New Year Day 2027 falls on Friday, 1 January. It is the first fixed holiday on the UAE public holidays 2027 calendar. Because Friday already sits inside the UAE Saturday to Sunday weekend, most of your team gets a three-day weekend from Friday 1 to Sunday 3 January, with no Cabinet transfer decision needed.
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
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| 1 | 2 | |||||
| 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
| 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| 31 |
New Year’s Day 2027: Friday 1 January. A fixed public holiday that does not move.
When is New Year’s Day 2027 in the UAE?
New Year Day is observed on 1 January every year under the Gregorian calendar. It is confirmed as a fixed public holiday under Cabinet Resolution No. 27 of 2024. It is one of only two fixed dates on the UAE holiday calendar. The other is National Day, on 2 to 3 December.
The first working day of 2027 is Monday, 4 January. For payroll, that makes your December run the last of the year, and the new year opens on the 4th.
Is New Year’s Day a paid public holiday for private sector employees?
Yes. New Year Day is a paid public holiday for both public and private sector employees across all seven emirates. It is confirmed the same way each year, with no variation by industry or free zone.
What this means for UAE employers
Because 1 January 2027 falls on a Friday, most businesses will see minimal disruption compared with years when the holiday lands mid-week. A few things are still worth checking:
- Roster coverage. Hospitality, retail and events businesses usually see higher footfall over the New Year weekend, even though it is a shorter break than Eid. Confirm your coverage for 31 December through 3 January.
- Payroll cut-off. Year-end payroll runs often coincide with the New Year closure. Confirming your WPS submission schedule in late December keeps the first payroll cycle of the new year on time.
- Compensatory pay. Employees required to work on 1 January are owed a compensatory day off, or at least 50% additional pay above the basic rate for the hours worked. Pay it in AED and reconcile it against verified attendance records.
Since this date is fixed years in advance, it is the simplest UAE holiday to pre-load into an attendance system. You can see how holiday calendars integrate with attendance tracking on Tipsoi UAE hub page.
Frequently asked questions
Is New Year’s Day 2027 confirmed in the UAE?
Yes. 1 January is a fixed public holiday under UAE law and does not depend on moon sighting, unlike the Islamic holidays on the calendar.
Does the UAE get an extra day off if New Year’s Day falls on a weekend?
No. Under Cabinet Resolution No. 27 of 2024, a public holiday that coincides with the weekend is not transferred to another working day. In 2027, New Year’s Day falls on a Friday, which is already a non-working day for most UAE employees, so no substitute day is added.
Is 2 January 2027 also a holiday in the UAE?
Not officially for the private sector. Some UAE federal government entities have designated remote-work days around the New Year period in past years, but this is not a universal paid public holiday for private sector employees.
Sources
- UAE Government Portal (u.ae): Public holidays: New Year’s Day fixed-holiday listing. rel=nofollow, live-checked 2026-08-17.
- Khaleej Times: UAE holidays 2027 forecast: day-of-week confirmation for 2027. rel=nofollow, live-checked 2026-08-17.