With the current Islamic year still unfolding, the UAE’s Astronomy Centre has already turned its attention to next year, releasing a set of expected dates for Ramadan, Eid Al Fitr and Eid Al Adha in 2027 that will help residents begin mapping out their calendars months in advance.
According to the centre’s calculations, the crescent marking the end of Shaban is unlikely to be visible from the UAE on the evening of February 6, 2027, largely because the moon is expected to set before the sun in the relevant window. As a result, Shaban is projected to run its full 30 days, placing the first day of Ramadan on Monday, February 8, 2027.
A holy month arriving earlier each year
For residents tracking the shift, this year’s projection continues a pattern that has become familiar across the Gulf: Ramadan moves roughly 10 to 12 days earlier annually because the Islamic calendar follows the lunar cycle rather than the solar year used in the Gregorian calendar. In 2026, Ramadan began on February 18, meaning the 2027 date represents one of the earliest starts residents will have experienced in recent years.
That earlier timing carries practical implications well beyond religious observance. A February start means the fasting month is likely to fall during one of the more temperate stretches of the UAE’s calendar, offering slightly shorter and cooler daylight fasting hours compared with years when Ramadan lands in the height of summer.
Eid Al Fitr expected in early March
Eid Al Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan and is celebrated over the first three days of the Hijri month of Shawwal, is expected to begin depending on how long Ramadan itself runs. Based on current projections, the Shawwal crescent could be sighted on the evening of Monday, March 8, 2027, which would place the start of Eid Al Fitr on Tuesday, March 9. Should the crescent not be visible that evening, meaning Ramadan runs a full 30 days, the holiday would instead begin a day later, on Wednesday, March 10.
For UAE residents planning time off work, that timing detail matters. If Ramadan runs 29 days, the expected public holidays fall on March 9, 10 and 11. If it stretches to 30 days, an additional day is added, extending the holiday period through to March 12 and creating, when combined with the surrounding weekend, a potential six-day break for many employees.
Eid Al Adha likely in mid-May
Later in the year, Eid Al Adha, observed on the tenth day of the Hijri month of Dhul Hijjah and marking the culmination of the Hajj pilgrimage season, is projected to fall around mid-May 2027. The relevant crescent moon is expected to be checked on either May 6 or 7, which would place the start of Dhul Hijjah on May 7 or 8. That, in turn, points to Arafah Day falling on May 15 or 16, with Eid Al Adha itself expected on either Sunday, May 16, or Monday, May 17.
Why early planning matters
While the UAE’s official moon-sighting committee will only confirm the actual dates once the relevant crescents are formally observed closer to each occasion, the early projections released by the Astronomy Centre have become an increasingly popular reference point for residents. Many UAE employees use the projected dates to plan annual leave around potential long weekends, particularly where an extra day taken alongside a public holiday can be stretched into a longer break.
It is worth noting that all of these dates remain provisional. The Islamic calendar is fundamentally lunar, with each month lasting either 29 or 30 days depending on the physical sighting of the crescent moon by the relevant authorities. That means the projections, however carefully calculated using astronomical data, could still shift by a day in either direction once the UAE’s moon-sighting committee makes its official determination closer to the time.
What residents can do now
For those keen to plan international travel or family visits around next year’s holidays, the safest approach remains treating the Astronomy Centre’s projections as a strong guide rather than a locked-in schedule. Official confirmation from UAE authorities, expected in the days immediately preceding each occasion, will ultimately determine the final holiday dates. Until then, the projected calendar released this week offers residents their earliest useful glimpse yet into how 2027’s religious calendar is likely to unfold. Next Article
