Ramadan 1448 AH is expected to begin in the UAE on Monday 8 February 2027, subject to the moon sighting, and for a month the working day shortens, school days shrink, and the pre-sunset commute turns dangerous. This guide is for residents and new arrivals of any faith who need the rules rather than the event listings: what the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) and the UAE Council for Fatwa actually require, what is law and what is etiquette, and what to expect around Eid Al Fitr. It reflects the position as of August 2026, recurring rules first and 2027 specifics in dated blocks; the year's dates sit on the public holidays page.
Status as of August 2026: Ramadan 2027 is expected to start on Monday 8 February 2027, with Eid Al Fitr on Tuesday 9 or Wednesday 10 March, per astronomical calculations reported by Khaleej Times and Gulf News in August 2026; nothing is confirmed until the moon-sighting committee under the UAE Council for Fatwa announces each date, normally the evening before. The Cabinet's 2027 holiday list, MOHRE's 2027 circular and the 2027 Zakat Al Fitr value are not yet published; the 2026 figures below are the guide.
At a Glance
| Item | Position for Ramadan 2027 |
|---|---|
| Expected start | Monday 8 February 2027 (crescent sought on the evening of 6 or 7 February) |
| Expected Eid Al Fitr | Tuesday 9 March if Ramadan runs 29 days; Wednesday 10 March if 30 |
| Private-sector working day | Cut by 2 hours, fasting or not, no pay deduction; Art. 15(4) exempts senior, seafaring and continuous-shift roles (Cabinet Resolution 1/2022) |
| Government hours (2026 pattern) | 09:00–14:30 Mon–Thu, 09:00–12:00 Fri (federal and Dubai) |
| School day (recent pattern) | Maximum 5 hours in Dubai, and in Abu Dhabi since 2025; MOE schools finish 12:00–14:00 |
| Eating in public | Not a criminal offence since the 2021 Penal Code; discretion expected outdoors |
| Eid Al Fitr holiday | 1–3 Shawwal, plus Ramadan 30 if the month runs 30 days: 3 or 4 days |
| Zakat Al Fitr (2026 value) | AED 25 per person or 2.5 kg of rice; fidyah AED 20 per missed day |
How the Ramadan 2027 Dates Are Set
Astronomy projects, the committee confirms
On 29 Sha'ban the moon-sighting committee, convened under the UAE Council for Fatwa with the country's observatories, meets after sunset and announces whether the crescent has been seen. For 2027, the UAE Astronomy Centre's calculations, reported by Khaleej Times and Gulf News in August 2026, put the conjunction on Saturday 6 February, after sunset in the UAE and so impossible to sight that evening, meaning Sha'ban is expected to complete 30 days and Ramadan to begin on Monday 8 February; the International Astronomy Centre's Hijri calendar gives the same date. Treat that as a forecast reliable to about a day.
| Event | Expected date (2027) |
|---|---|
| Crescent sighting for Ramadan | Evening of Saturday 6 or Sunday 7 February (committee announces that night) |
| First day of Ramadan | Monday 8 February |
| Crescent sighting for Shawwal | Evening of Monday 8 March (29 Ramadan) |
| Eid Al Fitr (1 Shawwal) | Tuesday 9 March if sighted; Wednesday 10 March if not |
Fasting hours and the daily rhythm
The fast runs from Fajr to Maghrib on the official Awqaf timetable. A February start gives one of the UAE's shorter Ramadans: in 2026 Dubai's first fast ran from Fajr at about 05:34 to iftar at about 18:18, under 13 hours, lengthening to about 13 hours 25 minutes (roughly 05:08 to 18:32) by month's end. Expect 2027 to be similar, with iftar in Dubai a little after 18:00, marked by Dubai Police's iftar cannons (six fixed in 2026 at JBR, Burj Khalifa, Damac Hills, Expo City, Dubai Festival City and Vida Creek Harbour, plus roaming cannons touring 17 locations).
