Diwali 2026 in Oman & UAE: Lakshmi Puja Time, Temples, Weekends

Quick answer

Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) 2026 in Oman and the UAE is on Sunday 8 November. In Muscat the Lakshmi Puja window is 5:49 PM – 7:47 PM, in Dubai 5:58 PM – 7:56 PM and in Abu Dhabi 6:03 PM – 8:00 PM, local time. Dhanteras is Friday 6 November. In Oman, 8 November is an ordinary working Sunday; for UAE federal staff it is a weekend day.

Editor's note

Editor's note: this page was updated on 10 October 2026. The local muhurat times were calculated by HinduTone using the Drik Panchang method (Pradosh Kaal with the Vrishabha lagna); checked against Drik Panchang for major world cities to within one to two minutes; confirm with your temple. They are worked out separately for each city from its own sunset; they are not India's times shifted by the clock difference. Temple and event details come only from organisers' own websites, government pages and established news reports, and we do not list 2026 programmes that have not been announced. Please confirm timings and visitor arrangements with your temple before you go.

Most Diwali guides for the Gulf start and end in Dubai. HinduTone already has a full Diwali 2026 guide to Dubai, so this page looks at the wider picture, with Oman at its centre. Muscat's Hindu merchant community is long established, and the Embassy of India notes that one of its two temples is over a century old. Oman also has a working week that puts Diwali night after a normal Sunday at the office.

Diwali 2026 in Oman and the UAE: the five days

Day	Date	What is observed
Dhanteras (Yama Deepam)	Friday 6 November	Puja to Lakshmi, Kubera and Dhanvantari in the evening; buying a little gold, silver or a new utensil; a lamp for Yama at the door
Kali Chaudas (Gujarati tradition)	Saturday 7 November	Protective puja in Gujarati homes; a quieter day of preparation for most families
Diwali / Lakshmi Puja	Sunday 8 November	Narak Chaturdashi and Tamil Deepavali oil bath in the morning; Lakshmi-Ganesh puja, diyas and sweets in the evening; Kali Puja for Bengali families; Chopda / Sharda Puja for Gujarati and Sindhi traders
Govardhan Puja / Annakut	Tuesday 10 November (India)	Annakut, a mountain of food offered to Krishna; Bali Pratipada; Gujarati New Year (Bestu Varas)
Bhai Dooj / Yama Dwitiya	Wednesday 11 November (India)	Sisters apply tilak and pray for their brothers; brothers give gifts

In 2026 Narak Chaturdashi and Lakshmi Puja share Sunday 8 November: the oil bath in the morning, the lamps for Lakshmi in the evening. The Amavasya tithi begins at 11:27 AM IST on 8 November and ends at 12:31 PM IST on 9 November, which in Gulf terms covers the whole evening of the 8th. Monday 9 November has no main observance. Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj are shown with India's dates; temples in Oman and the UAE may announce their own day.

The stories are the same in a Muscat flat as in Mumbai: Rama's return to Ayodhya, Krishna's victory over Narakasura, Lakshmi welcomed into a lit home, and King Bali honoured on Bali Pratipada. Jain families mark Mahavira's nirvana and Sikh families Bandi Chhor Divas. See the 5 days of Diwali 2026 explained.

Lakshmi Puja muhurat 2026, city by city

Both countries keep the same clock, UTC+4 all year with no daylight saving, but the muhurat still changes from city to city because sunset does. Times below are local and were calculated by HinduTone using the Drik Panchang method (Pradosh Kaal with the Vrishabha lagna); checked against Drik Panchang for major world cities to within one to two minutes; confirm with your temple.

