United Arab Emirates Festivals and Celebrations

The short version

Two calendars. The Gregorian one carries UAE National Day on 2 December and a dense cool-season programme of sport, culture and shopping festivals. The lunar one carries Ramadan and the two Eids and moves earlier against your own by about eleven days a year, which is why we check those dates rather than print them.

National Day

2 December, marking the 1971 union of the emirates. Flags on every vehicle, fireworks, parades and a country in a very good mood. It falls in the best weather of the year, which makes it a natural anchor for a trip, and it books up accordingly.

Ramadan

A month of daylight fasting. For a visitor it reshapes the day rather than closing the country: public eating, drinking and smoking in daylight are restricted, hours shift, and after sunset the cities are busier and more sociable than at any other time. Iftar is genuinely worth travelling for. Going during Ramadan should be a decision rather than a surprise.

Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha

Both public holidays, both moving, both busy. Expect closures on the first day and heavy demand afterwards, because this is when residents travel too. Book early.

The cool-season programme

Between November and March the country runs an almost continuous calendar of sporting events, exhibitions, concerts and shopping festivals, much of it outdoors. It is the practical reason the cool season is the season. See best time to visit.

Verify Before You Travel

Event and seasonal advice appears on the FCDO UAE travel advice. Next: culture and etiquette.

Sources

• UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: UAE safety and security: the Sharjah alcohol ban, the zero-tolerance drugs position, dress codes and the law on same-sex relations. Accessed 15 September 2026.
• UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: United Arab Emirates travel advice: the FCDO issues no advisory against travel to any part of the UAE. Accessed 15 September 2026.