Working Hours: The Two-Hour Rule and Who It Covers
Private sector: two hours off, no pay cut
The rule is statutory (the wider framework is under labour law rights). Clause 2 of Article 15 of Cabinet Resolution 1 of 2022, the executive regulations of Federal Decree-Law 33 of 2021, provides that regular working hours "shall be reduced by two hours during the holy month of Ramadan": the eight-hour day becomes six, and the weekly ceiling drops from 48 hours to 36 on a six-day week, 30 on a five-day one. The UAE Government portal states that the cut "applies to Muslim and non-Muslim employees, without deducting regular wages". MOHRE's annual circular (12 February for Ramadan 2026) restates the two hours and confirms employers may run flexible or remote patterns within the shortened day; they may still ask for overtime, capped at two extra hours a day and paid at basic pay plus 25 per cent, or plus 50 per cent between 22:00 and 04:00, a night premium that does not apply to shift workers. Clause 4 of the same article is the exception to know: board members, supervisors holding the employer's powers, seafarers, technical work run on continuous succession shifts and preparatory or supplementary work sit outside the working-hours provisions, so check which category your employment contract puts you in.
Government hours: the 2026 pattern
Each government issues its own circular a week or so before the month:
| Employer | Ramadan 2026 hours | Flexibility |
|---|---|---|
| Federal entities (FAHR, 11 February 2026) | 09:00–14:30 Mon–Thu; 09:00–12:00 Fri | Up to 70 per cent of staff may work remotely on Fridays |
| Dubai Government (DGHR, 17 February 2026) | 09:00–14:30 Mon–Thu; 09:00–12:00 Fri | Start between 07:00 and 10:00; up to two remote days a week |
| Sharjah Government (SDHR, 11 February 2026) | 09:00–14:30 Mon–Thu; no Friday, as the emirate's government week is four days | Shift-based entities set their own |
DIFC and ADGM are different
The financial free zones run their own employment laws: under the DIFC Employment Law only Muslim employees are entitled to the reduced day, capped at six hours without loss of pay; under the ADGM Employment Regulations Muslim employees get a 25 per cent cut in daily hours (two hours of an eight-hour day), which ADGM ties to actually observing the fast. Non-Muslim staff there depend on contract or company policy.
If the reduction is not applied
Step 1 — Check your jurisdiction: onshore and non-financial free zones fall under MOHRE; DIFC and ADGM do not.
Step 2 — Raise it in writing with HR, citing Article 15 of Cabinet Resolution 1/2022 and the current MOHRE circular, and keep attendance records.
Step 3 — If nothing changes, complain to MOHRE through its call centre or app; hours beyond six are recoverable as overtime (see leave entitlements).
Schools, Nurseries and Children
Regulators cap the school day rather than set it, so each school publishes its own Ramadan timetable a week or two before the month. In 2026 the KHDA limited Dubai private schools to five hours a day, required Fridays to finish by 11:30, exempted fasting students from PE, and asked schools to consult parents on timings. ADEK's 2025 rules capped Abu Dhabi schools at five hours a day, with Fridays closing by noon for community "Service Learning" projects; its guidance reaches parents through each school's own circular, so check the school's timetable rather than assuming the cap. The Ministry of Education ran government schools on a shortened day of 35-minute lessons — 09:00–12:00 for kindergarten, and starts of 08:00 or 09:00 finishing between 12:00 and 14:00 for older pupils, by cycle — with Fridays as remote learning. Nurseries are not covered by the caps and mostly keep normal hours. Expect fewer after-school clubs and a school run that collides with the shortened office day; term structure is on the school calendar, and kids' activities lists the evening Ramadan programming.
Eating, Drinking and Going Out: Law Versus Etiquette
What the law says now
Under the old Penal Code, Article 313 of Federal Law 3 of 1987 made eating or drinking in public during fasting hours an offence, punishable by up to a month's detention or a fine that legal commentaries put at AED 2,000 (one 2026 firm cites AED 10,000). That code was replaced by Federal Decree-Law 31 of 2021, which has no equivalent provision, and UAE law-firm commentary published in 2026 states that public eating during fasting hours is no longer a criminal offence; no official portal says so in those words, so treat it as the settled reading rather than a government statement. The UAE Government portal's Ramadan page confirms non-Muslims are not required to fast. What remains is the ordinary law on public decency, and the expectation below.
