Start with our international schools in Bahrain directory if you are still choosing a school, because the calendar your family follows depends on whether you pick a British, American, IB or community school. The dates below come from the Bahrain Ministry of Education calendar for the 2025 to 2026 academic year, which governs government schools and sets the public and religious holidays that almost every school in the Kingdom observes. International schools build their own term structure on top of these shared holidays, so use this as the framework and confirm the specifics with your school.
The 2026 calendar at a glance
| Date (2026) | What happens |
|---|---|
| Thu 1 January | New Year's Day, schools closed |
| Mon 12 January | First term ends |
| Sun 18 to Thu 29 January | Mid-year break, around 11 days |
| Sun 1 February | Second term begins, staff and students return |
| Wed 18 February to Thu 19 March (expected) | Ramadan, usually shortened school days |
| Fri 20 to Sun 22 March (expected) | Eid al-Fitr holiday |
| Fri 1 May | Labour Day |
| Mon 25 May | Last teaching day for students |
| Tue 26 to Fri 29 May (expected) | Day of Arafah and Eid al-Adha |
| Tue 16 June (expected) | Hijri New Year |
| Wed 24 to Thu 25 June (expected) | Ashura |
The first term of the 2025 to 2026 year began for students in early September 2025 and ran to Monday 12 January 2026, so the dates above cover the part of the year that falls within 2026. After the mid-year break, the second term carries through Ramadan and the spring Eids to the last teaching day on Monday 25 May 2026, before the long summer holiday. For planning around the early years, our Bahrain primary schools guide notes where the youngest children often finish a little earlier.
Ramadan and Eid in 2026
Ramadan is the single biggest influence on the spring term in Bahrain. It is expected to begin around Wednesday 18 February and end around Thursday 19 March 2026, and during it most schools run shortened days to accommodate fasting families. Eid al-Fitr then closes schools entirely for several days from around Friday 20 March. Later in the term, the Day of Arafah and Eid al-Adha bring a further closure at the end of May, overlapping with the end of the teaching year. Because all of these depend on the moon sighting, schools usually confirm the exact days only a week or two ahead, so keep travel plans flexible around them.
How international school calendars differ
International schools in Bahrain observe the same public and religious holidays, but they set their own term start and end dates, half terms and staff training days, and many follow a British or American rhythm that finishes in June or early July rather than late May. Several publish their full year calendar as a downloadable document, so the most reliable plan is to take the shared holidays from this page and the term structure from your specific school. Use our independent fee calculator while you compare schools, since term length and the number of inset days vary between them and affect the value of a place.
Choosing a Bahrain school for 2026
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Start the school finderCommon questions
Under the Bahrain Ministry of Education calendar for 2025 to 2026, the mid-year break runs from Sunday 18 to Thursday 29 January 2026, with staff and students returning on Sunday 1 February 2026 to begin the second term. International schools set their own dates but usually place a mid-year holiday in a similar window. Confirm the exact dates with your child's school.
Ramadan is expected to run from around Wednesday 18 February to Thursday 19 March 2026, with Eid al-Fitr following from Friday 20 to Sunday 22 March 2026. During Ramadan, Bahrain schools typically run shortened days, and the Eid holiday closes schools entirely. Exact timing depends on the moon sighting, so treat these as expected dates and confirm with your school.
On the Ministry of Education calendar, the last teaching day for students is Monday 25 May 2026, ahead of the long summer break, with Eid al-Adha falling from around Tuesday 26 to Friday 29 May 2026. International schools following a British or American calendar usually finish in June or early July, so check your school's published end-of-year date.
Not exactly. The Ministry of Education sets the calendar for government schools, and international schools broadly align with it for public and religious holidays such as National Day, Eid and Ashura, but they set their own term start and end dates, half terms and inset days. Always use the calendar published by your specific school for planning travel.
Public holidays in the 2026 part of the school year include New Year's Day on 1 January, Eid al-Fitr around 20 to 22 March, Labour Day on 1 May, the Day of Arafah and Eid al-Adha around 26 to 29 May, the Hijri New Year around 16 June and Ashura around 24 to 25 June. Islamic dates depend on the moon sighting, so confirm closer to the time.