Dubai school calendar 2025–2026: Key dates for private schools starting in April and September

Dubai: Private schools in Dubai are required to follow the official academic calendar approved by the UAE Government, which outlines key dates for the school year, including term start and end dates, holidays, and mandatory instructional days.

The calendar applies to all private institutions, regardless of curriculum, and ensures compliance with the minimum number of instructional days required per academic year. While schools tentatively share dates for public holidays such as Eid and UAE National Day with parents, these are only confirmed once officially declared by the Federal Government.

Dubai’s private schools operate on two distinct academic schedules. Some follow a September start, in line with many international and western curricula, while others begin their academic year in April, aligning more closely with Indian and Pakistani curricula. This split means that holiday schedules and term dates vary depending on which calendar a school follows.

For schools commencing the academic year in April 2025, the following term dates have been confirmed:

For schools operating on the September-start calendar, the schedule for the 2025–2026 academic year is as follows:

For the ongoing 2024–2025 academic year, private schools that began in September are expected to conclude the year no earlier than Friday, 27 June 2025.

These confirmed calendars are intended to provide clarity for parents and schools in planning travel, exams, and other key academic milestones. Families should stay in contact with their school administration for updates on public holiday confirmations and any curriculum-specific schedule changes that may arise during the academic year.