Is today a public holiday in Saudi Arabia?

Saudi Labor Law, Royal Decrees & SAMA Financial Rails

In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, statutory public holidays are codified under Article 112 of the Saudi Labor Law (Royal Decree No. M/51) and regulated for the private sector under Article 24 of the Executive Regulations of the Labor Law, administered by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD). Saudi statutory employment regulations recognize four official public holiday occasions per calendar year.

The 4 Statutory Holiday Occasions

Under MHRSD regulations, private-sector employees are entitled to full-wage paid leave across two civic commemorations and two religious observances:

• Saudi Founding Day (يوم التأسيس, 22 February): Established by Royal Order A/371 in 2022 to commemorate the founding of the First Saudi State in 1727. It is observed as a one-day paid holiday.
• Saudi National Day (اليوم الوطني, 23 September): Commemorates the 1932 unification of the Kingdom under King Abdulaziz Al Saud, granted as a one-day paid holiday.
• Eid Al-Fitr: A minimum statutory block of 4 consecutive paid days for the private sector, commencing on the day following the 29th of Ramadan in accordance with the official Umm al-Qura lunar calendar.
• Eid Al-Adha: A minimum statutory block of 4 consecutive paid days for the private sector, commencing on Arafat Day (9 Dhu al-Hijjah) through 12 Dhu al-Hijjah.

While private-sector employers must adhere to the 4-day statutory minimum under Labor Law Article 24, government ministries and public-sector civil service entities governed by the Civil Service Law traditionally observe extended holiday periods ranging from 10 to 14 consecutive calendar days during both Eid breaks.

Weekend Coincidence & Holiday Overlap Rules (Article 24)

Under Article 24 of the Executive Regulations of the Saudi Labor Law, strict statutory rules govern what happens when public holidays coincide with weekly rest days (Friday and Saturday) or with one another:

• Overlap with a Weekly Rest Day: If an official holiday falls on an employee's contracted weekly rest day (most commonly Friday), the employer is legally obligated to compensate the worker with an alternate day off either immediately preceding or following the holiday period.
• Overlap Between National/Founding Day and Eid: If Saudi National Day (23 September) or Founding Day (22 February) coincides with an Eid holiday break, the employee must be granted an additional compensatory day off in lieu, ensuring the statutory civic entitlement is not absorbed.
• Annual Leave Overlap: If an official statutory holiday occurs while an employee is on approved paid annual leave, the holiday days are not deducted from the employee's annual leave balance.

Article 107: Overtime & Working on Public Holidays

Under Article 107 of the Saudi Labor Law, an employer requiring an employee to work on an official public holiday must compensate the worker at overtime rates. The statutory compensation formula requires:

1. Payment of the worker's standard wage for the hours worked; plus
2. A statutory wage supplement equivalent to 50% of the employee's basic hourly wage.

In total, working on a public holiday commands at least 150% of the basic wage for all hours worked, unless the employment contract or corporate internal bylaws provide for an agreed compensatory day off alongside standard remuneration.

Banking Clearing Rails: SAMA, SARIE & Instant Payments (Sarie IPS)

Wholesale and retail interbank settlement across the Kingdom is supervised by the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA):

• Wholesale Settlement (SARIE): The Saudi Arabian Rial Interbank Express (SARIE) system halts wholesale gross settlements and batch interbank payroll files during official bank holidays notified by SAMA circulars. Commercial bank headquarters close during the designated holiday blocks.
• Duty Branches & Border Windows: To ensure cash liquidity and critical corporate services during prolonged Eid closures, SAMA mandates that domestic commercial banks (including Al Rajhi, SNB, and Riyad Bank) keep designated duty branches open in major commercial hubs, airports, and border entry ports.
• Instant Retail Payments (Sarie IPS): Operating over the national instant payment architecture, Sarie IPS functions 24/7/365. Instant peer-to-peer transfers, POS mobile checkouts, and account-to-account transfers up to SAMA regulatory limits clear in seconds without interruption throughout Eid and national holidays. Calculate business turnaround windows using our Working Days Calculator.

Saudi Exchange (Tadawul Trading Calendars)

The Saudi Exchange (Tadawul) suspends daytime equity, Sukuk, and derivatives market trading on Founding Day (22 February), National Day (23 September), and for extended multi-day trading halts during Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha (typically lasting between 4 and 7 trading sessions). When a fixed holiday falls on a Friday or Saturday, Tadawul announces an official compensatory closure on the preceding Thursday or following Sunday in accordance with its regulatory operating bylaws.

Saudi Arabia Payment Rails, Exchange Cutoffs & Statutory Pay Matrix (2026–2027)

When a statutory public holiday or in-lieu bank holiday occurs in Saudi Arabia, commercial banking counters, central bank real-time gross settlement (RTGS) rails, and retail instant payment systems follow distinct operational rules:

Key 2026 vs. 2027 Holiday Date Shifts & Bridge-Day Planning in Saudi Arabia

Because fixed calendar holidays shift one weekday forward between 2026 and 2027 (and movable lunar or liturgical holidays shift by 10 to 15 days), HR teams, payroll processors, and employees in Saudi Arabia should account for the following 2026–2027 date comparisons and leave-bridge opportunities: