- Q1 is the big retail quarter in 2027: Ramadan is expected from about 8 February and Eid al-Fitr around 10 March, overlapping the peak of the cool season.
- Eid al-Adha lands around 16 May, before the summer heat and school exams.
- Summer splits the country: Muscat slows as families travel, while Dhofar has its busiest months of the year.
- November is crowded: 11.11, National Day on 20 November and White Friday on 26 November. The official days off can move: in 2026 they were observed on 25–26 November.
- Days off are now announced in advance each January, and some holidays shift to make long weekends. Plan around the occasion, then confirm the day off.
Most marketing calendars are copied from somewhere else: January sales, Valentine’s Day, Black Friday. In Oman, those moments exist, but they are not what moves the year. The biggest swings come from the Islamic calendar, the weather, the school year and a handful of national moments, and three of those four shift from year to year.
This guide lays out 2027 as a planning year. It is updated every year, so the next edition will follow the dates as they move.
01Why Oman’s calendar moves
The Islamic (Hijri) year follows the moon and is about 354 or 355 days long, roughly 11 days shorter than the Gregorian year. That is why Ramadan and both Eids arrive about 11 days earlier every year, and why a campaign calendar copied from last year is always wrong.
Ramadan is expected in February and March, during pleasant weather and the tourist season.
Ramadan is expected to begin twice in the same Gregorian year: in early January and again in late December.
for Ramadan to travel through every season and return to the same Gregorian month.
Oman also changed how holidays work. Since 2026, the government publishes the year’s public holidays in advance, and several are observed on a different day from the occasion itself to create long weekends. In 2026, Accession Day (11 January) was observed on 15 January, and the National Day holiday on 25–26 November instead of the weekend of 20–21 November.6 For marketers, that means two dates to track: the occasion, which drives content, and the day off, which drives travel and shopping.
Three other rhythms matter just as much: the heat (outdoor life from about October to April, indoor life from June to August), the school year (which shapes family budgets and travel) and fixed national dates such as Accession Day and National Day.
02Key dates for 2027
| Date | Moment | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| ~5 Jan | Isra & Mi’raj (27 Rajab 1448) | Public holiday, often observed on a nearby weekday. |
| 8 Jan | School mid-year break begins | Family time, camps, short trips and courses. |
| 11 Jan | Sultan’s Accession Day | Public holiday (observed on 15 January in 2026); national pride content. |
| ~8 Feb | Ramadan begins (1 Ramadan 1448) | Daily rhythm flips to evenings; food, gifting and charity rise. |
| ~10 Mar | Eid al-Fitr | Peak for fashion, gifts, sweets, salons and short travel. |
| ~15–16 May | Day of Arafah and Eid al-Adha | Travel, livestock, family gatherings and gifting. |
| ~6 Jun | Islamic New Year 1449 | Public holiday as summer begins. |
| 21 Jun | Khareef season opens in Dhofar | Domestic and GCC travel to Salalah through September. |
| ~14 Aug | Prophet’s Birthday (12 Rabi’ al-Awwal 1449) | Public holiday during the back-to-school run-up. |
| Early Sep | New school year | Uniforms, stationery, transport, devices and tuition. |
| 11 Nov | Singles’ Day (11.11) | Online sales event, especially for marketplaces. |
| 20 Nov | National Day | The biggest national moment of the year. Two days off, observed on dates announced for 2027. |
| 26 Nov | White Friday | The region’s Black Friday; heavy discount competition. |
Sources: expected Hijri dates follow the Umm al-Qura projection; National Day and Accession Day per Royal Decree; school dates from the Ministry of Education calendar for 2026/27. Always confirm against official announcements before booking media.123
03The year month by month
January
Winter peak- Isra & Mi’raj and Accession Day holidays
- School mid-year break from 8 January
- Muscat Nights festival season (the 2026 edition ran 1–31 January)
Do: outdoor events, tourism offers and family activities. Finalise Ramadan creative now.
February
Ramadan starts- Pre-Ramadan shopping in the first week
- Ramadan expected from ~8 February
- Media use shifts to late evenings and after taraweeh
Do: move ad schedules to evenings, lead with iftar, suhoor and giving.
March
Eid al-Fitr- Last ten days of Ramadan: peak shopping
- Eid al-Fitr expected ~10 March
- Post-Eid short trips and gatherings
Do: peak budgets in the last ten days; plan delivery cut-offs before Eid.
April
Reset- Post-Eid spending pause
- Last comfortable weeks before the heat
- Pohela Boishakh (14 April) for Oman’s Bangladeshi community
Do: retention, reviews and referrals; test new offers while costs are lower.