What etiquette and official guidance ask
No official portal publishes a list of banned behaviours. The UAE Government portal says non-Muslims are not required to fast and that mall restaurants keep dining areas "away from those who are fasting"; Experience Abu Dhabi, the emirate's official visitor site, confirms mall food courts and restaurants are open with designated seating for those not fasting and describes modest dress (shoulders and knees covered) in malls and at Ramadan events as "respectful but not mandatory", with normal swimwear at hotel pools and beaches. The convention residents follow, and the one to adopt, is to avoid eating, drinking or smoking in open public view during daylight, on the street, in parks, on public transport and in the car, and to use a dining venue instead. "Ramadan Kareem" is the greeting.
Restaurants, malls, licensed venues
A Dubai Economy circular of 11 April 2021 removed the screens and curtains once required around diners and the permit previously needed to serve during fasting hours, so daytime dining has been business as usual in Dubai since. In Abu Dhabi some restaurants shorten hours or close by day but, per Experience Abu Dhabi, all reopen by iftar, and most malls stay open to 01:00 or 02:00 at weekends. Licensed hotel venues have continued to operate in recent years, many pausing or scaling back daytime alcohol service and resuming after iftar, with entertainment kept to background levels by day. That pattern is set venue by venue rather than by a published rule, so check ahead.
Roads, Parking and Tolls
The pre-iftar rush
The earlier finish pushes the evening commute into the hour before sunset, when fasting drivers are tired and racing the clock. An analysis of 2,771 Ramadan 2025 motor claims by Al Wathba Insurance and RoadSafetyUAE, reported by Khaleej Times in February 2026, found 43 per cent of accidents between noon and 18:00, with 14:00–16:00 alone accounting for 17 per cent. Dubai Police's "Ramadan Without Accidents" campaign, run with the Emirates Red Crescent, handed out iftar meals at seven busy junctions in 2026 (City Walk, Al Satwa, Al Madina Mall, Century Mall, American Hospital, Al Mizhar 4 and the Al Khawaneej space-centre junction) so drivers pull over rather than speed. Leave before 16:30 or after 19:00, keep dates and water in the car, and give fasting drivers room; traffic fines do not pause for Ramadan.
Parking and Salik
| Emirate | Ramadan 2026 paid parking | Tolls |
|---|---|---|
| Dubai (RTA) | 08:00–18:00 and 20:00–midnight Mon–Sat; free 18:00–20:00 around Maghrib; Sundays free; multi-storey car parks charge 24/7 | Salik AED 6 09:00–17:00 Mon–Sat; AED 4 07:00–09:00 and 17:00–02:00; free 02:00–07:00; Sundays AED 4 |
| Abu Dhabi (Mawaqif, run by Q Mobility) | 09:00–18:00 and 21:00–02:00 Mon–Sat; Sundays free | Darb AED 4 at peak, shifted to 08:00–10:00 and 14:00–18:00 |
| Sharjah (Municipality) | 08:00–00:00 Sat–Thu; Fridays free except year-round zones | None |
RTA's 2026 circular put the end of the evening paid period at midnight, but the windows are reset each year, so check the RTA app's live tariff before leaving the car. Standard schedules are on the Salik and parking page.
Iftar, Charity and Health
Iftar and suhoor etiquette
If invited to an iftar, arrive before sunset, wait for the call to prayer or the cannon, and start as your host does, traditionally with dates and water. Do not bring alcohol, and expect hosts to step away for Maghrib prayers. Hotel iftar buffets and Ramadan tents are open to everyone; suhoor tents run from about 21:00.
Zakat, fidyah and giving safely
Zakat Al Fitr, paid before Eid prayer, is set each year by the UAE Council for Fatwa: for 1447 AH (2026) it was AED 25 per person or 2.5 kg of rice, and fidyah, the compensation for each fasting day missed for a valid reason, AED 20 per day. The Council asks that it go through the Zakat Fund, the Emirates Red Crescent or a recognised UAE charity. Give only through licensed channels: under Federal Law 3 of 2021 collecting donations without a permit from the Ministry of Community Empowerment, or the competent authority in your emirate, carries imprisonment and/or a fine of AED 150,000–300,000, and promoting an unlicensed appeal online falls under Article 46 of the Cybercrime Law at AED 200,000–500,000. That includes a WhatsApp collection for a colleague. Begging is an offence under Article 475 of the Penal Code, up to three months and at least AED 5,000; report rather than give.
