UAE school pupils and university students will begin this year's spring holiday on Monday, March 9, one week earlier than scheduled.
The decision was announced on Wednesday by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.
The two-week break will now run from Monday, March 9 until Sunday, March 22, having been scheduled to begin on March 16.
The directive applies to all pupils, students and staff at public and private schools and universities across the country.
The move comes after authorities confirmed distance-learning would be extended until Friday, March 6 as a precautionary measure, as Iranian air strikes persist around the UAE.
The government had previously mandated all schools and universities to shift to remote learning from Monday to Wednesday this week in light of hostile regional developments.
The country has faced a barrage of missile and drone strikes since Saturday, in what the UAE government has described as “blatant Iranian aggression”.
The Ministry of Defence said UAE air defence systems had on Wednesday intercepted another three ballistic missiles and detected 129 drones, of which 121 were intercepted and eight fell within UAE territory.
Since the start of the Iranian offensive, 189 ballistic missiles have been detected, with 175 destroyed, 13 falling into the sea and one landing within state territory.
A total of 941 Iranian drones have been detected over the UAE, of which 876 were intercepted, while 65 fell within the country.
Eight cruise missiles have been detected and destroyed. The attacks have caused damage and resulted in the deaths of three people, with 78 injuries recorded.
