Dubai announces early school finishes on Fridays from January 2026

Dubai schools will close early on Fridays, starting in January 2026, according to the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA).

The early finish time for private schools in the emirate comes after the UAE announced earlier Friday prayer timings at mosques in the country from 2026 onwards.

To accommodate the changes, the KHDA reported  that schools will finish no later than 11.30am on Fridays.

New school timings in Dubai

A press statement from the KHDA said: “In line with the adjustment of the Friday prayer time across the country to 12.45pm, and following consultations with educational institutions, effective Friday, January 9, 2026, all private schools and early childhood centres operating within private schools in Dubai will finish the school day no later than 11.30am on Fridays.”

Education authorities and providers are consulting with parents over the possibility of providing remote learning lessons for secondary school students on Fridays.

The KHDA said: “For students in Grade 6 (Year 7) and above, schools may seek approval to offer online learning on Fridays, subject to parental consultation and KHDA approval”.

Teaching timings and school start and finish times from Monday to Thursday will not be impacted.

The UAE announced new timings for Friday prayers and sermons at mosques across the country earlier this month.

The announcement was made by General Authority of Islamic Affairs, Endowments and Zakat, which revealed an updated start time of 12.45pm.

The new schedule will start from Friday, January 2.

UAE Friday prayer times

Typically, Friday sermons across the country start at 1.15pm, and the new schedule is set to standardise prayer timings.

The General Authority of Islamic Affairs, Endowments and Zakat advised worshippers to arrive at mosques promptly to ensure smooth and timely start times.

Dubai’s private education sector is expanding and set for another year of strong growth, with 16 early childhood centres (ECCs), six new schools, and three international universities opening for the 2025–26 academic year.

Will Milner
Read More

Latest

Nestory Irankunda scores Australia’s first World Cup goal against Turkiye

Nestory Irankunda buried Australia’s opening goal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on June 14, finishing a counter-attack in the 27th minute against Turkiye in Vancouver. At 20 years old, he became the youngest player in Socceroos history to score at a World Cup. The goal gave Australia a 1-0 lead in their Group D

Carlo Ancelotti takes responsibility for Brazil’s 1-1 draw with Morocco as crypto fan tokens enter the World Cup spotlight

Brazil opened their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a 1-1 draw against Morocco on June 13, and Carlo Ancelotti accepted full responsibility for the tactical shortcomings that left the five-time champions splitting points in their Group C opener. Ancelotti promised improvement and reminded everyone that you don’t win a World Cup in your first

Scotland defeats Haiti 1-0 in World Cup opener, tops Group C

Scotland picked up their first World Cup victory in 28 years on June 13, beating Haiti 1-0 in their Group C opener at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. John McGinn scored the only goal of the match in the 28th minute, pouncing on a rebound after Haitian goalkeeper Johny Placide saved an initial effort from

Pyth Network Targets Bloomberg’s $50 Billion Market-Data Empire

Pyth Network is pushing deeper into the more than $50 billion market for financial data, launching 24/7 index products across metals, oil, and U.S. equities as it positions its onchain price feeds against incumbents like Bloomberg. Key Takeaways Pyth Network launched 24/7 indices for metals, oil, and U.S. equities, adopted by Coinbase and Kraken. Euronext

Newsletter

Don't miss

Nestory Irankunda scores Australia’s first World Cup goal against Turkiye

Nestory Irankunda buried Australia’s opening goal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on June 14, finishing a counter-attack in the 27th minute against Turkiye in Vancouver. At 20 years old, he became the youngest player in Socceroos history to score at a World Cup. The goal gave Australia a 1-0 lead in their Group D

Carlo Ancelotti takes responsibility for Brazil’s 1-1 draw with Morocco as crypto fan tokens enter the World Cup spotlight

Brazil opened their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a 1-1 draw against Morocco on June 13, and Carlo Ancelotti accepted full responsibility for the tactical shortcomings that left the five-time champions splitting points in their Group C opener. Ancelotti promised improvement and reminded everyone that you don’t win a World Cup in your first

Scotland defeats Haiti 1-0 in World Cup opener, tops Group C

Scotland picked up their first World Cup victory in 28 years on June 13, beating Haiti 1-0 in their Group C opener at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. John McGinn scored the only goal of the match in the 28th minute, pouncing on a rebound after Haitian goalkeeper Johny Placide saved an initial effort from

Pyth Network Targets Bloomberg’s $50 Billion Market-Data Empire

Pyth Network is pushing deeper into the more than $50 billion market for financial data, launching 24/7 index products across metals, oil, and U.S. equities as it positions its onchain price feeds against incumbents like Bloomberg. Key Takeaways Pyth Network launched 24/7 indices for metals, oil, and U.S. equities, adopted by Coinbase and Kraken. Euronext

Macron and Trump test their bruised bromance at G7 summit

For help please visit help.ft.com. We apologise for any inconvenience. The following information can help our support team to resolve this issue. Reason Challenge Request ID a0ba469e68afe135 Status Code 403

Your business texts could look like scam messages from July 1 if you don’t act now

From July 1, any branded SMS your business sends without a registered sender ID will be labelled “Unverified” and grouped with scam messages.  What’s happening: From 1 July 2026, any business or organisation that sends SMS using a branded name, such as “MyShop” or “AcmeServices”, instead of a phone number, must have that sender ID

Business groups are fighting Labor’s CGT changes. Here is where SMEs stand

Labor’s most contested tax reform in a generation cleared its first formal hurdle on Thursday and immediately ran into organised resistance. Treasurer Jim Chalmers introduced the government’s tax reform legislation to the House of Representatives on 28 May, bundling together four budget measures: the capital gains tax overhaul, new limits on negative gearing, a $250

Meet the most influential business owners from Southwest Nigeria

This article spotlights the most influential business owners from Southwest Nigeria, adjudged by their dominance in their respective sectors of the economy where they operate. The post Meet the most influential business owners from Southwest Nigeria appeared first on Nairametrics...