Most GCC countries (Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman) observe a Friday-Saturday weekend. The UAE changed its weekend to Saturday-Sunday in January 2022 to align with global business. Our calculator applies the correct weekend rules automatically when you select a country. Public holidays for 2024 and 2025 are included, with Islamic holidays shown as approximate dates (actual dates depend on moon sighting).

Frequently asked questions

What is the weekend in UAE?

The UAE changed its official weekend from Friday-Saturday to Saturday-Sunday effective 1 January 2022. This applies to federal government employees. Many private-sector companies also adopted Saturday-Sunday, though some still observe Friday-Saturday. This calculator uses Saturday-Sunday for UAE by default.

What days are the weekend in Saudi Arabia?

Saudi Arabia observes a Friday-Saturday weekend. Thursday-Friday was the traditional weekend until 2013, when the Kingdom shifted to Friday-Saturday to increase the overlap with global business days.

How do I count working days between two dates?

Working days are all days in the date range that are neither weekend days nor public holidays. To count them: start with total calendar days, subtract weekend days, then subtract any public holidays that fall on a weekday. This calculator does all of this automatically based on your selected country.

Are Islamic public holidays on fixed dates?

No. Islamic holidays like Eid Al Fitr, Eid Al Adha, Islamic New Year, and the Prophet's Birthday (Mawlid) are based on the lunar Hijri calendar and shift approximately 11 days earlier each Gregorian year. The exact dates are confirmed by moon sighting, so they may differ from official announcements by a day. Dates shown for Islamic holidays in this calculator are approximate.

Do public holidays in GCC fall on the weekend get moved?

GCC countries generally do not have a consistent substitute holiday policy for public holidays that fall on weekends. Unlike the UK or US where bank holidays shift to Monday, in most GCC countries a holiday falling on a weekend is simply lost — employees do not receive a compensatory day off, unless the employer's policy states otherwise.