Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) has released the official academic calendar for all private schools for the 2025-26 school year, providing parents across the emirate with a clear schedule to help plan ahead.
The calendar applies to all private institutions in Dubai, whether they follow a September or April academic year, and sets out fixed term dates and holidays. Importantly, all schools must ensure a minimum of 182 instructional days over the academic year.
For schools beginning in September, the new academic year will commence on 25 August, after the summer breaks. The winter break will start on 15 December and run until 4 January, 2026, followed by a spring break from 23 March to 6 April, 2026. The academic year for these schools will end on 26 June, 2026.
Schools that follow the April academic calendar, which began their academic year on 7 April, will also see classes resuming, after the summer break, on 25 August. These schools will also observe the same winter break, from 15 December to 4 January, 2026, but will conclude their academic year on 31 March, 2026.
Parents are advised to check the KHDA’s official website or their child’s school directly for detailed calendars specific to each institution