As the UAE prepares for the next long weekend, travelers are seeking vacation options that differ from usual beach destinations, preferring cooler and more scenic locations. Although Salalah remains a popular choice, it is no longer the only sought-after destination.
The upcoming national holiday in the UAE, expected on August 25th to celebrate the birthday of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), may create conditions for a long weekend at the end of August. However, as travel agents in Dubai note, the main motive for trips is not so much the choice of location as the desire to change one's state and climate mid-year.
Ipsita Sharma from SCN Travel & More states that Salalah continues to be the main destination, but tourists are broadening their search, considering the mountains of Oman and more distant places such as Bhutan, Kathmandu, and the hilly terrain of Sri Lanka. She notes that the trips praised by tourists are usually related to gaining unique experiences, including misty journeys, secluded beaches, tea plantations, and Himalayan views.
Neha Joseph from Sharaf Travel believes that the capital of southern Oman still stands out. She emphasizes that Salalah represents the only true climatic anomaly within reach, as the Khareef season lowers the temperature in Dhofar to low 20°C, accompanied by mist, drizzle, and waterfalls, while the rest of the Persian Gulf exceeds 40°C. Thus, if one wants to experience the monsoon atmosphere, Salalah remains the closest analogue to a 'climate reset' for the UAE.
Besides Salalah, other attractive places include those that replace heat with higher altitudes or crowded locations with quieter, local relaxation. Ipsita recommends Jebel Akhdar and Jebel Shams for cool mountain retreats in Oman, as well as Bhutan, Kathmandu, Ella, and Nuwara Eliya in Sri Lanka, and underrated options like the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Pondicherry for those looking for something more special.
Neha similarly advocates for Jebel Akhdar, describing the 'Green Mountain' as a 'true high-altitude escape, not a monsoon one,' offering cooler air, terraced farms, hiking trails, and villages on the edge of a cliff. She also points to Bandar Al Khayran—a fjord-like area of bays and inlets near Muscat—as a place worth visiting, especially for snorkeling, dolphin watching, and dhow cruises.
Regarding three-day weekends, both experts insist on not turning a short vacation into an airport marathon. Ipsita advises choosing a destination that matches the available time and believes that road trips or short tours in Oman make sense because they save precious hours. If flying is planned, she recommends choosing places with convenient connections and focusing on one region instead of trying to see too much.
In response, Neha adds that Salalah is less than a two-hour direct flight away, and for a three-day trip, the option with three nights is best, not two. She advises leaving early in the morning so that tourists can check in by noon and get two full days plus a relaxed morning, making the trip a vacation rather than a sprint.
However, Salalah's advantage comes at a cost: all other destinations possess similar appeal. Ipsita warns that during the Khareef season, hotels book up quickly, prices rise, and major attractions become overcrowded, so early booking and traveling on weekdays yield a noticeable effect. She also suggests deviating slightly from the standard route, as the most memorable moments often occur during such detours.
Neha advises residents to travel mid-week to avoid crowds and lower accommodation costs. She recommends going in late August or early September, after the peak decade has passed, and booking 4x4 excursions to more remote wadis and viewpoints.
Residents of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) may expect potentially long weekends at the end of August. The birthday of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is expected on Tuesday, August 25, 2026.
According to the list of UAE public holidays, the next holiday is scheduled for Tuesday, August 25, which corresponds to 12 Rabi' al-Awwal in the Islamic calendar. However, like all other Islamic holidays, the exact date depends on the official announcement regarding the sighting of the moon.
Since the holiday falls in the middle of the week, there is a possibility of it being moved to Monday, August 24, according to the UAE public holiday rescheduling system. If such a postponement is approved, employees will receive a three-day weekend: the holiday on Monday and the regular weekend before it. If these days off are confirmed, they will fall during the last week of summer vacation, as the 2026-27 academic year begins on August 31.
The UAE Cabinet has the authority to move certain public holidays that fall on weekdays either to the beginning or the end of the week to create longer breaks. Such changes do not happen automatically and require an official decision. According to the Cabinet Resolution of 2025, public holidays, with the exception of Eid, can be moved to the beginning or end of the week.
The birthday of the Prophet Muhammad is included in the UAE public holiday calendar, but the final date and any changes to the celebration will only be confirmed through an official announcement.
If the holiday remains scheduled for Tuesday, residents can extend their break by taking annual leave on Monday, providing employees with a four-day break. Nevertheless, the sighting of the moon remains a condition, and authorities expect to announce the final dates closer to the event.
