Dubai, UAE — Thursday, December 25, 2025 — Need a last-minute gift, a supermarket run, or somewhere to browse the sales after brunch? In the UAE, Christmas Day shopping is typically straightforward: most malls, supermarkets and everyday retailers stay open, because Christmas Day is not an official public holiday in the UAE. [1]
Below is a practical, city-by-city guide to shops open on Christmas Day in the UAE, including verified mall hours, late-night grocery options, and what UAE outlets published on December 24–25, 2025 about how the day is being observed. [2]
Is Christmas Day a public holiday in the UAE?
No. Christmas Day (December 25) does not appear on the UAE’s official public holiday list, which is limited to national and religious occasions (New Year’s Day, Eid holidays, Hijri New Year, Prophet’s Birthday and National Day). [3]
That said, some private companies and schools may choose to offer internal leave, flexible hours or early closures on December 25—but these are discretionary rather than mandated. [4]
Malls open on Christmas Day: verified opening hours in Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Even when individual stores vary, malls in the UAE generally trade as usual—often with festive activations (Santa meet-and-greets, choirs, holiday pop-ups) running through Christmas week. [5]
Dubai Mall (Downtown Dubai): open today
Dubai Mall publishes detailed opening hours by category. For Thursday trading (today), the mall lists:
- All retailers: 10:00am to 11:00pm
- Restaurants & food courts: 10:00am to 12:00am (midnight)
- SAB Pharmacy & Starbucks (Souk Al Bahar area listing): 8:00am to 1:00am
- SAB Supermarket (Souk Al Bahar area listing): 7:00am to 1:00am [6]
What this means for Christmas Day shoppers: if you’re chasing essentials late, the in-mall pharmacy and supermarket hours can run later than standard retail closing times. [7]
Mall of the Emirates (Dubai): open today
Mall of the Emirates lists mall hours to midnight, including for weekdays. [8]
If you’re heading there for last-minute shopping, the safest approach is to assume the mall is open and then check individual store hours (some brands may close earlier depending on staffing). [9]
Dubai Festival City Mall (Dubai): open today + early grocery
Dubai Festival City Mall publishes “mall open hours” plus a separate section for the hypermarket (Carrefour and LuLu):
- General mall timings (Mon–Thu): 10:00am to 12:00am
- General mall timings (Fri–Sun): 10:00am to 1:00am
- Hypermarket (Carrefour and LuLu): 8:00am to 12:00am (listed for both weekdays and weekends) [10]
Christmas Day tip: If you want groceries earlier than most fashion retailers open, the 8:00am hypermarket opening is one of the most reliable “early start” options in Dubai. [11]
Yas Mall (Abu Dhabi): open today
Yas Mall lists its opening hours as 10:00am to 10:00pm. [12]
Supermarkets and hypermarkets open on Christmas Day in the UAE
Because December 25 is generally a normal trading day nationwide, supermarkets typically operate as usual—often with extended late hours in busy neighbourhood branches.
Here are verified examples of late supermarket hours published by major operators and malls:
Union Coop (Dubai): late-night branches
Union Coop’s official branch pages show extended daily trading, including:
If you’re aiming for a “post-dinner grocery run,” branches closing at 2:00am are among the most practical options. [15]
Carrefour and LuLu inside Dubai Festival City Mall: early-to-late coverage
As noted above, Dubai Festival City Mall lists Carrefour and LuLu hypermarket hours at 8:00am to 12:00am. [16]
Pharmacies and last-minute essentials: where to go if it’s late
For Christmas Day “essentials shopping” (painkillers, baby items, quick snacks, chargers), your most dependable options tend to be:
- In-mall pharmacies (often open later than fashion stores)
- Mall supermarkets/hypermarkets
- Late-night co-op branches
Dubai Mall’s published schedule is a good example of how pharmacy and supermarket hours can extend past regular retail. [17]
What UAE outlets reported on December 24–25, 2025
If you’re wondering why the UAE feels “open for business” on December 25, the last 48 hours of local reporting has been consistent:
- On December 24, 2025, Gulf News reiterated that Christmas is not an official UAE public holiday, while noting that some employers may offer internal leave or flexible arrangements. [18]
- A Khaleej Times report also noted that some UAE companies are offering discretionary time off around Christmas, even though it isn’t a federal holiday. [19]
- On December 25, 2025, Khaleej Times’ weekend guide highlighted the scale of festive pop-ups and markets across the country—another signal that malls and public venues are operating normally through Christmas Day. [20]
- In Abu Dhabi, a December 24, 2025 What’s On guide described Christmas as present “in the malls” and across the capital’s dining and retail scene—useful context for visitors expecting closures like in parts of Europe or North America. [21]
Shopping today and beyond: Dubai Shopping Festival dates (useful if you’re bargain-hunting)
If your “Christmas Day shopping” is really about bigger-ticket bargains (electronics, fashion, gifting), it’s worth knowing that Dubai’s main retail season is already in motion.
Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism has announced the 31st Dubai Shopping Festival dates as 5 December 2025 to 11 January 2026, and Visit Dubai reflects the same festival window. [22]
Christmas Day shopping in the UAE: a quick checklist
- Start with malls + hypermarkets: They’re the most predictable “everything under one roof” option on December 25. [23]
- Use published mall hours as your anchor, then check the store: Individual retailers inside malls can still vary. [24]
- For late-night runs: Look for supermarkets/co-ops with extended trading (some Dubai branches run to 2:00am). [25]
- Don’t assume a shutdown day: Unlike many countries, Christmas Day is not a UAE public holiday—so closures are the exception, not the rule. [26]
References
1. gulfnews.com, 2. gulfnews.com, 3. u.ae, 4. gulfnews.com, 5. www.khaleejtimes.com, 6. thedubaimall.com, 7. thedubaimall.com, 8. www.malloftheemirates.com, 9. www.malloftheemirates.com, 10. www.dubaifestivalcitymall.com, 11. www.dubaifestivalcitymall.com, 12. www.yasmall.ae, 13. corporate.unioncoop.ae, 14. corporate.unioncoop.ae, 15. corporate.unioncoop.ae, 16. www.dubaifestivalcitymall.com, 17. thedubaimall.com, 18. gulfnews.com, 19. www.khaleejtimes.com, 20. www.khaleejtimes.com, 21. whatson.ae, 22. www.dubaidet.gov.ae, 23. thedubaimall.com, 24. thedubaimall.com, 25. corporate.unioncoop.ae, 26. u.ae
