When the UAE rolled out its first-ever unified academic calendar, parents and students got excited about one major highlight: a four-week winter break running from December 8, 2025, to January 4, 2026. An upgrade? Yup, definitely, from the usual three weeks many schools followed in previous years. Sounds dreamy, right? Four whole weeks to travel, recharge, or just binge Netflix in peace. But before you start booking those long European holidays, here’s the catch: not every school in the UAE is on board with the four-week plan.
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Which Schools Are Getting the Full Four Weeks?
Schools following the Ministry of Education’s curriculum or certain international curricula are the main beneficiaries. Many of these schools have welcomed the move, pointing out that the longer break gives families more time to travel and students extra breathing room for rest, self-study, or even skill-building outside the classroom.
Administrators stressed that academic calendars had been carefully structured so that the longer break wouldn’t disrupt syllabus delivery or assessment schedules. In other words, students can enjoy the time off without worrying that it’ll mean extra classes later.
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Which Schools Are Not Getting The Four-Week Break?
Here’s where things get tricky. Schools following the Indian and Pakistani curricula in Dubai aren’t adopting the longer break. They’ll stick to their existing three-week winter holidays, as their academic years run from April to March and follow their own education boards’ requirements.
Leaders of these schools explained that their calendars were already planned and approved well in advance for 2025–2026, so extending the winter break wasn’t an option. They also noted that sticking to the existing schedule ensures their syllabus is completed on time without disrupting students’ learning journey.
Parents In The Northern Emirates, Rejoice!
Interestingly, it’s a different story in the Northern Emirates. Indian curriculum schools there, such as CBSE-affiliated institutions, are expected to follow the unified MoE calendar. Principals in Ajman confirmed that they would indeed give their students the full four weeks off, explaining that they are bound by the MoE guidelines applied to all private schools in those emirates.
Extra Winter Classes For Some Schools (Yes, Really)
Even among schools that are offering the full break, some aren’t letting students off the hook entirely. A few have planned special classes during the first week of the holiday for Grade 10 and 12 students sitting external board exams in March 2026. The aim is to balance downtime with focused revision, so exam-prep kids don’t lose momentum before the big tests.
On the flip side, schools without senior board classes are using the time for creative winter programmes. Think coaching camps in swimming, karate, robotics, dance, or even international study tours. The idea is to keep kids engaged while still giving them plenty of rest.
Will You, Won’t You? Here’s A Quick Recap
So, will your child get a four-week winter break? That depends:
- Yes if their school follows the MoE curriculum or international boards aligned with the new calendar.
- No if they’re in a CBSE or Pakistani school in Dubai (they’ll stick to three weeks).
- Yes if they’re in a CBSE school in the Northern Emirates, since MoE rules apply there.
Either way, it’s clear the four-week winter holiday isn’t a one-size-fits-all. Some students will be lucky enough to enjoy nearly a month off, while others will have a slightly shorter break—possibly with some extra classes thrown in.
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