When is Prophet Muhammad's Birthday 2026 and will Dubai get a day off?

That feeling when a public holiday is just around the corner? Unmatched. One of the remaining key dates in the UAE calendar is the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday (PBUH), which always falls on the 12th day of the Islamic month of Rabi’ Al-Awwal. The Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) birthday, celebrated during Rabi Al-Awwal (the third month of the Islamic calendar), is widely recognised across many Islamic nations, including those in the Gulf region. These countries, including the UAE, mark the day with a national holiday. However, public holidays in the UAE follow both the Western Gregorian calendar and the Islamic Hijri calendar, which is based on the lunar cycle. Each new month in the 12-month Hijri calendar starts when the thin crescent moon is spotted in the sky, based on which the month will be 29 or 30 days long. Rabi’ Al-Awwal is likely to begin on Friday August 14, meaning the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday (PBUH) should fall on Tuesday August 25. However, the public holiday to mark the Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday will likely be moved to Monday August 24. This is because the UAE’s public holiday law allows days off to be moved to the beginning or end of the week to provide an extended weekend.