Oman

City	Region	Lakshmi Puja (Sun 8 Nov)	Pradosh Kaal	Dhanteras puja (Fri 6 Nov)
Muscat	Muscat	5:49 PM – 7:47 PM	5:24 PM – 7:58 PM	5:57 PM – 7:55 PM
Ruwi	Muscat	5:48 PM – 7:46 PM	5:23 PM – 7:58 PM	5:56 PM – 7:54 PM
Sohar	North Al Batinah	5:54 PM – 7:51 PM	5:29 PM – 8:04 PM	6:02 PM – 7:59 PM
Nizwa	Ad Dakhiliyah	5:53 PM – 7:51 PM	5:28 PM – 8:02 PM	6:01 PM – 7:59 PM
Salalah	Dhofar	6:16 PM – 8:17 PM	5:50 PM – 8:21 PM	6:24 PM – 8:21 PM

Sunset on Sunday 8 November is at 5:24 PM in Muscat, 5:23 PM in Ruwi, 5:29 PM in Sohar, 5:28 PM in Nizwa and 5:50 PM in Salalah. Salalah lies far to the south-west in Dhofar, so its evening comes almost half an hour after Muscat's, and its Lakshmi Puja window runs 6:16 PM – 8:17 PM. Ruwi and Muscat differ by only a minute; use whichever is nearer your home.

United Arab Emirates

City	Region	Lakshmi Puja (Sun 8 Nov)	Pradosh Kaal	Dhanteras puja (Fri 6 Nov)
Dubai	Dubai	5:58 PM – 7:56 PM	5:34 PM – 8:09 PM	6:06 PM – 8:03 PM
Abu Dhabi	Abu Dhabi	6:03 PM – 8:00 PM	5:38 PM – 8:13 PM	6:11 PM – 8:09 PM
Sharjah	Sharjah	5:57 PM – 7:55 PM	5:33 PM – 8:09 PM	6:05 PM – 8:02 PM

Sunset on 8 November is at 5:34 PM in Dubai, 5:38 PM in Abu Dhabi and 5:33 PM in Sharjah. Sharjah and Dubai are practically the same; Abu Dhabi, further west, is about five minutes later. For day-by-day dates through the month, see ourNovember 2026 Hindu festival calendar for the UAE.

What Pradosh Kaal and Vrishabha mean: Pradosh Kaal is the period of about two and a half hours that begins at sunset. It is the traditional time for Lakshmi Puja, when the lamps are lit as darkness falls. Within it, families prefer the time when the Vrishabha (Taurus) lagna is rising: a 'fixed' sign, believed to make Lakshmi's blessing stay in the home. The overlap is the muhurat in the tables. If work or traffic makes that impossible, any time within Pradosh Kaal is still traditional.

The Hindu community in Oman and the UAE

Oman. According to the Embassy of India in Muscat, there were about 674,950 Indian nationals in Oman as of February 2026, citing Government of Oman figures. The embassy notes that some Indian families have been rooted in Oman for 150 to 200 years, and that the Hindu merchant community has two temples, one of them over a century old, and its own cremation grounds. That old merchant community is largely Sindhi and Gujarati in origin: the Motishwar Mandir in Muttrah is attributed to the Bhatia traders of Thatta in Sindh. Alongside them live many newer arrivals from across India. Community life is organised through the Indian Social Club, which has branches in Muscat, Salalah, Sohar and Sur and linguistic wings for different language groups. The embassy also counts 22 Indian schools in Oman.

The UAE. The Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi estimates about 4.3 million Indian nationals in the UAE (2024 data), roughly 35 per cent of the country's population, with about 15 per cent of them in the emirate of Abu Dhabi and the rest in Dubai and the northern emirates. Kerala is the most represented state, followed by Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, with significant numbers from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Punjab. The embassy does not publish a breakdown by religion, so we do not give a figure for Hindus.

This mix shapes Diwali in the Gulf. For many Malayali families it is a smaller occasion than Onam or Vishu. Tamil and Telugu families keep a morning Deepavali of oil baths and new clothes, while North Indian, Gujarati and Sindhi households make the evening Lakshmi Puja and Chopda Puja the high point. Bengali families look for a Kali Puja, and Nepali families celebrate Tihar.

Where to celebrate: temples and community organisations

We list only temples and organisations we could confirm from their own websites, Indian government pages or established news reports, with name and area only. In April 2026 places of worship in Dubai and the BAPS Mandir in Abu Dhabi closed for a short time on the authorities' safety advice during regional tensions, then reopened with revised entry arrangements. Check each temple's own channels for current access and registration before Diwali.

