How many days until the summer holidays?

The summer holidays here begin at the turn of June and July, when the academic year finishes and the country enters its quietest stretch. The Ministry of Education sets the exact last day, which falls in the final days of June or the first days of July depending on the year, so this countdown uses the start of July as its reference point.

What follows is unlike a school holiday anywhere with a temperate climate. Summer is the low season in the Emirates: daytime temperatures sit above forty degrees, humidity on the coast makes the evenings heavy, and a large share of expatriate families leave the country for several weeks at a time. Roads that are solid in February move freely in July, restaurants are quiet, and the malls, indoor parks and hotel pools absorb almost all of the activity that happens outdoors for the rest of the year.

For the families who stay, the day restructures itself around the heat: outdoor time before seven in the morning or after seven in the evening, and the middle of the day indoors. Summer camps run on that basis, and swimming pools are heated in winter and cooled in summer for the same reason.

The countdown resets each year once the date has passed, so the page remains useful through the school year rather than expiring in July.