{"id":8561,"date":"2026-10-12T17:54:34","date_gmt":"2026-10-12T14:54:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/saudi-founding-day-holiday\/"},"modified":"2026-10-12T18:02:30","modified_gmt":"2026-10-12T15:02:30","slug":"saudi-founding-day-holiday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/saudi-founding-day-holiday\/","title":{"rendered":"Founding Day Holiday for the Private Sector: Date and Employee Rights"},"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><strong>Founding Day<\/strong>, on <strong>22 February<\/strong> each year, commemorates the founding of the first Saudi state by Imam Muhammad bin Saud in 1727. A royal order adopted it as a national day in 2022, and it became a <strong>fully paid official holiday<\/strong> in both the public and private sectors. Here are your rights.<\/p>\n<h2>The Founding Day holiday at a glance<\/h2>\n<table class=\"usus-tbl\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th><\/th>\n<th>Private sector<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Date<\/td>\n<td>22 February every year<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Length<\/td>\n<td>One fully paid day<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>If it falls on a Friday or Saturday<\/td>\n<td>Usually replaced by a working day before or after, as announced<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Working that day<\/td>\n<td>Overtime hours with extra pay<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<figure class=\"usus-ig usus-ig-8561-1\"><img class=\"wp-image-8597\" src=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-8561-1.webp\" width=\"1200\" height=\"856\" alt=\"The Founding Day holiday at a glance \u2014 Founding Day Holiday for the Private Sector (Usus Law Firm infographic)\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-8561-1.webp 1200w, https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-8561-1-768x548.webp 768w, https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-8561-1-640x457.webp 640w, https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-8561-1-400x285.webp 400w, https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-8561-1-367x262.webp 367w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/figure>\n<p><em>The Ministry of Human Resources announces the official date and any replacement day before the holiday; the official announcement prevails.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2>Upcoming dates<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Founding Day 2027: Monday 22 February 2027.<\/li>\n<li>Founding Day 2028: Tuesday 22 February 2028.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Founding Day and National Day: what is the difference?<\/h2>\n<table class=\"usus-tbl\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th><\/th>\n<th>Founding Day<\/th>\n<th>National Day<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Date<\/td>\n<td>22 February<\/td>\n<td>23 September<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Occasion<\/td>\n<td>Founding of the first Saudi state, 1727<\/td>\n<td>Unification of the Kingdom, 1932<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Holiday<\/td>\n<td>One fully paid day<\/td>\n<td>One fully paid day<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Read <a href=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/saudi-national-day-holiday\/\">the National Day holiday<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/official-holidays-saudi-arabia\/\">all official holidays in Saudi Arabia<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>If you work on Founding Day<\/h2>\n<p>Hours worked on an official holiday count as overtime, paid at the hourly wage plus 50% of the basic wage. Work it out with the <a href=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/overtime-calculator-saudi-arabia\/\">overtime calculator<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<h3>Is Founding Day a holiday for the private sector?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes, one fully paid day.<\/p>\n<h3>Is Founding Day the same as National Day?<\/h3>\n<p>No. Founding Day on 22 February marks the first Saudi state; National Day on 23 September marks unification.<\/p>\n<h3>Can an employer deduct Founding Day from salary?<\/h3>\n<p>No, it is a fully paid holiday, and a deduction is a violation you can complain about. Read <a href=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/labor-office-complaint-saudi-arabia\/\">labor office complaints<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>A dispute with your employer?<\/h2>\n<p>The <strong>Usus Law Firm<\/strong> team handles <a href=\"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/service\/labor-cases\/\">labor cases<\/a> 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\/8561#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=\"wpcf7-6ad090c569f69-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=\"wpcf7-6ad090c569f69-field\" class=\"hp-message\">Please leave this field empty.<\/label><input id=\"wpcf7-6ad090c569f69-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>Founding Day, on 22 February each year, commemorates the founding of the first Saudi state by Imam Muhammad bin Saud in 1727. A royal order adopted it as a national day in 2022, and it became a fully paid official holiday in both the public and private sectors. Here are your rights. The Founding Day [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8573,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[85],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8561","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-8561-1140x445.jpg?wsr",1140,445,true],"list":["https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-cover-8561-463x348.jpg?wsr",463,348,true],"medium":["https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-cover-8561-300x169.jpg?wsr",300,169,true],"full":["https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/usus-cover-8561.jpg?wsr",1200,675,false]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8561","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=8561"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8561\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8599,"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8561\/revisions\/8599"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8573"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8561"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8561"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ususlawfirm.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8561"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}