Ramadan 2027 dates: what is calculated and what is confirmed
All 2027 dates below are astronomical forecasts. The UAE moon-sighting committee confirms each month after observing the crescent, usually the evening before.
| Event | Expected date | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| First day of Ramadan | Monday 8 February 2027 | Forecast; Shaban crescent expected invisible from the UAE, so Shaban runs 30 days | UAE Astronomy Centre via Khaleej Times |
| Last ten nights | from about 28 February | Derived from the start date | Dubai Week |
| Eid al-Fitr | Tuesday 9 or Wednesday 10 March 2027 | Depends on the 29th-day sighting on 8 March | The National |
| Eid holiday | First three days of Shawwal, paid, public and private sector | Rule; dates follow the sighting | The National |
The Emirates Astronomical Society gives the same 8 February start, as reported by Gulf News. If Ramadan runs 30 days, The National reports that Ramadan 30 joins the Eid break and makes it four days. For your plan: book media from 8 February, prepare Eid creative for both 9 and 10 March, and don't print a fixed Eid date on anything that can't be changed.
Working hours: what the law says
Private-sector working hours drop by two hours a day during Ramadan. The rule sits in Article 15(2) of Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022, the executive regulations of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021. MOHRE repeated it for Ramadan 2026 and allowed flexible or remote work within the reduced daily hours.
Two practical effects for marketing:
- Your own staff. A shoot day, a content review or a live session needs to fit in a shorter day. Plan Ramadan-month shoots for short call times, or move them to before Ramadan.
- Your customers' day. Offices close earlier, so people have more time in the afternoon and after iftar. We found no published UAE data on how screen time shifts by hour in Ramadan, so test your own posting times rather than trusting a chart.
Content rules: law versus agency advice
We found no NMA regulation written for Ramadan advertising. The national Media Content Standards apply all year. Three of the 20 matter most in Ramadan: respect for Islamic beliefs and other religions (standard 1), not offending prevailing values in society (8), and advertising that respects the culture, identity and values of the UAE (18). Violations can lead to administrative fines, closure of a media outlet or cancellation of a licence. The ban on alcohol and smoking ads applies too; see our alcohol and shisha guide.
Everything else is practice, and it helps to keep the two apart:
| Point | Law or practice | What we do |
|---|---|---|
| Respect for Islam, no mockery of religion | Law, Media Content Standards | Non-negotiable |
| Alcohol and smoking in ads | Law, banned all year | Non-negotiable |
| Religious texts in sales copy | Agency advice (Upscale Ads, Marketlube) | We keep verses and prayers out of offers |
| Eating and drinking on camera in daytime public settings | Agency advice | We set food scenes at iftar or suhoor |
| Arabic copy written by a native speaker | Arabic is required for consumer ads all year; quality is advice | We budget for a native writer |
Daytime food content is a grey zone, not a ban. Dubai restaurants serve food during the day as usual, and Khaleej Times reports no restriction on non-Muslims eating in public in Dubai, with courtesy encouraged. Since 2021 Dubai restaurants have been free to choose whether to screen their dining areas (DET via Caterer Middle East). Outdoor venues keep music quiet until iftar. Advertising aims at everyone, including people who fast, so the evening framing wins.
Production timeline: work back from 8 February
If your campaign starts on 8 February 2027, every step before it has a deadline. One agency, Steer Media, published this calendar; the deadlines in the right-hand column are our reading of it.
| Phase | Dates | Hard deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Strategy, concept, scripts, media plan | October to mid-November 2026 | Script approved by 15 November |
| Casting, locations, permits, wardrobe | Mid-November to early December | Permit application in by late November |
| Shoot, covering Ramadan and Eid in one go | Early to mid-December | Shoot done by 15 December |
| Edit, colour, sound, Arabic versions, cut-downs | Mid-December to mid-January | Masters approved by 15 January |
| Teasers and pre-Ramadan offers | Mid to late January | Live by 1 February |
| Campaign | From 8 February | |
| Eid al-Fitr creative | Early March, cut from the December shoot | Ready for both 9 and 10 March |
Why December and not January: the permit. A Dubai shoot needs a DFTC (now the Dubai Films and Games Commission) permit at AED 520 per application plus AED 2,500 for most government locations. Turnaround estimates disagree: Zaini Media says 3–5 working days, Steer Media "a few days to two weeks". Nobody publishes an official deadline, so plan for two weeks. December is also crowded: GITEX GLOBAL runs on 7–11 December 2026 at Expo City Dubai. The full process is in our filming permit guide, and dates of other events in the UAE marketing calendar.
One shoot can feed the whole season if the shot list covers it: a hero film of up to 60 seconds, 30, 15 and 6-second cut-downs (Steer Media's spec), vertical versions, iftar and suhoor scenes, and an Eid scene with a different wardrobe.
Iftar, suhoor and Eid: how to plan by time of day
We found no published UAE statistics on ad performance by hour during Ramadan, and we won't invent them. What we use instead is a simple framework built on the fasting day, and we check it against your own data in week one:
- Before iftar. People plan the evening: delivery, restaurant booking, gifts. Post offers that need a decision in the next hour.
- After iftar and late evening. Malls and restaurants fill up and people scroll. This is the slot for reels, stories and longer video.
- Suhoor. Late-night venues and delivery. Relevant for F&B, less for B2B.
- The last ten nights, from about 28 February. Gifting and Eid shopping. Move Eid creative live before the confirmed date.
- Eid al-Fitr, 9 or 10 March. Greetings and family occasions. Prepare both date versions of anything date-stamped.
Ad prices in Ramadan are disputed too. BIMO reports Meta CPM 68% higher during Ramadan, while Superads' monthly UAE data shows CPM falling in March 2026, when most of Ramadan 2026 fell. Our Meta ads cost guide sets out both.
What Savage Media offers for Ramadan shoots
These are our published prices from the video production page:
| Savage Media | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| One-off video shoot | Special offer: from AED 950 | Exact quote in one WhatsApp message; video from 2 days after the shoot |
| Savage Story | Special offer: AED 3,500 for the first month, then AED 4,500/month | 2 shooting days, 8 reels and 15 photos every month |
For Ramadan we put the permit, the shoot date and the Eid cut-downs into one schedule, so the December shoot covers February and March. Prices of other producers are compared in our guide to video production costs in Dubai.
