Dubai parents may need to rethink their October plans after some schools brought forward their half-term holiday by one week.

Several private schools in the emirate have revised their academic calendars, moving the October break from October 19–23 to October 12–16.

The change affects schools including Dubai British School, Safa British School and Arab Unity School, according to reports.

For families at these schools, the earlier holiday means children will finish classes on Friday, October 9 and return on Monday, October 19.

With the weekends included, students will effectively have nine consecutive days away from school, from October 10 to October 18.

Why has the October break changed?

Parents at affected schools were notified of the revised dates through school communications.

The updated calendars are intended to bring school holidays in line with the academic calendar set by Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) and the Ministry of Education (MoE).

The adjustment means families who had been planning trips around the originally published October 19–23 break should check their school’s latest calendar before finalising arrangements.

Is every Dubai school changing its dates?

No, and this is important. The revised dates do not automatically apply to every private school in Dubai.

Holiday schedules can differ depending on the curriculum a school follows and the regulations under which it operates. Schools following curricula other than the British curriculum may have different term and holiday dates.

Parents should therefore rely on the latest information issued directly by their child’s school rather than assuming that all schools will follow the same October schedule.

Could Dubai students get another mid-term break?

There is another possibility parents should be aware of.

The current academic calendar does not include a February half-term for schools that follow this schedule. Some private schools may choose to divide their mid-term holiday and introduce a break in February instead.

However, schools cannot simply add extra days off. Any change would require the necessary approvals, and the total break must remain within the permitted five school days.

What are the revised dates?

For schools that have adopted the earlier October break:

Last day before holiday: Friday, October 9
Half-term: October 12–16
Weekend: October 17–18
Students return: Monday, October 19

That gives students a break of nine days when the two weekends are included.

What parents need to know?

Before booking flights or making October holiday plans, parents should check their school’s latest academic calendar or parent circular.

If you scroll through medical feeds in Dubai, you’ve probably seen your share of ‘miracle’ transformations, ‘magic’  fixes, and glowing influencer reviews. That era is coming to a hard stop.

The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) has rolled out sweeping new social media guidelines targeting every licensed doctor, clinic, and hospital promoting services across platforms like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, Facebook, LinkedIn, and WhatsApp.

Here is a breakdown of what is changing, what is officially off-limits, and how it impacts anyone creating medical content in the emirate.

1. Hype words are banned

The DHA is tackling exaggerated claims that give patients unrealistic expectations. If you are promoting a procedure, you can no longer describe it with words like:

• Miraculous or magic
• The best, unique, or incomparable
• 100%, certain, or guaranteed success
• Zero side effects or immediate results
• Pioneer, famous, or exclusive

Any promo promising money-back guarantees, taking cheap shots at competitor clinics, or slamming government entities is strictly barred.

2. Influencers face direct accountability

Partnering with influencers won’t create a legal loophole. If an influencer features a clinic, treatment, or outcome, the content must be reviewed and signed off by the facility’s medical director before it goes live.

Even if an influencer shoots a reel on their personal phone inside a clinic or shares it to their private profile, the clinic itself is held legally responsible.

3. Strict rules on professional titles

Doctors and staff can only use the exact job titles printed on their official DHA licenses. Vague or buzzy marketing labels like Beauty Expert, Anti-Ageing Specialist, Cosmetic Specialist, or Cosmetologist are no longer permitted.

Additionally, the title Dr is reserved exclusively for physicians, dentists, and holders of recognised PhD degrees attested by the UAE Ministry of Education.

4. No surgery live-streams and tighter photo rules

The rules also clamp down on patient imagery:

• Operating Rooms: Filming or live-streaming promotional videos during minor or major surgeries, or while a patient is under anaesthesia, is completely banned.
• Before-and-After Shots: Photos must show the same patient, captured with the same camera lens, completely unedited, and paired with a clear disclaimer stating that results vary.
• Consent: Facilities must secure written consent before posting any patient’s image, video, or review (with parental consent mandatory for anyone under 18).

5. Separate accounts for visiting doctors

Doctors who divide their practice between Dubai and overseas can no longer mix their feeds. They are required to run a dedicated, Dubai-specific account that aligns fully with DHA standards, even when sharing content involving treatments done abroad.

6. Medical directors in the hot seat

Medical directors are now tasked with policing internal output. They must approve every social post mentioning the facility, archive content for unannounced DHA audits, designate moderators, and run regular staff training on what is legally acceptable.

The update forms part of the DHA’s wider 2022–2026 strategy to clean up digital medical marketing, respect local cultural values, and make sure patients get realistic, evidence-based healthcare information.

Italy is about to get its own city-based franchise cricket league, and organisers are looking to the Middle East to help take it global.

Italia T10 Cricket will make its debut in Rome from November 7 to 15, 2026, with six city-based teams set to compete in the fast-paced 10-over format.

And while the league is being built around Italian cricket, its ambitions stretch well beyond Italy.

With three of the six franchises already secured, organisers are now turning their attention to the Middle East, hoping to build links with the region’s growing cricket community and attract stakeholders from across the GCC.

The league has been officially endorsed by the Italian Cricket Federation, with the organisers describing the competition as Italy’s first city-based franchise T10 league.

Why is Italy turning to the Middle East?

Cricket may not be one of Italy’s traditional mainstream sports, but the game has been steadily expanding across Europe, and the Middle East has become a major hub for international and franchise cricket.

The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain all have established cricket communities, creating a sizeable pool of players, fans and potential investors.

Aamir Akhtar, chairman of Apex T10 Ltd, said the response to the league’s announcement had been “phenomenal” and that the organisers were keen to bring the Middle East into the project.

For Akhtar, the connection is also personal. The former Nepal international played at the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in 2000 before representing Nepal at senior level.

He now wants to use franchise cricket to create more opportunities in emerging cricket markets.

What exactly is Italia T10?

The clue is in the name.

Each match will feature 10 overs per side, with games expected to last around 90 minutes.

That makes T10 one of cricket’s shortest and most explosive formats — designed to pack plenty of action into a compact viewing window.

The inaugural tournament will be played entirely in Rome, with six franchises competing across nine days.

The league also says its matches will be streamed live in more than 30 countries, giving the new competition an international audience from its very first season.

Could the Middle East become part of the league?

That’s one of the bigger questions surrounding the project.

Organisers say they see the Middle East as more than simply a commercial market. They want to build a cricketing bridge between Europe and the GCC, potentially bringing regional stakeholders, players and cricket communities into the Italia T10 ecosystem.

Nadeem Shahid, CEO of Apex T10 Ltd, said the league has an Italian foundation but an international outlook.

The company behind Italia T10 was founded by Shahid and Akhtar with the aim of developing cricket in associate territories through professionally run franchise competitions.

Why now?

The timing could hardly be more interesting for global cricket.

The sport is preparing to return to the Olympic Games at Los Angeles 2028, putting renewed focus on expanding cricket beyond its traditional strongholds.

Italia T10 hopes to play a small part in that expansion by raising the profile of cricket in Italy, creating more opportunities for local players and clubs and connecting Italian cricket with the international game.

With half of its franchises still to be secured and the first season only months away, the next phase will be worth watching.

Italy has the league. Rome has the stage. Now organisers want the Middle East to become part of the story.