Dussehra 2026 in Dubai & UAE, emirate by emirate: Dates, Vijay Muhurat and Navratri

Quick answer: Dussehra (Vijayadashami) 2026 is on Tuesday 20 October in Dubai and across the UAE. Navratri runs from Sunday 11 October to Monday 19 October, with Durga Ashtami and Maha Navami both on Monday 19 October according to Drik Panchang for Dubai. The local Vijay Muhurat is 1:59–2:44 PM in Dubai and 2:02–2:48 PM in Abu Dhabi (Drik Panchang), with Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah and Al Ain within a few minutes of those. Do not convert India's muhurat to Gulf time. Because 20 October is a working Tuesday, most families will do the puja around office hours and celebrate with their community at the weekend.

The UAE is home to one of the largest Indian communities anywhere, and Navratri and Dussehra here have their own rhythm: Garba nights packed into weekends, Golu steps in apartment living rooms, Bathukamma circles in sports clubs and long queues at the temples on Vijayadashami evening. This guide gives the 2026 dates as UAE panchangs list them, the Vijay Muhurat for each emirate, the community events confirmed so far and practical advice for a festival that falls in the middle of the working week. For the wider picture, see our main Dussehra / Vijayadashami 2026 guide.

Navratri and Dussehra 2026: UAE dates at a glance

If you follow a calendar from home, you may see slightly different dates for Ashtami. That is expected, and the next section explains why. For Vijayadashami itself there is no disagreement: India, the UAE and the rest of the Gulf all mark it on Tuesday 20 October.

Why Durga Ashtami is on 19 October in Dubai

Ashtami tithi begins at 8:27 AM IST on Sunday 18 October, which is 6:57 AM in the UAE — after sunrise in every emirate. Panchangs that take the tithi prevailing at sunrise, including Drik Panchang for Dubai, therefore list Durga Ashtami on Monday 19 October, the same day as Maha Navami. Singapore, Malaysia and Australia show the same pattern, and Drik Panchang for Delhi also lists Ashtami on the 19th.

Telangana's calendar keeps Durga Ashtami and Saddula Bathukamma on Sunday 18 October, and most Telangana families in the Emirates use that date for the Bathukamma finale. Neither date is wrong; they are two calendars applying slightly different rules. If you usually fast or do Kanya Puja on Ashtami, ask your priest or temple which date they will follow, and plan around that.

Vijayadashami is decided by the afternoon (Aparahna) rule. Dashami tithi runs from 12:50 PM IST on 20 October to 2:11 PM IST on 21 October — that is, from 11:20 AM on Tuesday to 12:41 PM on Wednesday in UAE time. The whole of Tuesday afternoon falls inside Dashami, so every emirate marks Dussehra on 20 October.

Vijay Muhurat 2026, emirate by emirate

The Vijay Muhurat is the short afternoon window on Vijayadashami regarded as the most auspicious time to begin something new: a business, a course of study, a vehicle or property purchase, or Aksharabhyasam for a young child. It depends on local sunrise and sunset, so it shifts a little from one emirate to the next. All times below are UAE time (GST) on Tuesday 20 October 2026.

Dubai and Abu Dhabi use Drik Panchang's published windows. The other three rows were calculated with the same sunrise-to-sunset method and match Drik to within a minute. Ajman and Umm Al Quwain are close enough to Sharjah to use its row; residents of Fujairah and the east coast should use the nearest row or the time their temple announces, as the difference across the country is only a few minutes. For a family puja, any time inside your local window is fine.

The whole window falls inside Dashami tithi in every emirate, so there is no partial-window complication of the kind Singapore readers face this year.

Do not convert India's Vijay Muhurat to UAE time

India's Vijay Muhurat for 2026 is 1:59–2:45 PM IST. It is calculated for Indian sunrise and sunset and is not the right window in the UAE. Converting it to Gulf time (IST minus 90 minutes) puts it just after midday, well before the actual local window. Use the emirate table above, or the time announced by your temple, and pass this on to relatives who may helpfully forward the India time.

Dubai

Vijay Muhurat: 1:59–2:44 PM (Drik Panchang). Dubai has the largest Indian population of any emirate, and Navratri here ranges from small home pujas to large ticketed Garba and Dandiya evenings run by community groups and event organisers. The Hindu temple at Jebel Ali is the main place of worship for many families on Ashtami, Navami and Vijayadashami; check its official channels for festival timings and any visitor arrangements before you go, and expect heavy crowds on the evening of 20 October.

Dubai also hosts the two community events we have been able to confirm for this season: the Gulf Telangana Forum (GTF) Bathukamma from 5–7:30 PM and the ETCA Bathukamma from 8–10 PM at Al Ahli Sports Club, both on Sunday 11 October — the first day of Navratri. For Garba, Durga Puja and Dussehra programmes, check with your community association, as 2026 flyers are still being published.

