Education

Most schools set to close early as UAE Friday prayer time changes in 2026

Short Fridays are likely to become shorter for UAE students as most schools across the country are likely to close early on Fridays from January 2026 following the announcement of standardised Friday prayer timings nationwide.

The General Authority of Islamic Affairs, Endowments and Zakat announced on Tuesday that Friday sermons and prayers will be held at 12.45pm from January 2, 2026. The decision standardises prayer timing across the country to support better organisation and ensure consistency for all worshippers. (But why were the prayer timings changed? Here are four reasons)

School principals told Gulf News on Wednesday that most educational institutions will need to adjust their Friday schedules to ensure Muslim students reach home in time for prayers.

Schools are now awaiting formal instructions from education authorities to implement schedule changes ahead of the January 2026 deadline.

KHDA begins survey

School principals said the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) in Dubai has begun a survey in Dubai schools to understand how the change may affect teaching hours and potential adjustments.

Lyudmyla Klykova, principal of Hampton Heights International School in Al Twar, said: “KHDA is collecting feedback through a survey to gauge the impact on school timings, teaching hours, and operational adjustments.”

Gulf News has reached out to KHDA for further comments.

Meanwhile, Klykova said the school is reviewing several options for schedule adjustments.

“The revised Friday prayer time will require adjustments to our schedule for primary and lower secondary. This may involve modifying break times or lesson durations,” Klykova said.

“We are currently reviewing options with the senior leadership team to ensure smooth implementation while maintaining instructional quality.”

She said that Friday dismissal times may change depending on how lessons and breaks are adjusted. “No final decision has been made yet. Once finalised, parents will receive a confirmed update. Our goal is minimal disruption to learning,” she added.

Regional timing challenges

Qurat Ul Ain, principal of International Indian School in Ajman, highlighted the complexities schools face across different emirates.

“Schools will have to change their Friday working hours and we are awaiting clarity and instructions from the Ministry of Education,” she said.

She pointed out that schools in Ajman already face challenges regarding Friday dispersal.

“In Ajman, prayer time is at 1.15pm while it is at 12.15pm in Sharjah. For schools in Ajman, it has been a challenge to disperse students from Sharjah early. So, we allow Sharjah buses to leave first on Fridays.”

City vs rural scenario

Fareesa Azeem, principal of Al Marfa International Private School in Abu Dhabi‘s Al Dhafra region, said the change in prayer time will definitely affect school timings.

“A lot depends upon student transport and ensuring they reach home before prayers,” Azeem said.

“Currently, we disperse at 12 o’clock as there is no big traffic issues on outskirts. With the new prayer timing at 12.45pm, we would need to leave around 11.45am. Schools in Abu Dhabi city will have to close even earlier due to the traffic challenges. We are awaiting official guidance from ADEK (Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge). A circular from ADEK would provide clarity for all schools.”

ADEK’s early survey

Mohammad Gaffar from Al Ain Juniors Schools in Al Ain said his institution currently disperses primary and high school students at 10.40am due to existing challenges, while kindergarten students leave at 12 noon.

Though he hopes the prayer time change may have minimal impact on his school, he said official guidelines would clarify the situation.

“We had raised our concerns with ADEK earlier seeking guidelines to have meaningful learning on Fridays,” he said.

Gaffar said ADEK had conducted a survey on Friday school timings some months ago. “I think more inputs will be taken in view of the new announcement about the prayer time change.”

Story by Gulf News

Education

UAE resumes in-person classes Monday

Regular classes on campuses will resume in all nurseries, kindergartens, and public and private schools in the UAE on Monday, April 20, 2026, the UAE’s Ministry of Education announced on Wednesday.

“The resumption of in-person education for all children and students, as well as educational and administrative staff, in nurseries, kindergartens, and public and private schools, starting Monday, April 20, 2026,” the ministry said in a social media post

This follows schools’ completion of the necessary readiness and preparation plans, including facility preparedness, training of educational and administrative staff, and updating safety and security procedures, thereby reinforcing a safe and reassuring learning environment for students and their families, the ministry clarified.

Hybrid rotational model

Private schools will have the flexibility to implement the hybrid rotational model when needed, in accordance with approved regulations and under the supervision of local education authorities, in a manner that takes into account the readiness of each educational institution and ensures smooth implementation.

