GCC Ministries of Education Announce Shortened School Days (approx. 4-5 Hours) Starting Feb 19

With the holy month about to commence, the Ministries of Education in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region officially announced drastic changes in the academic timeframes. Starting approximately February 19, 2026, students in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, and neighboring nations will shift to Shortened School Days, limiting daily instruction to between four and five hours. This is a concerted move to mediate between the academic needs and the religious practices in the fasting periods. In Saudi Arabia, officials have gone a long way declaring that the classes will start at 9:00 AM and last a short time whereas the UAE schools are limiting the days to five hours to focus on the welfare of students.

New Regulations for Ramadan School Hours

The implementation of these Ramadan School Hours varies slightly by country but strictly adheres to the reduced timeframe. The school day is specifically shortened in Saudi Arabia, and the students are supposed to spend just an approximate of 11-days attending school during the holy month preceding the commencement of the Eid holidays. Meanwhile, Dubai’s KHDA has mandated that private schools end their week early on Fridays and exempt fasting students from physical education, ensuring the new Ramadan School Hours support health and safety.

Managing Shortened School Days effectively

Schools are restructuring timetables to maximize the Shortened School Days without compromising the curriculum. The emphasized matters have changed to core themes, there has been less time out and abortions of unnecessary events. The change in the time of drop-off and pick-up will be significantly different, and parents are encouraged to review the portal of their respective schools since the morning late arrival and afternoon early departure will be the norm in the area at this time of year.