October half-term moved forward to October 12 for several Dubai schools
Parents managing school runs across Dubai British School, Safa British School, and Arab Unity School need to double-check their family calendars. School administrations have issued circulars to parents confirming that the upcoming October half-term break has been brought forward by a full week.
New October half-term dates set children’s break for October 10 to 19
Instead of the originally scheduled week off from October 19 to 23, students at affected campuses will now take their mid-term break from Monday, October 12 through Friday, October 16. When adding the weekends on either side, children will finish classes at the end of the school day on Friday, October 10, and return to their classrooms on Monday, October 19.
School leadership updated the dates to align holiday schedules with the official academic calendar set by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) and the Ministry of Education (MoE). The change does not automatically apply to every classroom in the emirate. Private schools operating under non-British curricula or alternative emirate regulations may maintain different schedules, so parents should confirm exact dates directly with their child’s school administration before locking in travel arrangements.
Some private schools are also looking into options to split the mid-term break allowance to provide days off in February, as the standard calendar currently lacks a February half-term. Any school planning to adjust its calendar this way must secure official approvals beforehand and ensure total holiday days do not exceed five school days.
This date adjustment brings participating private institutions into direct alignment with the approved KHDA and Ministry of Education framework for the current academic year.