However, the ministry clarified that private schools implementing the hybrid rotational model must organise staff deployment in a manner that supports continuity of learning and does not require assigning the same teacher to deliver both in-person and remote instruction simultaneously.

This is to “preserve education quality and balancing professional workloads for teaching staff.”

Prepared for alternative modes

Educational institutions will remain prepared to transition to alternative learning modes when needed, ensuring continuity of education with flexibility and smooth implementation, the ministry added.

The ministry’s announcement ends days of confusion and rumours about how long the UAE will continue distance learning for students. It also clarifies the path forward for educational institutions to face any possible challenges in the context of regional uncertainties.

Wednesday’s announcement is also expected to give ample time for parents to prepare for sending children back to campuses.

Gulf News

Education

Distance learning until April 3; reopening requests under review

Dubai’s school regulator has reaffirmed that all private educational institutions in the emirate must continue distance learning until Friday, April 3, even as some major school groups have already begun applying to return to campus earlier.

The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) confirmed the directive to Gulf News on Tuesday, reinforcing the announcement by the Education, Human Development and Community Council that remote learning remains in place across private schools, nurseries, and universities for now.

Distance learning stays

The KHDA’s statement leaves no ambiguity about the current position: classes stay online until further notice. “In line with the announcement by the Education, Human Development and Community Council, KHDA confirms that all private educational institutions in Dubai will continue distance learning until Friday, April 3, 2026,” a spokesperson said.

The authority posted the same on social media. “To ensure the safety of students, KHDA confirms the continuation of distance learning across all private educational institutions in Dubai until Friday, April,3 2026,” the post said.

To ensure the safety of students, KHDA confirms the continuation of distance learning across all private educational institutions in Dubai until Friday, April,3 2026.

Door open for requests

At the same time, the authority confirmed that schools wishing to return to on-site learning before that date are not without options — but the bar is clear.

KHDA also emphasised that any institution seeking to resume on-site learning must submit a formal request outlining clear and detailed justifications.

“Institutions that wish to apply for a return to on-site learning must submit a formal request to KHDA, outlining the specific circumstances and providing clear justification,” the spokesperson said.

Case-by-case decisions

No blanket approvals will be granted. Each application will be assessed on its own merits and referred to the education ministry for a final call. The final decision, issued by the Ministry of Education, will prioritise the safety of the educational community in Dubai,” KHDA said.

“These requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis and will be reviewed by the Ministry of Education in accordance with the approved regulations and procedures.”

Safety comes first

Above all else, the regulator made clear what will ultimately determine any decision. “The safety and wellbeing of students, staff, and the wider community will be the key factor in the Ministry of Education’s decision for any requests,” the spokesperson added.

KHDA’s statement comes as two of the UAE’s biggest private school groups, GEMS Education and Taaleem, confirmed to Gulf News they have already applied to reopen their campuses from March 30, ahead of the April 3 deadline.

Education

UAE moves spring break for schools and universities

The UAE on Wednesday announced an early spring break for students in schools and universities.

The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research on Wednesday announced that spring break will begin for schools and universities from Monday, March 9, until Sunday, March 22.

The break applies to all students and academic and administrative staff across public and private schools as well as universities. Classes and official working hours will resume on Monday, March 23.

The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research Announce Spring Break for Students and Academic and Administrative Staff Across Schools and Universities in UAE

This follows the approval of the Education, Human Development and Community Development Council (EHCD).

Earlier dates

In 2025, the UAE introduced a unified school calendar covering both public and private schools nationwide.

The previously approved spring break was from March 16 to 29 as per the official school calendar for the 2025–2026 academic year applying to all public and private schools across the country. The last day of class before the break was March 13.

The new decision taken amid the blatant Iranian aggression on the country will see students ending their online classes this weekend and moving on to the spring break.

On Tuesday, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research had extended distance learning across the country until Friday, March 6 with teaching and learning to continue remotely under ongoing assessment frameworks.

Safe environment

The government had clarified that it wants the education process to continue in a safe environment for the student community.

“We’re making sure education isn’t missing a beat by rolling out remote learning systems, guaranteeing students stay on track in their academic journey across all grades,” Dr Saif Al Dhaheri, official spokesperson for the National Crisis and Emergency Management Authority (NCEMA), had said during a government media briefing on the current developments in the country on Tuesday.

“We want our students to keep learning in a safe and steady environment, ensuring that education never skips a beat,” he added.