Fasting and medication
UAE hospitals' standing advice is to see your doctor before the month if you take regular medication, particularly for diabetes, heart, kidney or blood-pressure conditions: many doses can move to iftar or suhoor, some cannot, and the IDF-DAR practical guidelines, whose risk calculator was updated in 2026, grade who is advised against fasting. Prescriptions and controlled medicines are on the medication page; after iftar is when the running tracks fill.
Eid Al Fitr 2027: What to Expect
By law the holiday runs from 1 to 3 Shawwal, plus Ramadan 30 if the month lasts 30 days, so three or four days for public and private sector alike. For 2027 that means Tuesday 9 to Thursday 11 March if the Shawwal crescent is seen on the evening of 8 March, or Tuesday 9 to Friday 12 March if not, running into the weekend either way. In 2026 MOHRE announced the holiday on 23 February, and Eid fell on Friday 20 March after a 30-day Ramadan. Book leave on the long scenario and you lose nothing if the short one arrives. The long-weekend arithmetic, and the December Eid Al Etihad break, are on the public holidays page.
Ramadan Checklist for New Arrivals
Step 1 — Confirm your Ramadan hours in writing before the month; onshore, six hours a day is the law for most roles, not a favour.
Step 2 — Get the school's Ramadan timetable, and see your doctor about any regular medication if you intend to fast.
Step 3 — Move your commute out of the 16:30–18:30 window, eat indoors by day, and plan Eid on the four-day scenario.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Ramadan 2027 start in the UAE?
Expected Monday 8 February 2027: the UAE's Astronomy Centre calculations reported by Khaleej Times and Gulf News in August 2026 show the crescent cannot be sighted from the UAE on 6 February, the conjunction falling after sunset that evening, so Sha'ban should complete 30 days. It is confirmed only when the moon-sighting committee announces it, on the evening of 6 or 7 February.
Do non-Muslims get reduced working hours during Ramadan?
Yes, onshore and in non-financial free zones: Article 15 of Cabinet Resolution 1/2022 cuts the working day by two hours regardless of religion or fasting, and the UAE Government portal confirms it applies "without deducting regular wages". Clause 4 of the same article puts board members, supervisors holding the employer's powers, seafarers and continuous-shift technical roles outside the working-hours rules. The DIFC and ADGM, which have their own employment laws, limit the reduction to Muslim employees.
Is it illegal to eat or drink in public during Ramadan in the UAE?
Not under current federal law: the old Article 313 offence was repealed when Federal Decree-Law 31 of 2021 replaced the Penal Code, with no equivalent in the new code. Official guidance still asks everyone to avoid eating, drinking or smoking in open public areas during daylight.
Are restaurants open during the day in Ramadan?
In Dubai, yes: since the Dubai Economy circular of April 2021 restaurants need no permit to serve during fasting hours and no screens around diners. In Abu Dhabi some venues close by day, but all reopen by iftar.
Can I drink alcohol in Dubai during Ramadan?
Licensed hotel venues have continued to serve in recent years, though many pause daytime service and resume after iftar, with entertainment kept to background levels by day. There is no published rule, so confirm with the venue.
What are school hours during Ramadan?
In 2026 the KHDA capped Dubai private schools at five hours a day, Fridays ending by 11:30, with fasting students excused from PE; ADEK's 2025 rules set the same five-hour cap in Abu Dhabi with Fridays closing by noon; Ministry of Education schools finished between 12:00 and 14:00.
When is the Eid Al Fitr 2027 holiday?
Expected from Tuesday 9 March 2027: three days (9–11 March) if Ramadan runs 29 days, or four (9–12 March) if not, because the law adds Ramadan 30 as a holiday. The Cabinet's 2027 list is not yet published.
Can I collect donations for a colleague during Ramadan?
Not without a permit. Federal Law 3 of 2021 makes unauthorised collection punishable by imprisonment and/or a fine of AED 150,000–300,000, and promoting an unlicensed appeal online falls under the Cybercrime Law at AED 200,000–500,000. Route the help through a licensed charity.
