No — today is not a public holiday in Saudi Arabia

How to tell if today is a public holiday in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia recognises a short list of statutory public holidays under the Saudi Labour Law (Royal Decree M/51 of 1426 AH, 2005) article 112 and Council of Ministers resolutions. The standing list comprises Eid al-Fitr (typically four days), Eid al-Adha (typically four days centred on the Day of Arafah and 10 Dhu al-Hijjah), Saudi National Day on 23 September commemorating the 1932 unification of the Kingdom under King Abdulaziz, and Founding Day on 22 February (added by Royal Order in 2022). Religious observances follow the Hijri lunar calendar with dates confirmed by the Supreme Court's moon-sighting committee. Unlike most economies the Kingdom does not observe Gregorian New Year as a holiday.

That structure is why a simple "is it a holiday today" answer for Saudi Arabia is more nuanced than a single yes or no. A date can be a public holiday at the national level, a regional one observed only in certain states or provinces, or a banking holiday that closes financial settlement without closing every employer. The status shown above reflects the nationally recognised public holiday list for Saudi Arabia; if you are in a specific region, check the full calendar for the local additions that do not appear on the national list.

Working days and the holiday calendar in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Labour Law article 98 sets the standard private-sector week at 48 hours over six days, reduced to 36 hours during Ramadan for Muslim employees under article 98 paragraph 2. The official weekend across government, banking and the formal private sector is Friday and Saturday since 2013. Friday is the statutory weekly rest day under article 104 and Islamic practice. Settlement of riyal transactions runs on the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA)'s Saudi Arabian Riyal Interbank Express (SARIE) RTGS system, which closes on the gazetted Eid and national holidays plus every Friday and Saturday.

Use the full calendar to see how the remaining holidays cluster across the year. Some months in Saudi Arabia carry several closures while others have none, and that uneven spacing is what catches out anyone planning around a uniform working month.

For cross-border planning, overlay the Saudi Arabia calendar with the calendars of the other countries your team works with. A week that looks completely open from your side can be a national holiday on theirs, and the clash only shows up when you compare the two side by side. The full holiday page links into a country-by-country comparison so you can spot the weeks where almost nobody is at their desk before you commit to a date.

Holiday dates are compiled from Nager.Date and the national sources listed above. Regional and substitute-day rules vary; for legal deadlines, confirm the observed date with the relevant official calendar for Saudi Arabia.