Abu Dhabi

Vijay Muhurat: 2:02–2:48 PM (Drik Panchang). The capital's window is the latest in the country because it sits furthest west of the main cities. The BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi is now a focal point for many families across the Emirates during the festival season. Festival programmes, visiting hours and any registration requirements are published closer to the date, so check the mandir's official channels before planning a visit, particularly for the weekend before and after Dussehra.

The Telangana Friends Association in Abu Dhabi usually holds a Bathukamma celebration, but its 2026 date had not been announced when we last checked. Other regional associations in the capital typically organise Navratri gatherings; ask in your community groups.

Sharjah, Ajman and Umm Al Quwain

Vijay Muhurat: 1:57–2:43 PM (Sharjah). Many Indian families live in Sharjah and Ajman and travel to Dubai for temple visits and larger events. Weekday evenings during Navratri are best kept for home pujas, Golu visits within your building or neighbourhood, and short Garba circles; save the cross-emirate trips for the weekend.

Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah and the northern emirates

Vijay Muhurat: 1:55–2:41 PM (Ras Al Khaimah). Communities in the northern emirates and on the east coast are smaller and more spread out, so Navratri and Dussehra are often celebrated in homes, company accommodation and through community WhatsApp groups. If you are planning a vehicle or business pooja for Vijayadashami, use the local window above rather than a Dubai or India time.

Al Ain

Vijay Muhurat: 1:56–2:42 PM. Al Ain is in the emirate of Abu Dhabi but, being further east and inland, has an earlier window than the capital — a good example of why the city matters more than the emirate. Families here often hold Navratri pujas at home and travel to Abu Dhabi or Dubai for temple visits at the weekend.

Confirmed Navratri-season events in the UAE, October 2026

These are the only UAE events we have confirmed against organiser announcements or reputable listings. We do not list unconfirmed dates, venues or prices.

For full Bathukamma details — the nine days, offerings and tips for celebrating in the Gulf — see our Bathukamma and Dasara 2026 guide for Dubai and the UAE. For Garba nights, Durga Puja pandals and Dussehra programmes, check with your temple, your regional association or your company's community group, and confirm entry rules and timings with the organiser before you set off.

How Navratri is celebrated in the UAE

• Garba and Dandiya nights: Gujarati and wider community groups run Garba evenings, and in the UAE the biggest ones tend to land on the Saturday and Sunday nights of 17–18 October. If you want to dance on a weekday, look for smaller building-level or association circles.
• Golu and Bommala Koluvu: Tamil, Telugu and Kannada families set up steps of dolls at home and invite friends over through the nine nights. Weekday Golu visits are usually short, after-office affairs; the weekend is when the bigger gatherings happen. Saraswati Puja and Ayudha Puja fall on Monday 19 October.
• Bathukamma: Telangana families celebrate from 10 to 18 October, with the big community events on 11 October in Dubai and the finale, Saddula Bathukamma, on Sunday 18 October.
• Durga Puja: Bengali community groups traditionally hold pujas through the last days of Navratri. Schedules for 2026 had not been confirmed when we last checked, so ask in community groups.
• Fasting: many families keep the nine-day fast or fast on Ashtami. Buy sabudana, kuttu flour and rock salt before the first day.

For the meaning and rituals of each day, see our Navratri 2026 guide for the NRI diaspora and Sharad Navratri to Dussehra 2026.

Practical tips for a working-week Dussehra

Tuesday 20 October is an ordinary working day in the UAE, where the weekend is Saturday and Sunday. Navratri begins on a Sunday, so the first day and the following weekend (17–18 October) are the easiest times for big gatherings; Ashtami, Navami and Dussehra itself fall on weekdays.

• Shami puja in the morning: do the Shami or Aparajita puja before leaving for work, and exchange Shami leaves with elders in the evening.
• Use the lunch hour for the muhurat: the Vijay Muhurat (roughly 2–2:45 PM depending on emirate) falls in the early afternoon. If you are signing a contract, booking a car or starting a course, a short break inside the window is enough; nothing requires you to be at home.
• Temple visits in the evening: temples are busiest after office hours on 20 October. Leave extra time for parking and queues, dress modestly and check whether pre-registration is needed.
• Ayudha Puja on Monday: clean and decorate tools, laptops, vehicles and instruments on Monday 19 October. Many families do it before work or in the evening.
• Children and school: school calendars do not stop for Dussehra. Aksharabhyasam and Vidyarambham ceremonies on Vijayadashami can be done before school or in the late afternoon.
• Community celebrations at the weekend: many associations hold Dussehra get-togethers on the weekend after 20 October rather than on the day. Keep 24–25 October free if your group usually does this.
• Heat: mid-October evenings are warmer than many visitors expect. Carry water for outdoor events and Garba nights.

