Eid Al Adha 2027 in the UAE is expected to run from Saturday 15 to Tuesday 18 May. It is a four-day public holiday that includes Arafah Day. Like every Islamic holiday, the date is provisional until moon sighting confirms it closer to the time, so treat it as a strong forecast when you plan.
This is the second of the two Eid holidays in the UAE public holidays 2027 calendar, and it is usually the longer break of the two. If you manage rosters or payroll, it is worth blocking out early.
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
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| 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 |
Arafah Day and Eid Al Adha 2027: expected Saturday 15 to Tuesday 18 May. Provisional until moon sighting.
When is Eid Al Adha 2027 in the UAE?
Eid Al Adha falls on 10 to 12 Dhu al-Hijjah, the 12th month of the Islamic calendar. It is preceded by Arafah Day (9 Dhu al-Hijjah), one of the holiest days in Islam and a public holiday in its own right in the UAE.
- Arafah Day: expected Saturday, 15 May 2027.
- Eid Al Adha: expected Sunday 16 to Tuesday 18 May 2027.
In this forecast, 15 and 16 May fall on a weekend. So the practical break for most of your team runs across the full Saturday to Tuesday window, with no Cabinet transfer decision needed. This still depends on the official Dhu al-Hijjah moon sighting, so keep it flexible.
Arafah Day and Eid Al Adha: what is the difference?
Arafah Day marks the day when pilgrims performing Hajj stand at Mount Arafat. It is observed as a holiday across the UAE, whether or not someone is performing Hajj. Eid Al Adha, the Feast of Sacrifice, follows immediately after. It is the larger of the UAE two Eid holidays and commemorates the willingness of Ibrahim to sacrifice his son in Islamic tradition.
Is the Eid Al Adha date fixed or can it move?
It moves with the moon. Like Eid Al Fitr, Eid Al Adha dates are set by the Hijri lunar calendar and the confirmed moon sighting. The UAE Cabinet power to transfer holidays and extend a weekend (Cabinet Resolution No. 27 of 2024) does not apply to either Eid. So you cannot count on a fixed long weekend until the date is announced.
What this means for UAE employers
Eid Al Adha is usually the longest single holiday block in the UAE calendar. It also lands in peak summer travel season, which pushes up both annual leave requests and cross-border logistics disruption for construction, retail and hospitality teams. Here is how we suggest you plan for it:
- Roster coverage. Confirm minimum staffing for 15 to 19 May across your shift-based sites. Do this before you approve extended annual leave on either side of the holiday, so gaps do not stack up.
- Payroll cut-off. WPS salary submissions due in the 15 to 18 May window should be processed ahead of the UAE bank holiday closure, not on your standard cut-off date.
- Overtime and compensatory pay. Employees required to work during Eid Al Adha are owed a compensatory day off, or additional pay of at least 50% above the basic rate for the hours worked. Pay it in AED and reconcile it against actual attendance, not an estimate.
An attendance system that pre-loads confirmed public holidays and flags Eid Al Adha automatically removes the manual roster and payroll adjustment that otherwise lands the week the Cabinet confirms the date. You can read more on UAE attendance and workforce planning on Tipsoi UAE pages.
Frequently asked questions
Is Eid Al Adha 2027 confirmed in the UAE?
Not yet. The forecast dates (Arafah Day 15 May, Eid Al Adha 16 to 18 May) are based on astronomical calculation. They stay provisional until the UAE moon-sighting committee confirms the Dhu al-Hijjah crescent, typically a day or two ahead.
How many days off is Eid Al Adha in the UAE?
Four days combined: Arafah Day (1 day) plus Eid Al Adha (3 days).
Is Arafah Day a separate public holiday from Eid Al Adha?
Yes, though the two are always observed back to back. Arafah Day is its own single-day holiday, immediately before the three-day Eid Al Adha holiday.
Can Eid Al Adha be transferred to create a longer weekend?
No. Like Eid Al Fitr, its date is fixed by the Islamic lunar calendar and moon sighting, and it is excluded from the Cabinet holiday-transfer rule.
Sources
- Khaleej Times: UAE holidays 2027 forecast: published 11 August 2026. rel=nofollow, live-checked 2026-08-17.
- UAE Government Portal (u.ae): Public holidays: Arafah Day and Eid Al Adha holiday-type reference. rel=nofollow, live-checked 2026-08-17.
This page will be updated once the UAE Cabinet/moon-sighting committee confirms the official Eid Al Adha 2027 date.