{"id":8559,"date":"2026-10-12T17:54:33","date_gmt":"2026-10-12T14:54:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/official-holidays-saudi-arabia\/"},"modified":"2026-10-12T18:02:25","modified_gmt":"2026-10-12T15:02:25","slug":"official-holidays-saudi-arabia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/official-holidays-saudi-arabia\/","title":{"rendered":"Official Holidays in Saudi Arabia for the Private Sector: Dates and Days"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.usus-tbl{border-collapse:collapse;width:100%;max-width:760px;margin:12px 0 20px;font-size:15px}.usus-tbl th{background:#f4eff9;color:#2A124A;font-weight:700;text-align:right;padding:9px 12px;border-bottom:2px solid #C9A227}.usus-tbl td{padding:9px 12px;border-bottom:1px solid #e5ddec;vertical-align:top}<\/style>\n<div dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p>How many days is the Eid holiday in the private sector? Are National Day and Founding Day holidays for every employee? And what if your employer asks you to work on a holiday? <strong>Official holidays in Saudi Arabia<\/strong> are a right of the employee under the <strong>Labor Law<\/strong>, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/saudi-labor-law-implementing-regulations\/\">Implementing Regulations<\/a> set their days and length. Here they are in one place.<\/p>\n<h2>Official holidays for the private sector<\/h2>\n<table class=\"usus-tbl\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Holiday<\/th>\n<th>Days<\/th>\n<th>Starts<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Eid al-Fitr<\/td>\n<td>4 days<\/td>\n<td>The day after 29 Ramadan<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Eid al-Adha<\/td>\n<td>4 days<\/td>\n<td>The Day of Arafah<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>National Day<\/td>\n<td>1 day<\/td>\n<td>23 September<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Founding Day<\/td>\n<td>1 day<\/td>\n<td>22 February<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<figure class=\"usus-ig usus-ig-8559-1\"><img class=\"wp-image-8591\" src=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-8559-1.webp\" width=\"1200\" height=\"856\" alt=\"Official holidays for the private sector \u2014 Official Holidays in Saudi Arabia for the Private Sector (Usus Law Firm infographic)\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-8559-1.webp 1200w, https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-8559-1-768x548.webp 768w, https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-8559-1-640x457.webp 640w, https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-8559-1-400x285.webp 400w, https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-8559-1-367x262.webp 367w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/figure>\n<p>All of these holidays are <strong>fully paid<\/strong> and separate from annual leave, so they are not deducted from it. Government-sector holidays are set under the civil service rules and announced each year, and their length may differ from the private sector.<\/p>\n<p><em>The days above are what the regulations set for the private sector; the Ministry of Human Resources announces the dates of each holiday in advance, so check the current official announcement.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2>Expected dates in 2027<\/h2>\n<table class=\"usus-tbl\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Holiday<\/th>\n<th>Expected date<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Founding Day<\/td>\n<td>Monday 22 February 2027<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Eid al-Fitr 1448<\/td>\n<td>Around 9 March 2027, subject to the moon sighting<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Eid al-Adha 1448<\/td>\n<td>Around mid-May 2027, subject to the moon sighting<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>97th National Day<\/td>\n<td>Thursday 23 September 2027<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>The Eid dates are approximate because they follow the moon sighting; the Ministry announces the official start and end.<\/p>\n<h2>If the holiday falls on a Friday or Saturday<\/h2>\n<p>If National Day or Founding Day falls on a weekly rest day, the practice is to give the employee a working day off before or after it: the Thursday before if it falls on a Friday, and the Sunday after if it falls on a Saturday. This is announced at the time. Read <a href=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/saudi-national-day-holiday\/\">the National Day holiday<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/saudi-founding-day-holiday\/\">the Founding Day holiday<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Your rights on official holidays<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Full pay for the holiday, with no deduction from salary or from annual leave.<\/li>\n<li>If you work on the holiday, your hours are overtime with extra pay. Read <a href=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/working-on-public-holiday-saudi-arabia\/\">working on an official holiday<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>If an official holiday falls during your annual leave, it is generally not counted against it.<\/li>\n<li>An employer may not agree with an employee in advance to give up these holidays.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For all other leave (annual, sick, marriage, bereavement, paternity), read <a href=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/employee-leave-saudi-labor-law\/\">employee leave under the Labor Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<h3>How many days is the Eid al-Fitr holiday in the private sector?<\/h3>\n<p>Four fully paid days starting the day after 29 Ramadan, under the Implementing Regulations; the Ministry announces the dates each year.<\/p>\n<h3>Is Flag Day or an international day an official holiday?<\/h3>\n<p>No. The official private-sector holidays are the two Eids, National Day and Founding Day, unless a decision says otherwise.<\/p>\n<h3>My employer did not give me the Eid holiday. What can I do?<\/h3>\n<p>Claim overtime pay for the days you worked, and you can file a complaint. Read <a href=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/labor-office-complaint-saudi-arabia\/\">labor office complaints<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>Are government holidays different?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes, their length may differ, because they follow the civil service rules and what is announced each year.