Pongal and Makar Sankranti in the UAE and the Gulf

Quick answer: In 2027, Thai Pongal and Makar Sankranti fall on Friday 15 January in the UAE, the same day as in India. The Sun enters Makara at 7:44 PM UAE time on Thursday 14 January, after sunset, so the festival is kept the next day. Friday is a working day for most of the UAE, so many families keep a short puja at home and celebrate at the weekend.

Pongal and Makar Sankranti 2027 in the UAE: key facts

Local times across the Gulf

The moment comes from Drik Panchang (15:44 UTC on Thursday 14 January 2027). In every city below it falls after local sunset, so panchangs give the festival to Friday 15 January.

We have not computed times for Riyadh, Jeddah or Manama. Use a panchang set to your own city, and confirm timings with your local panchang or temple priest.

Why is Pongal on the same day in the UAE as in India?

Makar Sankranti is the moment the Sun enters sidereal Makara (Capricorn). Panchangs give the festival to the day on which that moment falls if it comes before local sunset, and to the next day if it comes after sunset.

In 2027 the moment is 9:14 PM in India and 7:44 PM in the UAE. Both are after sunset on Thursday 14 January, so both keep the festival on Friday 15 January. Families in the Gulf and their relatives in India celebrate on the same day; in North America and the UK it falls a day earlier. Our dates abroad page has the full table.

Is Friday 15 January 2027 a working day in the UAE?

For most people, yes. Since 1 January 2022 the UAE federal government has worked a four-and-a-half-day week, with Saturday and Sunday as the weekend and a shorter working day on Friday. The governments of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah follow a similar system. The Government of Sharjah works Monday to Thursday, with Friday, Saturday and Sunday as its weekend.

Private companies set their own working days within the UAE Labour Law, so check your contract or ask your employer. Schools set their own calendars too.

Which communities keep the festival in the Gulf?

Almost every Indian community in the Gulf keeps the festival under its own name:

Lohri is a Punjabi festival kept by Hindus and Sikhs alike, and Maghi carries a Sikh commemoration of the Forty Liberated Ones at Sri Muktsar Sahib. For the Kerala side, see our page on Makaravilakku 2027: its date is awaited from the Travancore Devaswom Board.

How do I keep Pongal at home in a Gulf apartment?

Most Gulf families live in apartments, and the festival adapts well to them.

On Friday 15 January

1. Bathe early and light a lamp at the home shrine. Keep it on a steady, non-flammable surface, away from curtains, and never leave it burning when you go out.
2. Draw a small kolam or muggu with rice flour just inside your front door, or on a board you can lift. Building corridors are shared space, so check with building management before decorating outside your door.
3. Offer water to the Sun after sunrise from a window, balcony or open space. Our Surya arghya guide explains how.
4. Cook sweet pongal or chakkara pongali in a heavy pot or pressure cooker and offer it before the family eats.
5. Give something: food or a donation through a registered charity.

Our Thai Pongal puja at home and Makar Sankranti puja at home guides give a simple order of worship.

At the weekend

Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 January suit the larger meal, visits to friends, Bhogi pallu for small children in Telugu homes and a temple visit. January is one of the cooler months in the Gulf, which makes outdoor family outings in parks easier.

Can I light a Bhogi or Lohri fire, or cook outdoors, in the UAE?

Not in an apartment, and only where it is allowed outdoors.

• No open flames on balconies. Do not light a fire, a coal stove or a barbecue on an apartment balcony. Many buildings and communities ban balcony barbecues in their rules and fine residents who break them.
• Use designated places. Outdoors, use only barbecue areas that your community, park or beach operator has set aside, and follow its rules.
• Keep the Bhogi fire symbolic. Mark Bhogi with a lamp at the shrine, a clean-up of the home and the traditional foods. Never burn plastic, rubber or rubbish.
• Cook safely indoors. Clay pots are not made for glass-ceramic or induction hobs; use a heavy metal pot or a pressure cooker. Stay by the stove while milk or oil is heating. Never cover or disable a smoke detector; switch on the extractor fan instead.
• Incense and camphor. Burn small amounts, in a stable holder, in a ventilated room, away from children.

