Saudi Arabia announces a four-day holiday for Eid Al-Adha 2026
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The question on the tip of everyone’s tongues lately has been what are the Eid Al-Adha holiday 2026 dates in Saudi Arabia? And we’ve just got the official confirmation, a four-day holiday for Eid Al-Adha 2026 has just been announced.
As confirmed by the Ministry of Human Resources via X (formerly Twitter), the Eid Al-Adha 2026 holiday for both the private and non-profit sectors will be four days long, starting from the Day of Arafah (Tuesday May 26).
موعد إجازة #عيد_الأضحى لهذا العام، للقطاعين الخاص وغير الربحي. pic.twitter.com/dzWQoibIHD
— وزارة الموارد البشرية والتنمية الاجتماعية (@HRSD_SA) May 17, 2026
The crescent for the month of Dhul Hijjah was seen yesterday, and today (Monday May 18) will be the first day of Dhul Hijjah 1447. Meaning that the Eid Al-Adha 2026 dates will begin on Wednesday May 27 and last until Friday May 30.
The dates
- Monday May 18: Dhul Hijjah 1
- Tuesday May 26: Dhul Hijjah 9 (Day of Arafah)
- Wednesday May 27: Dhull Hijjah 10, the first day of Eid Al-Adha
More about Eid Al-Adha
In the Islamic lunar calendar, Eid al-Adha falls on the tenth day of Dhu al-Hijjah and lasts for three days. The holiday commemorates Prophet Ibrahim’s (Abraham) willingness to obey God by sacrificing his son. God then provided him with a lamb to sacrifice in his son’s place.
Animals are now sacrificed to commemorate the occasion, and the meat is divided into three portions: one portion is for friends and relatives, one is for the sacrificer and his family, while the rest of the meat is distributed to the poor and the needy.
The annual religious pilgrimage, Hajj, precedes the festival. The rites of pilgrimage are performed over five to six days, extending from the 8th to the 13th of Dhu al-Hijjah. The Hajj pilgrimage begins on the Dhul Hijjah 8 and lasts until Dhul Hijjah 13.
For more information, please visit: hrsd.gov.sa
