The UAE Ministry of Education has announced revised new timing of the school on Fridays in the governmental schools throughout the nation, and the new schedule will be implemented starting Friday, January 9, 2026. The action is preceded by a nationwide shift in the time of Friday prayers, which is supposed to make academic activity more consistent with religious practice.
In the new directive, every state-owned school will commence and close earlier on Fridays, providing the student, educational personnel, and personnel with sufficient time to perform prayers without interfering with their academic obligations. The ministry explained that the move is based on the larger concerns of aligning education policies with cultural and societal concerns in the UAE.
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Why the Change Was Introduced
According to the Ministry of Education, the adjustment indicates the continued commitment of the UAE to align national policies with cultural and societal needs. The early beginning and ending of classes on Fridays will provide students, teachers, and school staff with sufficient time to perform Friday prayers.
The leaders of religion recently came up with a standardized Friday prayer timetable throughout the country, which ensures that all mosques have the same time of sermons and directions. This is a wider coordination of institutions that has been manifested in the response of the education sector.
New Friday Timings for Government Schools
In the new timetable, Friday will be a full-day academic day but with an earlier time of ending. The new schedules would be as follows:
Kindergarten
- 8:00 am – 11:30 am
Cycle One (Primary)
- Option 1: 7:10 am – 10:30 am
- Option 2: 8:00 am – 11:30 am
Cycles Two and Three (Middle & Secondary)
- Boys: 7:10 am – 10:30 am
- Girls: 8:00 am – 11:30 am
The ministry assured that attendance, assessment, and dismissal procedures will remain in accordance with official education policies.
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Guidance for Private Schools
The announcement directly concerns government schools, but the ministry also encouraged all private schools in the UAE to adhere to the 11:30 am cut-off of Friday sessions.
In Dubai, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) has already issued an order that calls on all the private schools and early childhood centres based on the functions of the privatized schools to bring the school day to an end not later than 11:30 am on Fridays, beginning January 9, 2026.
Grades 6-7 (Year 7) and above. Students can request their school to approve conducting online learning on Fridays, but parental approval and KHDA must be this.
Part of a Broader National Alignment
The education authorities pointed to the fact that the revision of timing is not a lessening of any academic obligation but a readjustment to facilitate not only learning but also religion. The transfer also supports the larger UAE strategy of reconciling modern institutional structures with cultural and religious values.
As the Friday prayer currently takes place at 12:45 pm nationwide, the modified school time also allows the students in all emirates to attend prayers conveniently, and it is yet another coordinated measure between the education authority and the religious authorities as the UAE walks into 2026.