Kuwait Public Holidays and Holiday Work Pay
The next holiday is shown first; then calculate what you are owed if you work on a holiday.
Pay for working on a public holiday
Public holidays in Kuwait: 2026 and 2027
| Holiday | Days | Rest of 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | 1 day | — | Fri 1 Jan |
| Isra and Mi'raj | 1 day | — | Tue 5 Jan; Sat 25 Dec (or Wed 6 Jan; Sun 26 Dec) · expected |
| National Day | 1 day | — | Thu 25 Feb |
| Liberation Day | 1 day | — | Fri 26 Feb |
| Eid al-Fitr | 3 days | — | Tue 9 Mar – Thu 11 Mar (or Wed 10 Mar – Fri 12 Mar) · expected |
| Arafat Day | 1 day | — | Sat 15 May (or Sun 16 May) · expected |
| Eid al-Adha | 3 days | — | Sun 16 May – Tue 18 May (or Mon 17 May – Wed 19 May) · expected |
| Islamic New Year | 1 day | — | Sun 6 Jun · expected |
| Prophet's Birthday | 1 day | — | Sat 14 Aug (or Sun 15 Aug) · expected |
Pay for working on a holiday
If the work requires an employee to work on one of these days, they are entitled to double pay for the day plus a substitute day (Article 68). We calculate the day's wage as total pay ÷ 26 and the amount owed as twice that on top of salary, as published legal columns read it. Another reading treats "double" as including the holiday pay already in salary, so the extra would be one day's wage.
Example: total salary KD 800 and one working day on Eid: 800 ÷ 26 = 30.77, so you are owed KD 61.54 plus a day off. On the minimum reading it is 30.77, and dividing salary by 30 gives 53.33.
Holidays that fall on the rest day
The law gives the private sector no day in lieu when a holiday falls on the weekly rest day. The Cabinet sets linking rest days for the government sector for each occasion, and they do not apply to the private sector by law.
2027 holidays
No private-sector holidays remain in 2026. In 2027 Isra and Mi'raj comes twice (around 5 January and 25 December), and National Day and Liberation Day fall on Thursday and Friday 25–26 February.
Hijri dates are expected by the Umm al-Qura calendar and may move by a day; the Cabinet announces holidays before each occasion.
Frequently asked questions
How many public holidays are there in Kuwait?
13 paid days for the private sector (Article 68): the Islamic New Year, Isra and Mi'raj, Eid al-Fitr (3 days), Arafat Day, Eid al-Adha (3 days), the Prophet's Birthday, National Day on 25 February, Liberation Day on 26 February and New Year's Day.
How much is pay for working on a public holiday in Kuwait?
Double pay for the day plus a substitute day (Article 68). We calculate 2 × the day's wage on top of salary (total ÷ 26); the minimum reading is one day's wage on top of salary. Example: total KD 800: 2 × 30.77 = KD 61.54 plus a day off.
Why is Isra and Mi'raj a holiday twice in 2027?
Because 27 Rajab falls twice in calendar year 2027: around 5 January (1448H) and around 25 December (1449H), so private-sector holidays in 2027 total 14 days.
Does the private sector get the extra rest days the government gets?
The law does not provide for them; rest days linking a holiday to the weekend are Cabinet decisions for the government sector.
Sources
- Al Anba — text of Labour Law 6/2010 (Article 68, Arabic)
- Kuwait Times — weekends, holidays and overtime: double pay and a day off
- Kuwait Times — are you getting paid on public holidays? (9/8/2021)
Figures and formulas on this page were last reviewed on 2026-11-03.