Eid Al Fitr 2027, a moving date.
If your group is travelling to Dubai in March 2027, you will meet Eid Al Fitr, and the date is not fixed until the moon is sighted. This page sets out the rule the UAE government publishes, the dates the press expects, what the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) changed for Eid in 2026, and how to book a vehicle so a one-day shift does not break the trip.
What the government says
The UAE government portal lists Eid Al Fitr as 1 to 3 Shawwal. It adds a footnote: if the month of Ramadan lasts 30 days, day 30 is also deemed an official holiday for Eid Al Fitr. It also says Islamic holidays follow moon sighting, which is why nobody can print a final date in November 2026.
The portal quotes a rule from Cabinet Resolution 27 of 2024: a public holiday cannot be moved to another day if it falls on a weekend or coincides with another holiday. So do not expect a Friday or Monday “bridge” to appear. We read the portal on 31 October 2026; check it again close to your date.
Planning this trip? Tell us the date and group size for a fixed price.
Get a quoteThe dates expected for 2027
These are expectations, not announcements. The National, on 6 October 2026, quoted the UAE Astronomy Centre: Ramadan 2027 is projected to begin on 8 February and last 29 or 30 days, and Eid Al Fitr is expected on 9 or 10 March, subject to moon sighting. Gulf News, updated on 16 October 2026, agrees on both dates. Both are news reports, so treat them as secondary sources.
| If Ramadan has | Expected holiday | Weekdays |
|---|---|---|
| 29 days | 9 to 11 March 2027 | Tuesday to Thursday |
| 30 days | 9 to 12 March 2027, with Ramadan day 30 on the 9th | Tuesday to Friday |
In both cases the holiday is expected to begin on Tuesday 9 March. What moves is the end: Thursday 11 or Friday 12. The weekend of Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 March follows. We have not found an official 2027 announcement.
What the RTA did for Eid in 2026
The RTA publishes holiday hours for public transport, but late. Its notice for Eid Al Fitr 2026 is dated 16 March 2026, three days before the holiday began on Thursday 19 March. The notice for the Prophet’s Birthday holiday on Friday 28 August 2026 is dated 26 August. This is last year’s pattern, not a 2027 timetable.
| Service | Eid Al Fitr 2026, as the RTA announced it |
|---|---|
| Metro, Red and Green Lines | 05:00 to 01:00 next day, Wednesday 18 to Saturday 21 March. Sunday 22 March 08:00 to 01:00 |
| Tram | 06:00 to 01:00 next day, Wednesday to Saturday. Sunday 09:00 to 01:00 |
| Public parking | Free for the first three days of Eid, except multi-storey car parks. Normal tariffs from the fourth day |
| Buses and marine transport | Changes listed in the RTA’s S’hail app |
| Intercity bus E100 | Did not run from Al Ghubaiba Bus Station from the afternoon of 18 to 22 March. E101 ran from Ibn Battuta Bus Station to Abu Dhabi |
The Prophet’s Birthday notice showed the same pattern: Metro from 05:00 to 01:00, free public parking except multi-storey car parks, and no E100 from 27 to 30 August. The parking line says “public parking”. It gives no rule for coaches or private vehicles, so we do not assume one. Etihad Rail’s help pages say its trains may run to a different schedule on public holidays, so check them for your date.
What is not published
We found no RTA hours for any 2027 holiday, no official 2027 Eid dates, and no attraction or shopping centre hours for the holiday. We do not print any of them.
Several events in the region were postponed or cancelled in 2026. If a show, a school fixture or a festival in your plan has a date near Eid, check the organiser’s notices before you book transport. If dates change, we adjust the quote.
Other calendars that touch the window
Group leaders from Europe and Japan may have their own holidays near the same days. These help you line the dates up.
| Calendar | Date in 2027 |
|---|---|
| Hamburg spring break (KMK school holiday table) | 1 to 12 March |
| Japan, Spring Equinox Day and the substitute holiday (Cabinet Office list) | Sunday 21 and Monday 22 March |
| Good Friday, Easter Sunday (Western churches, our calculation) | 26 and 28 March |
Our guide to the UAE time difference helps with the clock when you write to us from abroad.
Booking around a moving date
The practical rule is to plan the days you can fix, and leave the days you cannot. Flights in and out are fixed, so book the airport legs for those dates. The days that depend on the holiday are the ones near 9 to 12 March, so keep a fixed-time commitment such as a long road trip or a timed entry off those days where you can.
