Plan your long weekend on Wego
Live Wego fares, sampled 18 August 2026
Flying from
Pick a long weekend
How the days fall
Public holidayWeekendAnnual leaveWorking day
Where you can get to
The cheapest destinations from UAE during long weekends
Prophet’s Birthday, 28 to 30 August 2026. Cheapest nonstop return per adult, departure airport in brackets: Muscat AED 456 (Abu Dhabi), Bahrain AED 469 (Abu Dhabi), Baku AED 1,287 (Abu Dhabi), Cairo AED 1,347 (Sharjah), Salalah AED 1,630 (Dubai) and Tbilisi AED 1,698 (Sharjah).
Commemoration Day and National Day, 1 to 6 December 2026. Bahrain AED 536 (Abu Dhabi), Muscat AED 671 (Sharjah), Istanbul AED 926 (Dubai), Salalah AED 960 (Dubai), Cairo AED 1,559 (Abu Dhabi), Colombo AED 1,560 (Abu Dhabi), Tbilisi AED 1,938 (Sharjah), Baku AED 1,980 (Sharjah) and the Maldives AED 2,301 (Sharjah).
Sharjah and Abu Dhabi are each cheapest on 6 of the 15 route and window pairs, Dubai on 3. Widest gap: Bahrain in December, AED 536 from Abu Dhabi against AED 1,201 from Dubai. Wego fares, 18 August 2026.
Every UAE public holiday left before September 2027
| Holiday | Dates | Days off with no leave | Best case with leave |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prophet's Birthday | Friday 28 August 2026 | 3 days, Friday to Sunday | 4 days, adding Thursday 27 August |
| Commemoration Day and National Day | Tuesday 1 to Thursday 3 December 2026 | 3 days, Tuesday to Thursday | 9 days, 28 November to 6 December, using 2 leave days |
| New Year's Day | Friday 1 January 2027 | 3 days, Friday to Sunday | 4 days, adding Thursday 31 December |
| Eid al-Fitr Expected | Wednesday 10 to Friday 12 March 2027 | 5 days, Wednesday to Sunday | 6 days, adding Tuesday 9 March |
| Arafat Day and Eid al-Adha Expected | Sunday 16 to Tuesday 18 May 2027 | 4 days, Saturday 15 to Tuesday 18 | 9 days, 15 to 23 May, using 3 leave days |
| Islamic New Year Expected | Sunday 6 June 2027 | Falls on the weekend | 3 days, adding Monday 7 June |
| Prophet's Birthday Expected | Sunday 15 August 2027 | Falls on the weekend | 3 days, adding Monday 16 August |
Holidays marked expected follow the Islamic lunar calendar and are confirmed by official announcement nearer the date. The fixed date holidays, meaning New Year’s Day, Commemoration Day and National Day, are safe to book against now.
Stay in the UAE during long weekend: 1 to 4 December 2026
Why these dates: Commemoration and National Day fall Tuesday 1 to Thursday 3 December 2026, the longest confirmed break of the UAE year. The three nights below cover it, and one leave day on Friday makes six.
★★★★★
Mileo Hotel The Palm
Room level comparison
Prices cover the full three night booking for one room.
See live rates
More places to stay in Dubai
Ten properties Wego priced for the same three nights.
The cheapest places to stay over the December break
Three nights, 1 to 4 December 2026, two adults in one room, total for the stay: Dubai from AED 804 (Queen Elizabeth 2 Hotel), Sharjah AED 915 (Citymax Hotel Sharjah), Ras Al Khaimah AED 1,098 (Al Hamra Village Hotel) and Abu Dhabi AED 3,144 (Royal M Hotel Abu Dhabi by Gewan).
Sharjah is the safest budget, 6 of its 10 properties under AED 1,300, and Ras Al Khaimah buys a five-star at that level, AED 1,248 for the Radisson Resort on Al Marjan Island. Abu Dhabi is dearest: its cheapest listing beats the priciest Sharjah stay. Live Wego rates, 18 August 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How many UAE long weekends are left in 2026?
Two. The Prophet’s Birthday falls on Friday 28 August 2026, giving three days off with no leave at all, and Commemoration Day and National Day run from Tuesday 1 to Thursday 3 December 2026. The next one is New Year’s Day on Friday 1 January 2027.
Which UAE public holiday gives the longest break?
December. Three public holidays falling Tuesday to Thursday, plus leave on the Monday and the Friday either side, produce nine consecutive days off from 28 November to 6 December 2026 for two leave days. The expected Eid al-Adha window in May 2027 also reaches nine days, but needs three.
Do UAE public holidays move if they fall on a weekend?
Not by default. The UAE government states that a public holiday coinciding with the weekend is not transferred. Legislation in force since 1 January 2025 permits a holiday to be shifted to the start or the end of the working week, but each shift is announced individually, so treat a weekend holiday as a normal weekend until an announcement says otherwise.
Are the 2027 UAE holiday dates confirmed?
Only the fixed ones. New Year’s Day on 1 January 2027 is certain. Eid al-Fitr, Arafat Day and Eid al-Adha, the Islamic New Year and the Prophet’s Birthday all depend on moon sighting, so the dates in the table are expected and official confirmation comes closer to the date.
Is it cheaper to fly from Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Sharjah?
It depends on the route, so check all three. On fares searched on 18 August 2026, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi were each cheapest on 6 of the 15 route and window pairs and Dubai on 3. The cheapest fare in the August window is Muscat from Abu Dhabi at AED 456 return per adult, and in December Muscat from Sharjah at AED 671. Bahrain in December costs less than half as much from Abu Dhabi as from Dubai, so the drive between emirates can pay for itself.
How much is a three-night hotel stay in the UAE over the December holiday?
For 1 to 4 December 2026, two adults in one room, the cheapest of the 40 properties listed above is Queen Elizabeth 2 Hotel in Dubai at AED 804 for all three nights. Sharjah starts at AED 915 at Citymax Hotel Sharjah, Abu Dhabi at AED 3,144 and Ras Al Khaimah at AED 1,098. The dearest listed stay is InterContinental Residences Abu Dhabi, an IHG Hotel at AED 11,190. All rates are live Wego prices for the full three nights, not per night.
Sources
- The Official Portal of the UAE Government (the official public holiday list, and the rule that a holiday coinciding with the weekend is not transferred)
- The National (confirmation of Friday 28 August 2026 as the Prophet's Birthday holiday for the federal government and private sector)
- Gulf News (the paid public holiday declaration for 28 August 2026)
- Khaleej Times (the 1 January 2025 legislation allowing public holidays to move to the start or end of the working week)
- The National (the nine day December break built from two days of annual leave)
- Wego holiday, flight and hotel data (UAE public holiday dates from the Wego holiday calendar; cheapest nonstop return fares for one adult from Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah on both priced windows; and live hotel rates for 1 to 4 December 2026, all sampled on 18 August 2026)