Experts suggest that the smoother traffic flow observed across the UAE during school holidays could potentially be maintained throughout the year after classes resume.
While the summer break naturally reduces school-related travel, transport and labor experts believe part of this improvement can be achieved by distributing demand. Measures such as staggered office hours, flexible start times, limiting remote work options, carpooling, and increased use of school buses can help reduce the concentration of vehicles during the busiest morning and evening hours.
Steve Burnell, CEO of STS Group, the largest private school bus operator in the UAE, noted a noticeable improvement in morning traffic flow every summer. He emphasized that while overall traffic volume decreases during holidays, it demonstrates an important lesson: congestion is often related not just to volume, but to timing. Burnell stated that distributing transport demand through flexible working hours and increasing the use of school buses will allow the existing road network to operate more efficiently without the need for new lanes.
The issue has become particularly relevant as residents report reduced travel times during holidays, especially on routes affected by school drop-offs, commutes, and inter-emirate travel.
Previous studies by the Dubai government showed that a two-hour window for flexible start times combined with four to five days of remote work per month can reduce peak hour commute times by 30 percent. These same studies also found that if 20 percent of employees work remotely, traffic volume on Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Khail Road can decrease by 9.8 and 8.4 percent, respectively.
Thomas Edelmann, founder and managing director of RoadSafetyUAE, believes that school trips contribute to rush hour congestion, but they are not the sole cause. He added that the impact of school runs is likely to be more noticeable in areas with a high concentration of educational institutions, although detailed comparative data was not immediately available. Edelmann also noted that flexible work measures can help maintain smoother driving, but additional steps are required.
He called for the implementation of practical changes, such as shifting office schedules, flexible start times, and expanding remote work capabilities. Furthermore, he advocated for measures to increase passenger numbers per vehicle through legal carpooling schemes and wider use of school buses. According to an RTA study, one school bus can replace up to 50 private cars on the road.
Burnell insists that private school transport should not be seen as a source of the problem, but rather as part of the solution. He argues that congestion around schools is caused equally by travel behavior and road capacity. He stressed that the UAE already has a highly regulated school transport network capable of safely and efficiently transporting a large number of children. The main task is to convince more parents who have a choice to use these services instead of driving their children individually. Burnell added that every extra child traveling by bus means one less private car contributing to rush hour congestion, while also reducing emissions and increasing safety near schools.
Earlier this year, Dubai began testing another model aimed at reducing the number of individual school trips. A shared school transport program, launched by the Roads and Transport Authority in collaboration with Yango Group and Urban Express, uses shared SUVs to transport students attending nearby schools and following similar neighborhood corridors. The pilot aims to reduce traffic, travel time, transportation costs, and carbon emissions. If successful, this model could be expanded to other communities or adapted for other types of shared rides.
Mahesh Shahdadpuri, chairman of TASC Outsourcing Group, stated that workplace flexibility has evolved from an employee benefit to a business strategy. Companies have actively invested in digital collaboration tools and performance evaluation systems in recent years, making it easier for some organizations to move away from rigid schedules. He believes that for many office roles, a two-hour start window is a realistic option that can improve employee well-being while simultaneously easing rush hour congestion.
Instead of a full return to fixed office schedules post-pandemic, many employers are adopting what Shahdadpuri calls 'structured flexibility.' Under this approach, employees are given greater autonomy while companies maintain clear requirements for collaboration, accountability, and team cohesion. For broader adoption of flexible scheduling, companies need clear policies, measurable performance indicators, supportive leadership, and technology that allows teams to interact effectively. He concluded that flexibility must be designed considering each organization's operational needs, and successful implementation depends on trust, clear communication, and a strong focus on results and accountability.
Professional services, technology, finance, consulting, and corporate functions are among the sectors best suited for implementing flexible schedules or remote work. Medicine, manufacturing, hospitality, retail, logistics, and other customer-facing industries are more dependent on physical employee presence. Nevertheless, even in these sectors, companies can shift shifts or offer greater scheduling flexibility without compromising services.
Employers' main concerns usually relate to productivity, oversight, collaboration, corporate culture, and ability to meet client expectations. Shahdadpuri noted that these difficulties often arise from unclear processes or outdated management methods, rather than from flexibility itself. He emphasized that organizations that define clear goals, invest in managerial capabilities, and equip teams with appropriate collaboration tools find that flexibility can coexist with high productivity.