<\/p>\n<h2>Lost your holiday rights or pay?<\/h2>\n<p>The <strong>Usus Law Firm<\/strong> team handles <a href=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/service\/labor-cases\/\">labor cases<\/a>: claiming holiday pay, complaints and labor claims, in <a href=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/lawyer-in-riyadh\/\">Riyadh<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/lawyer-in-tabuk\/\">Tabuk<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size:12.5px;color:#6a6178;border-top:1px solid #e6ddd0;padding-top:10px;margin-top:16px\"><em>This article is general legal information and is not a substitute for advice on your specific case. Court proceedings in Saudi Arabia are in Arabic; the official Arabic text of each law prevails.<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"usus-qbox\">\n<h2>Request a quick consultation<\/h2>\n<p>Leave your name and mobile number, and a lawyer from our Riyadh or Tabuk office will call you during working hours. We advise in English.<\/p>\n\n<div class=\"wpcf7 no-js\" id=\"wpcf7-f6963-o1\" lang=\"en-US\" dir=\"ltr\" data-wpcf7-id=\"6963\">\n<div class=\"screen-reader-response\"><p role=\"status\" aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\"><\/p> <ul><\/ul><\/div>\n<form action=\"\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8559#wpcf7-f6963-o1\" method=\"post\" class=\"wpcf7-form init\" aria-label=\"Contact form\" novalidate=\"novalidate\" data-status=\"init\">\n<fieldset class=\"hidden-fields-container\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wpcf7\" value=\"6963\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wpcf7_version\" value=\"6.2.2\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wpcf7_locale\" value=\"en_US\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wpcf7_unit_tag\" value=\"wpcf7-f6963-o1\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wpcf7_container_post\" value=\"0\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wpcf7_posted_data_hash\" value=\"\" \/>\n<\/fieldset>\n<span id=\"wpcf7-6ad085f7dc1ea-wrapper\" class=\"wpcf7-form-control-wrap cf7apps-honeypot-wrap honeypot-qf-wrap\" style=\"position:absolute;width:1px;height:1px;padding:0;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);white-space:nowrap;border:0;\"><label for=\"wpcf7-6ad085f7dc1ea-field\" class=\"hp-message\">Please leave this field empty.<\/label><input id=\"wpcf7-6ad085f7dc1ea-field\"  class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-text\" type=\"text\" name=\"honeypot-qf\" value=\"\" autocomplete=\"new-password\" tabindex=\"1000\" data-cf7apps-tabindex=\"1000\" \/><\/span>\n<div class=\"usus-qf\">\n<div class=\"f\"><label for=\"q-name\">Name<\/label><span class=\"wpcf7-form-control-wrap\" data-name=\"q-name\"><input size=\"40\" maxlength=\"400\" class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-text wpcf7-validates-as-required\" id=\"q-name\" autocomplete=\"name\" aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\" placeholder=\"Your name\" value=\"\" type=\"text\" name=\"q-name\" \/><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"f\"><label for=\"q-phone\">Mobile<\/label><span class=\"wpcf7-form-control-wrap\" data-name=\"q-phone\"><input size=\"40\" maxlength=\"400\" class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-tel wpcf7-validates-as-required wpcf7-text wpcf7-validates-as-tel\" id=\"q-phone\" autocomplete=\"tel\" aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\" placeholder=\"05xxxxxxxx\" value=\"\" type=\"tel\" name=\"q-phone\" \/><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"f\"><label for=\"q-city\">City<\/label><span class=\"wpcf7-form-control-wrap\" data-name=\"q-city\"><select class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-select wpcf7-validates-as-required\" id=\"q-city\" aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\" name=\"q-city\"><option value=\"Riyadh\">Riyadh<\/option><option value=\"Tabuk\">Tabuk<\/option><option value=\"Other city\">Other city<\/option><\/select><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"f w\"><label for=\"q-msg\">Your case in brief (optional)<\/label><span class=\"wpcf7-form-control-wrap\" data-name=\"q-msg\"><textarea cols=\"40\" rows=\"2\" maxlength=\"600\" class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-textarea\" id=\"q-msg\" aria-invalid=\"false\" placeholder=\"One or two lines are enough\" name=\"q-msg\"><\/textarea><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"s\"><input class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-submit has-spinner\" type=\"submit\" value=\"Request a call from a lawyer\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div><div class=\"wpcf7-response-output\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n<\/form>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How many days is the Eid holiday in the private sector? Are National Day and Founding Day holidays for every employee? And what if your employer asks you to work on a holiday? Official holidays in Saudi Arabia are a right of the employee under the Labor Law, and the Implementing Regulations set their days [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8571,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[85],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8559","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-labor-law"],"acf":[],"featured_image_src":{"landsacpe":["https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-cover-8559-1140x445.jpg?wsr",1140,445,true],"list":["https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-cover-8559-463x348.jpg?wsr",463,348,true],"medium":["https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-cover-8559-300x169.jpg?wsr",300,169,true],"full":["https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-cover-8559.jpg?wsr",1200,675,false]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8559","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8559"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8559\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8593,"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8559\/revisions\/8593"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8571"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8559"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8559"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8559"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}