Muscat and Ruwi

Motishwar Mandir (Shiva temple complex) — Muttrah, Old Muscat. The Embassy of India in Muscat notes that Oman's Hindu merchant community has two temples, one of them over a century old.
Shri Krishna Temple — Darsait, Muscat. Established by the Indian community in 1987 and renovated in 2013, with shrines to Ganesh and the Devi beside Krishna (Dinamalar).
Indian Social Club, Muscat — the umbrella body for Indian community groups, with linguistic wings that often hold their own festival gatherings.
Embassy of India, Muscat — for community notices and registration of Indian nationals.

At Diwali, Muscat's two temples are the natural place for evening darshan and aarti; with 8 November a working day, expect them to be busiest after office hours. In 2025, the Times of Oman described homes in Ruwi and Ghubrah decorated with lights, flowers and rangoli, and families visiting temples and neighbours.

Sohar, Salalah and the rest of Oman

We could not verify a Hindu temple outside Muscat, so we do not name one. In Sohar and Salalah, the Indian Social Club branches are the usual meeting points for Indian families, and their linguistic wings often bring people together for festivals. Families in Nizwa and the interior usually celebrate at home and travel to Muscat for darshan when they can.

Abu Dhabi

BAPS Hindu Mandir — Al Taf Road (E16), Abu Dhabi. The traditional stone mandir requires every visitor to register in advance on mandir.ae and to carry a physical Emirates ID or passport.
Embassy of India, Abu Dhabi — the main point of contact for community associations, many of them linguistic, across the emirate.

BAPS mandirs worldwide traditionally mark Diwali with Chopda Pujan and the new year with a large Annakut. Watch the mandir's own site and app for 2026 dates and registration slots, which fill quickly at festival time.

Dubai and Sharjah

Hindu Temple Dubai — Jebel Ali. After a closure in April 2026 it reopened and posts darshan and puja slots on its official social media.
Shri Krishna Temple — Bur Dubai. The old Krishna Mandir remains in the Bur Dubai heritage area; it was among the places of worship closed in April 2026 and reopened for darshan on 11 April 2026.

We could not verify a Hindu temple in Sharjah, so we do not name one. Temples and community associations usually announce Diwali programmes from mid-October — check their websites and social pages.

Celebrating at home in Oman and the UAE

Most Gulf families celebrate in a flat or villa, and a home puja is as traditional as a temple visit. A short Lakshmi Puja vidhi within your city's muhurat:

Clean the home in the days before, and make a rangoli or a few rice-flour dots at the door.
Set a low table with a red cloth, images or murtis of Ganesh and Lakshmi, a kalash of water topped with mango or betel leaves, and a few coins or a piece of jewellery.
Light a ghee lamp, pray to Ganesh first, then offer Lakshmi kumkum, turmeric, flowers, rice, sweets and fruit while chanting 'Om Shreem Mahalakshmyai Namah'.
Do aarti as a family, place diyas around the home, and share prasad.
Traders and shop-owners can open new account books for Chopda Puja at the same time.

For a full step-by-step version, see our Lakshmi Puja 2026 vidhi.

Diyas and apartments. Towers and villa compounds often have their own rules on open flames in corridors, balconies and shared areas, and tenancy contracts may restrict fire risks, so check with your building management. Keep real diyas indoors on a metal tray, away from curtains and AC vents, and never unattended; use LED diyas and fairy lights on balconies and at the door. Many flats have smoke detectors linked to a central fire system, so keep incense and camphor small and away from them.

Weather. Early November brings the start of the pleasant season in Oman and the UAE: warm days, comfortable evenings for a walk to see the lights, and some humidity on the coast.

Food and decorations you can find locally

Indian grocers, sweet shops and hypermarkets in the big cities of both countries stock ghee, dry fruit, diyas, rangoli colours, puja items and boxed mithai. Buy flowers and fresh sweets on Friday or Saturday rather than after work on Sunday. Jewellery shops are traditionally busy on Dhanteras, which falls on Friday 6 November, a weekend day in Oman.

Diwali with children and second-generation families

Many Gulf children grow up between several languages and cultures. Diwali is a good time to tell the stories at their level.

