Saudi Arabia 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 Saudi Arabia: 2026 and 2027
| Holiday | Days | Rest of 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Founding Day | 1 day | — | Mon 22 Feb |
| Eid al-Fitr | 4 days | — | Tue 9 Mar – Fri 12 Mar · expected |
| Eid al-Adha (from Arafat Day) | 4 days | — | Sat 15 May – Tue 18 May (or Sun 16 May – Wed 19 May) · expected |
| National Day | 1 day | — | Thu 23 Sept |
Pay for working on a holiday
All hours worked on holidays and Eids count as overtime (Article 107(3)), paid at the actual hourly wage plus 50% of the basic hourly wage on top of the holiday pay already in your salary. With the worker's consent, paid compensatory leave of at least an hour and a half per hour can replace the cash. We calculate the hourly wage as monthly pay ÷ 30 ÷ 8.
Example: basic SAR 6,000 and actual SAR 8,000, working 8 hours on Eid: 8,000 ÷ 240 = 33.33, and 50% × 6,000 ÷ 240 = 12.50, so each hour is 45.83 and you are owed SAR 366.67.
Holidays that fall on the weekly rest day
The worker gets a similar day before or after it (Article 24 of the regulations), so if the Eid al-Fitr 2027 holiday includes Friday 12 March, a day in lieu is due. National Day or Founding Day inside an Eid holiday is not compensated. A holiday inside annual leave extends the leave by the same number of days.
Government sector
Civil servants have much longer holidays (about two weeks for each Eid), and Labour Law employees of government bodies get 4 to 5 working days per Eid under Council of Ministers Resolution 532. No private-sector public holidays remain in 2026.
Eid dates are expected dates by the Umm al-Qura calendar; the Ministry of Human Resources announces them before each Eid.
Frequently asked questions
How many days is the Eid al-Fitr holiday for the private sector?
4 days starting the day after 29 Ramadan by the Umm al-Qura calendar (Article 24 of the Executive Regulations). In 2027 it is expected from Tuesday 9 to Friday 12 March, with a day in lieu of the Friday before or after.
How many days is the Eid al-Adha holiday?
4 days starting on Arafat Day: expected from Saturday 15 to Tuesday 18 May 2027, or 16–19 May if Arafat is declared on Sunday.
Is Founding Day a holiday for the private sector?
Yes, one day on 22 February since the regulations were amended in 2022; in 2027 it falls on Monday 22 February.
How much is pay for working on Eid in Saudi Arabia?
All hours worked on holidays and Eids are overtime (Article 107): the actual hourly wage + 50% of the basic hourly wage, on top of holiday pay. Example: basic SAR 6,000, actual SAR 8,000 and 8 hours = SAR 366.67, or compensatory leave with the worker's consent.
What if a holiday falls on the weekly rest day?
The worker gets a similar day before or after it (Article 24), except that National Day or Founding Day falling inside an Eid holiday is not compensated.
How long are Eid holidays for government employees?
Much longer: the Eid al-Fitr 1447 holiday for civil servants was about 13 days. Employees of government bodies under the Labour Law get 4 to 5 working days for each Eid (Council of Ministers Resolution 532).
Sources
- Labour Law — Article 112 (English translation, HRDF)
- Umm Al-Qura — 2022 amendment adding Founding Day (Arabic)
- Umm Al-Qura — Royal Decree M/44 amending Article 107 (Arabic)
- Umm Al-Qura — Council of Ministers Resolution 532 on Eid holidays in government bodies (Arabic)
- Gulf News — Eid al-Fitr 2026 holiday for the private sector
Figures and formulas on this page were last reviewed on 2026-11-03.