GCC marketing calendar 2027: every date that matters
A free 2027 marketing calendar for the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. It covers Ramadan, both Eids, national days, 11.11, White Friday and the Dubai festivals, with expected dates, sources, lead times and budget notes you can copy into your plan.
This GCC marketing calendar 2027 lists the moments that matter in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, month by month, with the date or window, the markets and when to start planning. Islamic dates are astronomical forecasts, marked as expected until the crescent is sighted. Download the free CSV and copy it into your plan.
Ramadan 2027 dates and Eid al-Fitr
Ramadan 2027 is expected to begin on Monday 8 February and last 29 or 30 days, according to the UAE's Astronomy Centre as reported by The National. Wego, using Saudi Arabia's Umm al-Qura calendar, gives the same start for Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar. Eid al-Fitr is expected on Tuesday 9 or Wednesday 10 March (Khaleej Times).
Plan the season, not just the month. An Ipsos study of Ramadan on TikTok found that "36% of Ramadan-related conversions occur 2 weeks before and 1 week after Eid." Our Ramadan marketing strategy guide covers phases and creative.
GCC marketing calendar 2027, month by month
Expected: a forecast, subject to moon sighting. TBC: not yet announced.
| Date (2027) | Moment | Markets | Start planning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jan (Fri) | New Year's Day holiday | UAE | Early Dec 2026 |
| 8 Feb (Mon), expected | Ramadan begins | UAE, KSA, Qatar | Mid-Nov 2026 |
| 9 Feb (Tue) | Qatar National Sport Day | Qatar | Early Jan |
| Around 21 Feb, expected | Garangao (14th night of Ramadan) | Qatar | Early Jan |
| 22 Feb (Mon) | Saudi Founding Day | KSA | Early Jan |
| 9 or 10 Mar, expected | Eid al-Fitr | UAE, KSA, Qatar | With Ramadan |
| 21 Mar (Sun) | Mother's Day | Most Arab markets | Mid-Feb |
| 5 to 11 Apr | UAE school spring break | UAE | Early Mar |
| 15 or 16 May, expected | Arafat Day | UAE, KSA, Qatar | Late Mar |
| 16 or 17 May, expected | Eid al-Adha | UAE, KSA, Qatar | Late Mar |
| Around 6 Jun, expected | Islamic New Year 1449 | UAE, KSA, Qatar | Mid-May |
| 2 Jul (Fri) | UAE school year ends, summer travel | UAE | Mid-May |
| Jul to Aug, TBC | Dubai Summer Surprises | UAE | Mid-May |
| 14 Aug (Sat), expected | Prophet's Birthday holiday | UAE | Late Jul |
| 30 Aug (Mon) | Back to school (UAE classes start) | UAE; check KSA, Qatar | Early Jul |
| 23 Sep (Thu) | Saudi National Day | KSA | Late Jul |
| 11 Nov (Thu) | 11.11 sales | UAE, KSA | Mid-Sep |
| 26 to 29 Nov (Fri to Mon) | White Friday | UAE, KSA, Qatar | Early Sep |
| 2 to 3 Dec (Thu to Fri) | UAE National Day (Eid Al Etihad) | UAE | Early Oct |
| Early Dec to mid-Jan, TBC | Dubai Shopping Festival | UAE | Early Oct |
| 13 Dec to 2 Jan 2028 | UAE school winter break | UAE | Early Nov |
| 18 Dec (Sat) | Qatar National Day | Qatar | Early Oct |
Dubai festival windows follow the last editions (Summer Surprises: 2 July to 30 August 2026; Shopping Festival: 5 December 2025 to 11 January 2026).
How far ahead to plan each moment
- Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr and White Friday (10 to 12 weeks): lock offers, stock and briefs a quarter ahead, with creative in phases: teaser, launch, peak and last chance. See our White Friday marketing strategy for the GCC.
- National days, Eid al-Adha, 11.11, back to school and the Dubai festivals (6 to 8 weeks): make creative locally, in Arabic and English, and keep national day messages celebratory, not sales-led.
- Smaller moments (2 to 6 weeks): light brand and community content that saves budget for the peaks.
Budget reserve: as a rule of thumb, hold back 10% to 15% of each quarter's paid budget for moon-sighting shifts and early winners (see how to build a marketing budget). Google says its seasonality adjustments are ideal for short events of one to seven days: an Eid or White Friday weekend, not all of Ramadan.
Overlaps in 2027: Sport Day and Founding Day are expected to fall inside Ramadan, and Q4 runs 11.11, White Friday, two national days and the Dubai Shopping Festival back to back: plan one creative system with separate offers.
How to use this marketing calendar template
- Download the CSV and delete the moments outside your markets.
- Add your own launches, sales and events.
- Count back from each date to set brief, creative and media booking deadlines.
- Recheck expected dates against official announcements a month ahead.
Example (illustrative): for a Ramadan start on 8 February, brief in mid-November, produce creative in December, book media by mid-January and start teasers in late January.
How Grower helps
Grower's marketing calendar puts campaigns from every channel on one timeline by month, week or day. Budgets are compared against live spend from connected channels, with budget insights every month.
Frequently asked questions
When is Ramadan 2027?
Ramadan 2027 is expected to begin on Monday 8 February 2027, based on forecasts from the UAE's Astronomy Centre and Saudi Arabia's Umm al-Qura calendar. The crescent will be sought after sunset on Sunday 7 February. The month lasts 29 or 30 days, and each country confirms the start through its own moon-sighting announcement.
When is White Friday 2027?
White Friday 2027 falls on Friday 26 November, the day after US Thanksgiving on 25 November 2027. Amazon Ads says it typically lasts four days, to the following Monday. Retailers often stretch it: Amazon Saudi Arabia's 2024 sale ran from 21 to 30 November.
Are the Islamic holiday dates in this calendar final?
No. Ramadan, both Eids, Arafat Day, the Islamic New Year and the Prophet's Birthday follow the lunar Hijri calendar and are confirmed by moon sighting, often only the evening before. Treat them as expected dates that can move by a day, keep creative and media flexible, and recheck official announcements in each market.
Can I use this calendar in Google Sheets or Excel?
Yes. The CSV opens in Excel or Google Sheets, with one row per moment and columns for date or window, moment, markets, type, lead time and notes. Add owner, budget and status columns, or filter by market for separate UAE, Saudi and Qatar calendars.
Want your 2027 moments, campaigns and budgets on one timeline? Book a Grower demo for a live walkthrough with a specialist, tailored to your channels.