Hijri Date Converter

Ramadan 2026 begins approximately Wednesday February 18, 2026 and ends approximately Thursday March 19, 2026 (exact start depends on lunar moon sighting in Saudi Arabia, the regional authority). Ramadan 2027 starts approximately Monday February 8, 2027 and ends approximately Tuesday March 9, 2027. Both fall in the cooler season — favorable for fasting in Dubai's climate. Eid al-Fitr (the festival ending Ramadan) follows immediately, March 20-22, 2026 and March 10-12, 2027.

Umm al-Qura is the official calendar of Saudi Arabia and the de-facto standard for religious dates across the Gulf. It uses astronomical calculation with rules tied to lunar cycles. Civil Islamic calendar (a.k.a. Tabular Islamic calendar) is a fixed 30-year arithmetic cycle used in Islamic finance contracts, government records, and historical scholarship — completely deterministic, no moon sighting required. The two can differ by 1-3 days. For UAE government documents and most religious purposes, use Umm al-Qura. For financial contract dates, use Civil.

The Islamic year is purely lunar (354 or 355 days), which is about 10-11 days SHORTER than the solar Gregorian year (365 days). Each Islamic year therefore drifts ~10 days earlier in Gregorian terms. Over 33 Gregorian years, the Islamic calendar completes 34 cycles. Practical implication: Ramadan in 2026 is in February, but in 2010 it was in August (peak heat in Dubai), and around 2042 it'll move into the cool season again. This is why Dubai Ramadan tourism advice depends entirely on the year.

Eid al-Adha 2026 begins approximately Friday May 26, 2026 (10 Dhu al-Hijjah 1447 AH). Eid al-Adha 2027 starts approximately Wednesday May 16, 2027 (10 Dhu al-Hijjah 1448 AH). Eid al-Adha is a 3-4 day public holiday in the UAE; expect government offices closed, traffic patterns shifted, hotel rates elevated. The Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca runs from 8 to 13 Dhu al-Hijjah immediately preceding Eid al-Adha — for 2026 that's roughly May 24-29; for 2027 May 14-19.

1 Muharram 1448 AH (Islamic New Year 2026) falls on approximately Sunday July 5, 2026. 1 Muharram 1449 AH (Islamic New Year 2027) falls on approximately Wednesday June 24, 2027. Islamic New Year is a public holiday in the UAE but lower-key than Christian New Year — most businesses operate on a half-day or normal schedule. For tourists this is functionally a quiet day with reduced government services rather than a major celebration.

Both, depending on context. Saudi Arabia (and by extension UAE for religious calendar purposes) officially uses moon sighting (rūʾyat al-hilāl) to confirm the start of each Hijri month. Astronomers calculate the projected sighting date in advance, and authorities convene a moon-sighting committee on the 29th of each Hijri month to confirm or push the start by one day. The Civil Islamic calendar in contrast is purely calculated. Most tourist-facing Hijri converters (including this one) show calculated dates which are ±1 day accurate vs the eventual official sighting.

The Day of Arafat (9 Dhu al-Hijjah, the day before Eid al-Adha) is approximately Thursday May 25, 2026 and Tuesday May 15, 2027. Many UAE residents fast on this day even outside the Hajj. It is THE single most spiritually important day in the Islamic calendar for many Muslims. For Dubai tourists: most restaurants and food courts remain open as normal (Arafat fasting is voluntary, unlike Ramadan), but expect quieter atmosphere in observant areas.

As of 2026, the corresponding Hijri year is 1447 AH (most of 2026) and 1448 AH (from approximately July 5, 2026 onwards). 'AH' stands for Anno Hegirae — 'in the year of the Hijra,' counting from Prophet Muhammad's migration from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE. Hijri date format: typically written DD/MM/YYYY AH or with month names like '15 Ramadan 1447'. UAE official documents often display dates in BOTH calendars: '15 Sept 2026 / 23 Rabi al-awwal 1448 AH'.