The UAE's busy season starts now. Here are the dates for the next six months, checked against official and press sources at the start of October 2026, with notes on what each one means for brands.
October
- 6 to 8 October: Dubai Lynx 2026, moved from its usual spring slot, with sessions at Dubai Media City on 6 and 7 October and the awards on 8 October.
- 14 October: Global Village opens its 31st season at 6pm under the theme A More Wonderful World. It runs until May 2027, with the closing date still to be announced. Tickets are 25 dirhams on weekdays and 30 at weekends.
- 31 October: the tenth Dubai Fitness Challenge begins, running to 29 November.
November
- 1 November: Dubai Ride.
- 3 to 8 November: Dubai Design Week at Dubai Design District, with Downtown Design from 4 to 8 November.
- 4 to 15 November: the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair at Expo Centre Sharjah, with Oman as guest of honour.
- 22 November: Dubai Run, with 5km and 10km routes. Last year's drew 307,000 people.
December
- 2 and 3 December: National Day public holiday for the 55th Eid Al Etihad.
- 4 to 6 December: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina.
- 7 to 10 December: Abu Dhabi Finance Week at ADGM.
- 7 to 11 December: GITEX Global, now at Dubai Exhibition Centre in Expo City.
- 8 to 10 December: Expand North Star, also at Expo City.
- Dubai Shopping Festival: the 32nd edition's dates had not been announced at the start of October. Last year's ran from 5 December 2025 to 11 January 2026. Dates circulating on travel sites are not official.
- 31 December: New Year's Eve. This year's fireworks plans had not been announced.
January to March 2027
- 1 January: New Year's Day public holiday, a Friday.
- 8 to 10 January: the fifth 1 Billion Followers Summit in Dubai. The 2026 edition drew more than 30,000 attendees, including more than 15,000 creators.
- Around 8 February: Ramadan is expected to begin, according to the UAE Astronomy Centre, subject to the moon sighting.
- Around 9 to 11 March: Eid Al Fitr, if Ramadan lasts 29 days. If it lasts 30, Eid starts on 10 March and the holiday may run to 12 March.
A signal from the summer
Dubai Summer Surprises 2026, the 29th edition, gives a sense of how shoppers respond to the city's retail festivals. Organisers reported in September that more than 1,000 brands and 4,000 outlets took part over 60 days, that average consumer spending rose 110 percent across its sale and back to school campaigns, and that 705 winners shared more than 16 million dirhams in prizes. Retail clients planning for the Dubai Shopping Festival should expect similar competition for attention.
How to use the calendar
- Fitness, health and sportswear brands: the Dubai Fitness Challenge month is the natural moment, with the Ride and the Run as anchors.
- Retail and hospitality: Global Village's opening and the Shopping Festival frame the season. Watch for the official festival dates before booking media.
- Technology and B2B: GITEX in December changes the timing of launches and PR.
- Creators and talent: the 1 Billion Followers Summit in January brings thousands of creators to Dubai, a good time for meetings and casting.
- Everyone: Ramadan planning should be under way before December.
The GCC marketing calendar on this site keeps these dates alongside every regional holiday, and the best time to post tool shows when audiences are most active.