The working week: in Oman, Sunday 8 November is a school and working day, so plan a short evening puja and hold any bigger gathering on Saturday 7 November. In the UAE, children whose schools follow the Saturday-Sunday weekend will be at home for a morning oil bath.
Monday 9 November: a normal working and school day in both countries, so keep late nights for the weekend.
Heritage languages: the Indian Social Club's linguistic wings in Oman and the many language associations in the UAE are a good way for children to hear Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati, Sindhi, Hindi or Bengali songs and stories at Diwali.
Let them lead: give children a role: the rangoli, the first diya (with help), the aarti bell or prasad for neighbours.

Fireworks, safety and local rules

UAE: fireworks are not part of a home Diwali in the Emirates. Before Diwali 2025, Gulf News reported Dubai Police reiterating that using or trading in fireworks without a licence is illegal, and that only licensed businesses may stage displays. Residents are encouraged to enjoy licensed public displays instead. Rules are set nationally and enforced by each emirate's police, so check the official guidance of your emirate before the festival.

Oman: rules on fireworks and open fires are set nationally. Check the Royal Oman Police's official guidance and follow it; do not buy fireworks from informal sellers or bring them in from abroad.

In both countries: keep diyas away from dupattas and children's clothing, keep water nearby, and never carry lit lamps into lifts or stairwells.

Celebrating far from family

For many in the Gulf, Diwali is spent far from parents and grandparents. A few ideas:

Do Lakshmi Puja on a video call with family in India, lighting the lamps together even though your muhurat and theirs fall at different times.
Watch an online darshan or aarti streamed by a major temple in India, or by your own mandir if it streams.
Invite colleagues or neighbours who are also alone to share sweets after the puja.
Offer seva or a donation through your temple or a registered community organisation.

Diwali checklist for Oman and the UAE

Note your city's Lakshmi Puja window from the tables above (for example Muscat 5:49 PM – 7:47 PM).
In Oman, plan around a working Sunday: leave work on time or arrange the puja for after you get home.
In the UAE, check your employer's weekend; federal staff are off on Sunday 8 November.
Register in advance if you plan to visit the BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi.
Check your temple's social pages for 2026 darshan slots and entry arrangements.
Read your building's rules on open flames before placing diyas.
Buy flowers, sweets and puja items on Friday 6 or Saturday 7 November.
Set out LED diyas for balconies and real diyas only indoors on a metal tray.
Skip personal fireworks; look for licensed public displays instead.
Book a video call with family back home around your muhurat.
Ask your temple which day it will hold Annakut and Bhai Dooj.

Frequently asked questions

What time is Lakshmi Puja in Muscat and in Dubai?

On Sunday 8 November 2026, Muscat 5:49 PM – 7:47 PM and Dubai 5:58 PM – 7:56 PM, local time. Both countries use UTC+4, but Muscat's sun sets earlier. Salalah has the latest window: 6:16 PM – 8:17 PM.

Is Sunday 8 November a working day in Oman?

Yes. Oman's week runs Sunday to Thursday, with a Friday-Saturday weekend, so Diwali night follows a normal working and school day, while Dhanteras on Friday 6 November is a weekend day. Neither Oman nor the UAE has a Diwali public holiday.

Is Diwali a public holiday in the UAE?

No. But the federal weekend is Saturday and Sunday, and Sharjah government staff have Friday to Sunday off, so many families will be home on 8 November. Private-sector weekends vary. Monday 9 November is a normal working day.

Which Hindu temples are there in Muscat?

Two long-established temples: the Motishwar Mandir Shiva complex in Muttrah and the Shri Krishna Temple in Darsait. Outside Muscat, the Indian Social Club branches in Salalah, Sohar and Sur are the usual meeting points.

Can I light firecrackers for Diwali in Dubai or Muscat?

No personal fireworks. Gulf News reported Dubai Police reminding residents before Diwali 2025 that using or trading fireworks without a licence is illegal. In Oman, follow the Royal Oman Police's official guidance. Diyas and electric lights are the safe choice.

When are Govardhan Puja and Bhai Dooj for Gulf families?

In India, Govardhan Puja is on Tuesday 10 November and Bhai Dooj on Wednesday 11 November 2026. Temples in Oman and the UAE may announce their own day, so follow your mandir's calendar.

Sources

Muhurat: HinduTone calculation (Drik Panchang method)