For an example, a group of 18 lands on Monday 8 March and leaves on Sunday 14 March. The group leader asks for a quote with the city days left open. When the dates are confirmed, the leader tells us which days are holidays, and we adjust the quote. In this example the airport legs do not change at all, and only the middle days do.
Do not wait for the RTA’s notice. In 2026 it came three days ahead, which is too late to rearrange an overseas trip. Our National Day plan sets out the same approach for a holiday that is already in the calendar, and our peak season guide shows how the winter months run. If your trip includes the capital, see the DXB to Abu Dhabi private transfer page.
We supply a vehicle and a driver. A licensed guide can be arranged for a fee: ask when you request a quote.
Choosing the vehicle
Count passengers first and bags second. Our guide figures:
- Mercedes V-Class: up to 7 passengers and 6 bags.
- 13-seater HiAce: up to 13 passengers and about 10 suitcases.
- Mercedes Sprinter: up to 16 passengers and up to 12 suitcases.
- 30-seater mini coach and 50-seater coach for school parties and tour groups.
For a large party arriving on one flight, read our big group arrival guide.
How a booked vehicle fits
- Send the plan. Dates, hotel area, party size and which days must not move.
- Ask for a fixed written quote. Nothing is charged until you confirm.
- Read the meeting and drop-off arrangement. The quote states it, including for the airport.
- Agree the return time. We plan the margin and tell you what is not yet published.
- Tell us if the date moves. We adjust where we can, and cannot promise to beat queues or traffic.
Keep reading
- Eid Al Adha 2027 and Whitsun in Dubai: Eid Al Adha 2027 is expected around Whit weekend. The holiday rule, the expected dates, the German and Dutch May breaks and what past RTA notices suggest, for a group from Europe.
- European school breaks vs Ramadan and Eid 2027: German, Dutch and UK holiday dates from December 2026 to April 2027 set against the expected dates of Ramadan, Eid Al Fitr and Easter in Dubai.
- Japan holiday windows for Dubai trips: Japanese national holidays from November 2026 to Golden Week 2027, laid against the expected dates of Ramadan and Eid in the UAE and against Dubai’s monthly heat.
- Family holiday in Dubai: A family week in Dubai: which days a van with a driver earns its place, which days taxis or the Metro are fine, and a simple way to work out the cost.
- UAE National Day 2026 plan for visitors: The National Day dates, what is still unannounced, what ran in 2025 and how a visiting group can plan a Dubai break around 2 and 3 December.
- Dubai to Ras Al Khaimah: From DXB or your Dubai hotel to the resorts of Al Marjan and Al Hamra, or up the Jebel Jais road.
Frequently asked.
Quick answers for this trip.
When is Eid Al Fitr in 2027?
It is expected on Tuesday 9 or Wednesday 10 March 2027, subject to moon sighting. The holiday is expected to begin on 9 March and end on 11 or 12 March. These dates come from press reports quoting astronomers, not from an official announcement.
How many days is the Eid Al Fitr holiday?
The government lists 1 to 3 Shawwal, and says that if Ramadan lasts 30 days, day 30 is also an official holiday. That gives a three or four day holiday.
Can the holiday be moved to a Monday or a Friday?
The government says a public holiday cannot be moved to another day if it falls on a weekend or coincides with another holiday. Check its page close to your date.
What will the Metro hours be in March 2027?
Not published. In Eid Al Fitr 2026 the RTA announced Metro hours of 05:00 to 01:00 on the holiday days, three days before the holiday began. Check the RTA close to the date.
Will the intercity bus to Abu Dhabi run?
We do not know for 2027. In 2026 the RTA said E100 from Al Ghubaiba would not run from the afternoon of 18 to 22 March, and E101 from Ibn Battuta ran instead.
Is parking free for a coach during Eid?
The RTA notice says public parking was free for the first three days in 2026, except multi-storey car parks. It gives no rule for coaches, so ask the car park or venue.
What if the date changes after I book?
Tell us. We adjust the quote where we can. Ask for a fixed written quote through the booking form with the dates and the days that must not move. Nothing is charged until you confirm.
Can you collect us at the airport during Eid?
Yes, if you tell us the flight, the date and your hotel. Your written quote states the meeting arrangement for the airport. See our airport transfer page.
March in Dubai, with room to shift a day.
Two questions now, a fixed price in your inbox shortly after.