May
Eid al-Adha- Day of Arafah ~15 May, Eid al-Adha ~16 May
- Travel and family gatherings
- Heat builds; life moves indoors
Do: travel, gifting and food offers; book summer campaigns.
June
Summer begins- Islamic New Year ~6 June
- School year ends after exams
- Khareef season opens 21 June
Do: school enrolment campaigns, summer travel, Salalah pre-bookings.
July
Khareef peak- Many Muscat families travel
- Dhofar’s busiest weeks begin
- Malls, cinemas and delivery carry daily life
Do: Dhofar-targeted campaigns; indoor and delivery offers in the north.
August
Back to school- Khareef continues at full strength
- Prophet’s Birthday ~14 August
- Back-to-school shopping in the last two weeks
Do: uniforms, stationery, devices, transport and tuition offers.
September
Restart- New school year in early September
- Khareef season winds down
- Businesses return and decide budgets
Do: B2B outreach, Q4 planning and National Day creative briefs.
October
Outdoor season- Weather turns pleasant
- Tourist season begins
- Diwali (29 October) for Oman’s Indian community
Do: events, outdoor dining and tourism; warm up November audiences.
November
Q4 cluster- 11.11 online sales
- National Day on 20 November, with two days off (observed dates announced for 2027)
- White Friday 26 November
Do: give each moment its own job. See the Q4 calendar guide.
December
Year-end- Winter tourism in full swing
- Christmas for Oman’s Christian communities
- Year-end sales and budgets
Do: gifting, dining and travel; lock the plan for Ramadan 2028 (expected late January).
When is your busy season?
Choose your sector to see a 12-month demand pattern for Oman in 2027, with peak and quiet months.
Runs in your browser; nothing is saved. Demand levels are my judgement from campaign experience in Oman, not measured data. Check them against your own sales history.
04How far ahead to start
The most common mistake is starting when the moment starts. By then, ad costs are up, creative is rushed and competitors own the conversation. A simple runway for 2027:
| Moment | Start planning | Start warming up audiences |
|---|---|---|
| Ramadan & Eid al-Fitr | October–November 2026 | Mid-January 2027 |
| Eid al-Adha | March 2027 | Late April 2027 |
| Khareef (Dhofar) | April 2027 | Late May 2027 |
| Back to school | May 2027 | Late July 2027 |
| National Day & White Friday | August 2027 | Mid-October 2027 |
Tip: keep a small always-on budget through quiet months. It keeps your pixel data warm and your audiences growing, so peak-season campaigns start from a strong base. For the Ramadan runway in detail, see the Ramadan 2027 guide.
Common questions
When is Ramadan 2027 in Oman?
Ramadan 1448 is expected to begin around Monday, 8 February 2027, with Eid al-Fitr around Wednesday, 10 March 2027. Exact dates depend on the official moon sighting.
When is Eid al-Adha 2027?
Eid al-Adha is expected around 16 May 2027, with the Day of Arafah the day before. Oman confirms the dates by moon sighting.
When is Oman National Day 2027?
Oman celebrates National Day on 20 November. It comes with a two-day public holiday, but the days off can be moved: in 2026 they were observed on 25 and 26 November because 20–21 November fell on the weekend. The 2027 days off are announced at the start of the year.
Are Oman’s public holidays announced in advance now?
Yes. Since 2026, Oman publishes national and religious holiday dates at the start of each Gregorian year, and some are observed on nearby weekdays to create long weekends. The two Eids are still confirmed by moon sighting.
What is the busiest month for marketing in Oman?
It depends on the sector. In 2027, retail and food peak in late February and March around Ramadan and Eid, travel peaks in winter and during Khareef, and education peaks in August.
Why do Ramadan dates change every year?
The Islamic calendar is lunar and about 11 days shorter than the Gregorian year, so Ramadan and the Eids arrive about 11 days earlier each year.
Method & sources
Checked September 27, 2026. Islamic dates are projections; public holidays are confirmed by official announcements. Demand levels in the planner are editorial judgement.
- Umm al-Qura based projections of Islamic dates for 2027 (Hijri 1448–1449), e.g. timeanddate.com: Ramadan begins in Oman.
- Public holidays in Oman, including National Day (20–21 November) and Accession Day (11 January, Royal Decree 88/2022). Overview and Oman official information portal.
- Ministry of Education, academic calendar 2026/2027 (students start 6 September 2026; mid-year break from 8 January 2027). moe.gov.om
- NCSI Khareef visitor statistics, as reported by Muscat Daily, September 2025. muscatdaily.com
- Muscat Nights 2026 dates and venues, Oman Observer. omanobserver.om
- Oman’s 2026 holiday dates under the advance announcement policy (Accession Day 15 January, National Day holiday 25–26 November). Oman Observer and Arabian Business.