Today's Edition
SAMIHAH ZAMAN (ABU DHABI)
Fridays are set to look different at schools across the UAE, with educational authorities adjusting schedules as the afternoon congregational prayer moves up to 12:45pm.
The revised Friday prayer timing – which came into effect from Friday, January 2, 2026 – was announced by the UAE’s General Authority for Islamic Affairs, Endowments and Zakat, in cooperation with Dubai’s Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department, in December 2025.
Following the decision, the Ministry of Education (MOE) stipulated that all educational institutions must ensure that schools hours on Friday do not extend beyond 11:30am so that students have sufficient time to prepare for the afternoon prayer.
Releasing an updated schedule for public schools, the MOE had urged private institutions to align their schedules with the new prayer timing. It added that while Fridays remain a standard instructional day, institutions must respect their “unique nature” in the UAE.
Students were still on their winter break on the first Friday of the new year, making January 9 the first Friday in 2026 when schools are in session under the revised hours.
Public Schools
The new Friday schedule at public schools will now see kindergarten students attending classes between 8am and 11:30am.
Students enrolled in Grades 1 to 5 – Cycle 1 – will be in class either from 7:10am to 10:30am, or from 8am to 11:30am.
Meanwhile, boys enrolled in Grades 6 to 12 i.e., Cycle 2 and Cycle 3, will attend classes on Fridays between 7:10am to 10:30am, while girls will attend from 8am to 11:30am.
Private Schools
Private schools have also amended Friday timings, and in many cases, adjusted the hours designated for each lesson to ensure optimal learning outcomes for children.
Nord Anglia, a private school operator that runs four schools across the UAE, including The British International School Abu Dhabi, told Aletihad that it has staggered Friday dismissal timings, with all children set to finish by 11:30am.
"This adjustment reflects the cultural and religious rhythm of life in the UAE. Through creative timetable planning, schools continue to deliver the full curriculum while ensuring families have the time they need to attend Friday prayer together,” said Alan Cocker, principal of The British International School Abu Dhabi.
Yasmine, a mother-of-two from Lebanon, said her sons, who attend an IB curriculum school in Abu Dhabi, will now finish at 11:15am on Fridays.
“The congregational prayer on Friday is non-negotiable, so we were very happy to learn of the revised hours. The school day used to end at 11:50am earlier, and it would have been very difficult for my sons to attend the prayer with their father if the timings had not been amended. In the meantime, I trust that the school will also make the three hours of lessons on Fridays worthwhile and productive,” she said.
In Dubai, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), which regulates private schools and early education centres, announced that all institutions under its purview will “finish the school day no later than 11:30am on Fridays”.
“Schools are granted flexibility to implement staggered or phased dismissal arrangements to meet logistical, operational, and academic needs on Fridays, while minimising any impact on teaching and learning,” the KHDA said, adding that schools may also choose to offer online learning on Fridays for students enrolled in Grade 6 or higher.
