Most schools set to close early as UAE Friday prayer time changes in 2026

Short Fridays are likely to become shorter for UAE students as most schools across the country are likely to close early on Fridays from January 2026 following the announcement of standardised Friday prayer timings nationwide.

The General Authority of Islamic Affairs, Endowments and Zakat announced on Tuesday that Friday sermons and prayers will be held at 12.45pm from January 2, 2026. The decision standardises prayer timing across the country to support better organisation and ensure consistency for all worshippers. (But why were the prayer timings changed? Here are four reasons)

School principals told Gulf News on Wednesday that most educational institutions will need to adjust their Friday schedules to ensure Muslim students reach home in time for prayers.

Schools are now awaiting formal instructions from education authorities to implement schedule changes ahead of the January 2026 deadline.

KHDA begins survey

School principals said the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) in Dubai has begun a survey in Dubai schools to understand how the change may affect teaching hours and potential adjustments.

Lyudmyla Klykova, principal of Hampton Heights International School in Al Twar, said: “KHDA is collecting feedback through a survey to gauge the impact on school timings, teaching hours, and operational adjustments.”

Gulf News has reached out to KHDA for further comments.

Meanwhile, Klykova said the school is reviewing several options for schedule adjustments.

“The revised Friday prayer time will require adjustments to our schedule for primary and lower secondary. This may involve modifying break times or lesson durations,” Klykova said.

“We are currently reviewing options with the senior leadership team to ensure smooth implementation while maintaining instructional quality.”

She said that Friday dismissal times may change depending on how lessons and breaks are adjusted. “No final decision has been made yet. Once finalised, parents will receive a confirmed update. Our goal is minimal disruption to learning,” she added.

Regional timing challenges

Qurat Ul Ain, principal of International Indian School in Ajman, highlighted the complexities schools face across different emirates.

“Schools will have to change their Friday working hours and we are awaiting clarity and instructions from the Ministry of Education,” she said.

She pointed out that schools in Ajman already face challenges regarding Friday dispersal.

“In Ajman, prayer time is at 1.15pm while it is at 12.15pm in Sharjah. For schools in Ajman, it has been a challenge to disperse students from Sharjah early. So, we allow Sharjah buses to leave first on Fridays.”

City vs rural scenario

Fareesa Azeem, principal of Al Marfa International Private School in Abu Dhabi‘s Al Dhafra region, said the change in prayer time will definitely affect school timings.

“A lot depends upon student transport and ensuring they reach home before prayers,” Azeem said.

“Currently, we disperse at 12 o’clock as there is no big traffic issues on outskirts. With the new prayer timing at 12.45pm, we would need to leave around 11.45am. Schools in Abu Dhabi city will have to close even earlier due to the traffic challenges. We are awaiting official guidance from ADEK (Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge). A circular from ADEK would provide clarity for all schools.”

ADEK’s early survey

Mohammad Gaffar from Al Ain Juniors Schools in Al Ain said his institution currently disperses primary and high school students at 10.40am due to existing challenges, while kindergarten students leave at 12 noon.

Though he hopes the prayer time change may have minimal impact on his school, he said official guidelines would clarify the situation.

“We had raised our concerns with ADEK earlier seeking guidelines to have meaningful learning on Fridays,” he said.

Gaffar said ADEK had conducted a survey on Friday school timings some months ago. “I think more inputs will be taken in view of the new announcement about the prayer time change.”

Story by Gulf News