private higher education institutions, while allowing flexibility in the start and end dates of the academic year depending on individual programme requirements, the ministry said on X.

The academic year will begin on August 31, 2026, with the autumn semester ending on December 18. Students will have a two-week winter break from December 21, 2026, to January 1, 2027.

The spring semester will begin on January 4, followed by a one-week spring break from April 5 to April 9. It is scheduled to end on May 14.

The summer semester will run from May 24 until July 2, with the 2026-27 academic year officially ending on July 2, according to the calendar.

The ministry said the unified framework was designed to cover higher education institutions nationwide while retaining the flexibility needed to accommodate different academic programmes.