The academic year in Dubai: how the school calendar works

Understanding the school year, step by step

1. 1

   Know that the year has three terms

   The academic year has been divided into trimesters since the academic year 2010-2011. In practice this means three terms in an academic year rather than the two-semester pattern some families may be used to from elsewhere.

2. 2

   Find the official dates for your year

   The school calendar for 2025-2026 lists the term start and end dates. Find the dates of the school calendar for the academic year 2025-2026 before you book flights or plan any trips, so your plans line up with the real term structure.

   Documents:School calendar
3. 3

   Check the minimum instruction days

   All public and private schools in the UAE must offer the minimum number of instruction days set out by the Ministry of Education. This is why term dates cannot drift too far apart between schools, and why the calendar is anchored nationally.

4. 4

   Understand a private school's flexibility on breaks

   Private schools that do not follow the Ministry's curriculum have limited flexibility to schedule mid-term breaks within a defined timeframe, provided that this does not affect compliance with the national calendar. So a non-Ministry-curriculum school may set its own mid-term break, but it still has to keep in line with the national dates.

5. 5

   Use the official links to confirm everything

   The Ministry of Education publishes the new school calendar for the academic year and an academic calendar for public and private schools as a downloadable PDF. When you need the exact dates, view them there rather than relying on second-hand figures — the current dates and sizes must be checked on the authority's website.

   Documents:Academic calendar (PDF)

Fees and timelines may change — verify with the official source.

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