Ramadan and Eid 2027: expected dates
Hijri dates follow the moon, so every Islamic occasion moves about 11 days earlier each year and is confirmed only by the moon sighting. The calendar uses the Umm al-Qura estimate and marks these dates as expected. Keep a one-day buffer in your schedule and send Eid greetings after the official announcement.
- Ramadan 1448: expected from about 8 February to 8 March 2027.
- Gerga'an (mid-Ramadan, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Eastern Province): about 22 February.
- Last ten nights: from about 28 February.
- Eid al-Fitr: about 9 March 2027.
- Day of Arafah: about 15 May, and Eid al-Adha: about 16 May 2027.
- Islamic New Year 1449: about 6 June, and the Prophet's Birthday: about 15 August 2027.
National days and fixed dates across the GCC and MENA
National days are the strongest local moments after Ramadan and Eid. Greetings work well on WhatsApp with an image, and offers on SMS. Public holiday dates can shift by a day when governments announce them, so check the official notice.
- Saudi Arabia: Founding Day 22 February, Flag Day 11 March, National Day 23 September.
- UAE: Flag Day 3 November, Commemoration Day 30 November, Eid Al Etihad 2–3 December.
- Kuwait: National and Liberation Days 25–26 February. Qatar: National Sport Day 9 February 2027, National Day 18 December.
- Bahrain: National Day 16–17 December. Oman: National Day 20 November.
- Egypt: 25 January, Sham el-Nessim 3 May 2027, 30 June, 23 July and 6 October. Jordan: Independence Day 25 May.
- Morocco: Amazigh New Year 14 January, Throne Day 30 July, Green March 6 November, Independence Day 18 November.
Retail and seasonal peaks
Sales events bring the highest volumes and the fullest inboxes. Start early with opted-in lists, keep a clean opt-out, and send reminders before the evening quiet-hours cut-off.
- White Friday (the Gulf name for Black Friday): 27–30 November 2026 and 26–29 November 2027, through Cyber Monday.
- 11.11 Singles' Day, New Year, Valentine's Day and Christmas for expat audiences.
- Mother's Day on 21 March in most Arab countries (last Sunday of May in Morocco), Father's Day on 21 June.
- Dubai Shopping Festival (estimated early December to mid-January) and Dubai Summer Surprises (estimated late June to end of August 2027).
- Back to school: estimated mid-August to mid-September 2027, depending on each country's school calendar.
Send times for Ramadan and campaign days
Promotional SMS must land inside the recipient's local window: 07:00–21:00 in the UAE, 09:00–22:00 in Saudi Arabia (12:00–01:00 during Ramadan) and 09:00–21:00 in Qatar. OTP and transactional messages can go out 24/7.
During Ramadan, activity moves to after iftar and late evening. Avoid the hour before iftar, keep messages short, and use the send-time planner to check the window for each country before you schedule.
Lead times: when to start preparing
Each date shows a "start preparing by" day. Ramadan needs about six weeks for creative, offers and WhatsApp template approval, Eid and national days about a month, and smaller greetings one to two weeks. The ICS export adds a reminder on that day, so the preparation lands in your calendar automatically.
Before a peak, register or renew your sender IDs in each country, clean your contact lists and get new WhatsApp marketing templates approved, because review queues grow before big holidays.