If your family booked travel around a late-October school break, check the dates again. Several Dubai private schools have moved their October half-term forward by a week to align with the UAE Ministry of Education’s unified academic calendar, and the revised break is now close: Monday, October 12 to Friday, October 16.

With the weekends on both sides, pupils at affected schools will be off from Saturday, October 10 through Sunday, October 18 — nine days in total — and return to class on Monday, October 19, according to Time Out Dubai’s October changes round-up and school notices reported by Devo Dubai.

Why the dates moved

The unified calendar is new for the 2026/27 year and is meant to put public and private schools on the same term dates across the country. Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) adopted the ministry calendar, prompting schools that had earlier published October 19-23 as half-term to write to parents with revised dates. Named schools in reporting include Dubai British School, Safa British School and Arab Unity School, among others.

Parent checking a school calendar on a phone at home
Parents who booked around the old October 19-23 dates should check their school’s notice.

Not every school has identical dates

The change does not flatten every calendar in the emirate. Schools on alternative curricula can operate under different arrangements, and schools in other emirates answer to their own regulators. The safe rule is the one schools themselves repeat: trust your school’s latest circular or portal over any round-up, including this one, before moving flights or hotels.

Making use of the nine days

The break coincides with Dubai’s outdoor season reopening — Dubai Parks and Resorts and Miracle Garden return that same week, and Global Village opens October 14. Families staying in the city can plan with our places to visit in Dubai, free things to do in Dubai and Global Village guide.

Family at Dubai airport departures during a school holiday
Classes resume on Monday, October 19 after the nine-day break.

FAQs

When is Dubai’s October half-term in 2026?

For schools on the unified calendar, October 12-16, giving nine days off from October 10 to 18 including weekends.

When do classes resume?

On Monday, October 19, 2026.

Why were the dates changed?

To align school calendars with the UAE Ministry of Education’s unified academic calendar, adopted by KHDA.

Do all Dubai schools follow these dates?

No. Alternative-curriculum schools can differ, so always confirm with your own school’s latest notice.