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Public Holidays in Saudi Arabia 2026 – Islamic, National & Royal Holidays

ByUzair ul haq
Public Holidays in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia’s public holidays in 2026 include Founding Day, the official Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha holiday periods, and Saudi National Day. Islamic holiday dates depend on the Hijri calendar and official moon-sighting decisions, while Founding Day and National Day have fixed Gregorian dates. Bank, government and other sector-specific closure periods can differ from the core nationwide holiday schedule.

Next Public Holiday in Saudi Arabia

Date Day Holiday Status
September 23, 2026 Wednesday Saudi National Day Confirmed

Public Holidays in Saudi Arabia 2026

Date Day Holiday Status
February 22, 2026 Sunday Founding Day Confirmed
March 19, 2026 Thursday Eid al-Fitr Holiday Confirmed
March 20, 2026 Friday Eid al-Fitr Holiday Confirmed
March 21, 2026 Saturday Eid al-Fitr Holiday Confirmed
March 22, 2026 Sunday Eid al-Fitr Holiday Confirmed
May 26, 2026 Tuesday Eid al-Adha Holiday Confirmed
May 27, 2026 Wednesday Eid al-Adha Holiday Confirmed
May 28, 2026 Thursday Eid al-Adha Holiday Confirmed
May 29, 2026 Friday Eid al-Adha Holiday Confirmed
September 23, 2026 Wednesday Saudi National Day Confirmed

How Public Holiday Leave Works in Saudi Arabia

The Saudi Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development sets specific leave periods for the two Eids and the Kingdom’s national occasions. Under the Ministry’s holiday rules, workers are entitled to four days for Eid al-Fitr beginning on the day after 29 Ramadan and four days for Eid al-Adha beginning on Arafat Day.

Saudi National Day is a one-day official holiday, while Founding Day is observed on 22 February. The Ministry confirmed that Founding Day on 22 February 2026 was an official holiday covering the public, private and non-profit sectors.

These core holiday periods should not be confused with longer closure schedules that may apply to particular government bodies, financial institutions or individual workplaces.

How Were the 2026 Eid Dates Confirmed?

Saudi Arabia uses official lunar-calendar determinations for the two major Eid holidays. The Supreme Court’s moon-sighting decisions therefore take priority over estimates published before the relevant Hijri month is officially established.

Eid al-Fitr 2026

The Saudi Supreme Court announced that Thursday, 19 March 2026 was the 30th and final day of Ramadan 1447 AH and that Friday, 20 March 2026 was 1 Shawwal and the first day of Eid al-Fitr.

The distinction is important for holiday calendars because the Ministry’s employment rule provides four days of Eid al-Fitr leave beginning immediately after 29 Ramadan. As a result, the statutory leave period began on 19 March even though the religious festival itself began on 20 March.

Eid al-Adha 2026

The Saudi Supreme Court established Monday, 18 May 2026 as 1 Dhu al-Hijjah 1447 AH. This placed Arafat Day on Tuesday, 26 May and the first day of Eid al-Adha on Wednesday, 27 May.

Because the Ministry’s Eid al-Adha holiday begins on Arafat Day and lasts four days, the applicable holiday period ran from 26 to 29 May 2026.

Weekend Overlap and Substitute Holiday Rules

Holiday entitlement can interact with an employee’s weekly rest days. Ministry rules provide compensation when official holiday leave overlaps with weekly rest, but the compensating time may be placed before or after the holiday period.

This means VisaBoards does not add an assumed nationwide substitute date whenever an Eid holiday overlaps with a weekend. The additional day available to an individual worker can depend on the applicable employment arrangement and placement of weekly rest.

For 2026, Founding Day fell on Sunday, while Saudi National Day falls on Wednesday. Neither date therefore requires an additional nationwide date to be inserted into the core public-holiday dataset.

Long Holiday Periods in Saudi Arabia in 2026

Founding Day fell on Sunday, 22 February 2026. For workplaces using Friday and Saturday as their normal weekend, this placed Founding Day immediately after the weekend and created a three-day break from Friday through Sunday.

The statutory Eid al-Fitr holiday ran from Thursday, 19 March through Sunday, 22 March. Because weekly rest days can overlap with this period, some employees may receive compensating time before or after the holiday, but there is no single additional nationwide date that should be added to the public-holiday calendar.

Eid al-Adha leave ran from Tuesday, 26 May through Friday, 29 May. The same principle applies when a worker’s weekly rest overlaps with this holiday period.

Bank and Financial Institution Holidays in Saudi Arabia

Banking holidays should not automatically be treated as nationwide public holidays. The Saudi Central Bank publishes separate holiday schedules for financial institutions and payment systems, and those closure periods can begin earlier or end later than the core holiday periods applying under general employment rules.

VisaBoards therefore keeps bank-only closure dates out of the primary Saudi Arabia public holiday dataset unless a date independently qualifies as a nationwide public holiday.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many public holiday dates are there in Saudi Arabia in 2026?

The verified VisaBoards dataset contains 10 nationwide statutory holiday calendar dates for Saudi Arabia in 2026. This total counts every date within the four-day Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha holiday periods separately.

What is the next public holiday in Saudi Arabia?

The answer changes during the year. Use the Next Public Holiday in Saudi Arabia section near the top of this page for the current holiday name, date and countdown.

Why does the Eid al-Fitr holiday begin on 19 March 2026 if Eid began on 20 March?

Saudi employment rules provide four days of Eid al-Fitr leave beginning on the day after 29 Ramadan. The Supreme Court confirmed 19 March as 30 Ramadan and 20 March as 1 Shawwal, so the statutory holiday period began one day before the first day of Eid itself.

Was Arafat Day a holiday in Saudi Arabia in 2026?

Yes. Arafat Day fell on 26 May 2026 and formed the first day of the statutory four-day Eid al-Adha holiday period.

Are Saudi Arabia’s Eid dates the same every year?

No. Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha follow the Islamic lunar calendar. Their Gregorian dates move each year, and the final Saudi dates depend on official lunar-calendar and moon-sighting determinations.

Do banks always close for exactly the same dates as the nationwide holiday calendar?

No. Financial institutions can follow separate official closure schedules. Bank-only or financial-sector closure dates are therefore not automatically included in the nationwide public-holiday database.

Does Saudi Arabia automatically add a nationwide substitute day when an Eid holiday overlaps with weekly rest?

No single nationwide substitute date should be assumed. Employment rules provide compensation for overlap with weekly rest, but the compensating time can be placed before or after the holiday according to the applicable work arrangement.

Official Sources for Public Holidays in Saudi Arabia

Uzair ul haq

CEO Visaboards & IT Consultant

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