Rules differ between emirates, communities and buildings. Read your tenancy contract and community rules, and ask building management if you are unsure.

Where can I visit a temple?

BAPS Hindu Mandir, Abu Dhabi

The BAPS Hindu Mandir stands on Al Taf Road (E16) in Abu Dhabi. Its website says that registration is mandatory and unregistered visitors will be refused entry, that visitors must bring a physical Emirates ID or passport, and that the mandir is closed on Mondays. Check their website for this year's programme and to book your visit.

Dubai and the other emirates

Dubai has Hindu temples used by the community. We could not reach an official website for them when we checked on 12 November 2026, so we do not list details here. Ask your community association, or contact the Consulate General of India in Dubai or the Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi, which can point you to Indian community associations.

How is the festival kept elsewhere in the Gulf?

Each country has its own rules on public worship. Keep celebrations within your home or within a recognised place of worship, and follow local law and your employer's guidance.

Where do I find Pongal ingredients in the Gulf?

Indian supermarkets and hypermarkets across the Gulf stock raw rice, moong dal, jaggery, sesame, cardamom and ghee. Fresh turmeric, sugarcane and banana leaves are harder to find. If you cannot get them:

Sesame, peanuts, cashews, milk and ghee are common allergens. Label shared plates at office and school gatherings. For recipes, see sakkarai pongal and our Pongal recipe collection.

How can children take part?

Let them draw a kolam with rice flour before school, stir the pot and call "Pongalo Pongal!" when the milk rises, and pack tilgul or ellu-bella for friends after checking for allergies. If they fly kites, choose a park or beach where it is allowed, away from roads and power lines, and use cotton string, never glass-coated or nylon manja.

Frequently asked questions

When is Pongal 2027 in the UAE?

Thai Pongal is on Friday 15 January 2027 in the UAE. The Sun enters Makara at 7:44 PM UAE time on Thursday 14 January, after sunset, so the festival is kept the next day. Confirm with your local panchang or temple priest.

Is Pongal a holiday in the UAE?

No. Friday 15 January 2027 is a working day for federal government staff and for most emirate governments, with a shorter day, while the Government of Sharjah has Friday off. Private companies set their own working days.

When is Makar Sankranti 2027 in Oman, Qatar and Kuwait?

Friday 15 January 2027. The moment is 7:44 PM in Muscat and 6:44 PM in Doha and Kuwait City on Thursday 14 January, after sunset in each city.

Can I make pongal on a balcony?

No. Do not use an open flame, coal stove or barbecue on an apartment balcony. Cook the pongal on your kitchen stove or in a pressure cooker, and let the milk rise in the pot as the symbolic moment.

Do I need to book to visit the BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi?

Yes. The mandir's website says registration is mandatory, visitors must bring a physical Emirates ID or passport, and the mandir is closed on Mondays. Check the website before you go.

Sources

• Drik Panchang, Makar Sankranti moment (15:44 UTC), via the HinduTone date data in Makar Sankranti 2027
• The Official Portal of the UAE Government, "Working hours in the public sector": https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/jobs/Sector-of-employment/working-in-uae-government-sector/working-hours-in-the-public-sector (accessed 12 November 2026)
• The Official Portal of the UAE Government, "Working hours and overtime" (private sector): https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/jobs/Sector-of-employment/employment-in-the-private-sector/working-hours (accessed 12 November 2026)
• BAPS Hindu Mandir, Abu Dhabi: https://www.mandir.ae/ (accessed 12 November 2026)
• Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority, "The Shrinathji Temple": https://www.bahrain.com/en/the-shrinathji-temple (accessed 12 November 2026)
• Consulate General of India, Dubai: https://www.cgidubai.gov.in/ (accessed 12 November 2026)
• Embassy of India, Abu Dhabi: https://www.indembassyuae.gov.in/ (accessed 12 November 2026)
• Embassy of India, Muscat: https://www.indemb-oman.gov.in/ (accessed 12 November 2026)

Last reviewed: 12 November 2026.

Related guides

• Pongal: the four-day Tamil harvest festival
• Makar Sankranti 2027: date and Punya Kaal timings
• Makar Sankranti and Pongal dates abroad
• Thai Pongal
• Sankranti in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana
• Hindus in the UAE