Navratri to Dussehra: a simple UAE planner

• Sat 10 Oct: Engili Pula Bathukamma; Mahalaya Amavasya tarpanam for those who observe it (see our Mahalaya Amavasya 2026 guide).
• Sun 11 Oct: Ghatasthapana at home; GTF and ETCA Bathukamma events in Dubai in the evening.
• Mon 12 – Fri 16 Oct: evening puja and aarti at home; short Golu visits; restock fasting supplies.
• Sat 17 – Sun 18 Oct: the main Garba weekend; Saddula Bathukamma on Sunday (Telangana calendar).
• Mon 19 Oct: Durga Ashtami and Maha Navami (Drik Dubai); Kanya Puja, Saraswati Puja and Ayudha Puja.
• Tue 20 Oct: Vijayadashami. Shami puja; Vijay Muhurat 1:59–2:44 PM in Dubai, 2:02–2:48 PM in Abu Dhabi; temple visit in the evening.
• Sat 24 – Sun 25 Oct: community Dussehra gatherings, where your association holds one. Sharad Purnima falls on Sunday 25 October (see our Sharad Purnima 2026 guide).

Looking ahead: Diwali 2026 in the UAE

Diwali falls on Sunday 8 November 2026 — a weekend day in the UAE, which makes family Lakshmi Puja and community gatherings much easier than Dussehra this year. Karwa Chauth comes first, on Thursday 29 October in the UAE (see our Karwa Chauth 2026 moonrise guide). For Diwali timings and tips, read our Diwali 2026 guide for Australia, the UAE and Singapore and the full November 2026 festival calendar.

Frequently asked questions

When is Dussehra 2026 in Dubai and the UAE?

Dussehra (Vijayadashami) is on Tuesday 20 October 2026 across the UAE, the same day as in India. Navratri begins on Sunday 11 October, and Durga Ashtami and Maha Navami both fall on Monday 19 October according to Drik Panchang for Dubai.

What is the Vijay Muhurat in Dubai on Vijayadashami 2026?

Drik Panchang gives the Dubai Vijay Muhurat as 1:59–2:44 PM local time on Tuesday 20 October. Abu Dhabi is 2:02–2:48 PM, Sharjah 1:57–2:43 PM, Ras Al Khaimah 1:55–2:41 PM and Al Ain 1:56–2:42 PM. Dashami tithi is already running by then, so the whole window counts.

Can I convert India's Vijay Muhurat to UAE time?

No. India's window (1:59–2:45 PM IST) is worked out from Indian sunrise and sunset. Converted to Gulf time it lands just after midday, which is not the auspicious window in the UAE. Use the local emirate times on this page, or the time your temple announces.

Why is Durga Ashtami on 19 October in the UAE but Saddula Bathukamma on the 18th?

Ashtami tithi begins after sunrise on 18 October in UAE time, so panchangs calculated for Dubai list Durga Ashtami on Monday 19 October. Telangana's calendar keeps Durga Ashtami and Saddula Bathukamma on Sunday 18 October, and most Telangana families in the UAE follow that for the Bathukamma finale.

Is Dussehra a public holiday in the UAE?

No. Tuesday 20 October 2026 is an ordinary working day; the UAE weekend is Saturday and Sunday. Most families do the Shami puja early in the morning or in the evening, use a lunch break for the Vijay Muhurat if they can, and save community celebrations for the weekend.

When is Diwali 2026 in the UAE?

Diwali falls on Sunday 8 November 2026, which is a weekend day in the UAE. See our Diwali guide for Australia, the UAE and Singapore for details.

Editor's note (4 October 2026): Dates follow Drik Panchang for Dubai and the Telangana calendar for Bathukamma; Vijay Muhurat for Dubai and Abu Dhabi uses Drik Panchang's published windows. The GTF and ETCA Bathukamma events on 11 October are confirmed. Temple festival schedules, Garba nights and the Telangana Friends Association's Abu Dhabi date are not yet confirmed — organisers are still publishing 2026 flyers; we will update this guide.

Related guides

• Dussehra / Vijayadashami 2026 (main guide)
• Bathukamma and Dasara 2026 in Dubai and the UAE
• Diwali 2026 in Australia, the UAE and Singapore
• Dussehra 2026 in Singapore, area by area
• Dussehra 2026 in Malaysia, state by state
• Dussehra 2026 in Australia, city by city
• Dussehra 2026 in the UK, region by region
• Dussehra 2026 in the USA, state by state
• Mysore Dasara 2026, day by day
• October 2026 Hindu festivals calendar