A GUIDE TO GCC PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

UAE KSA Kuwait Oman Bahrain Qatar

What public holidays Employees in the private Employees in the private Employees in the private Employees in the private Employees in the private Employees in the private do employers have to sector in the UAE are sector in KSA are sector in Kuwait are sector in Oman are sector in Bahrain are sector in Qatar are provide employees in currently entitled to the currently entitled to the currently entitled to the entitled to public entitled to public currently entitled to the the private sector? following public holidays: following public holidays: following public holidays: holidays as may be holidays as may be following public holidays: specified by a decision decided by the Council  New Hijiri Year - 1  Eid Al-Fitr - 4 Days  New Hijiri Year - 1  Eid Al-Fitr - 3 of the Minister of of Ministers. Day Day Working Days  National Day - 1 Day Manpower. Generally, in practice, (timed according to  Gregorian New Year  Israa and Mi'raj - 1  Eid Al-Adha and the following public the lunar calendar - 1 Day Day Arafat Day - 4 Days holidays are given to and local sightings  Eid Al-Fitr - 2 Days  Eid Al-Fitr - 3 Days employees in the private of various phases of sector: the moon.  Eid Al-Adha and  Day preceding Eid Arafat Day - 3 Days Al-Adha - 1 Day  Gregorian New Year Therefore, the exact -1 Day dates change each  Prophet  Eid Al-Adha - 3 year and are not Mohammad's Days  Labour Day - 1 Day announced until a Birthday Anniversary  Prophet  Eid Al-Fitr - 3 Days day or so before the - 1 Day Mohammad's actual public holiday  Eid Al-Adha - 3  Isra and Mi'raj - 1 Birthday Anniversary when declared by Days Day - 1 Day the competent  Al Hijiri New Year - 1 authority)  National Day - 1 Day  National Day - 1 Day Day  Eid Al-Adha –3  'Martyrs' Day' or  Liberation Day - 1  Ashoora - 2 Days Working Days Commemoration Day (timed according to Day - 1 Day  Prophet  Gregorian New Year the lunar calendar Mohammad's - 1 Day and local sightings Birthday Anniversary of various phases of - 1 Day the moon.  National Day - 2 Therefore, the exact Days dates change each year and are not announced until a day or so before the actual public holiday when declared by the competent authority)

UAE KSA Kuwait Oman Bahrain Qatar

 Independence Day - 1 Working Day (usually falls on the 18th of December each year)  Qatar National Sports Day which falls on the second Tuesday (a working day) in February each year In addition, the employee is entitled to 3 working days to be specified by the employer

Can I require an Yes, although employers Yes, although employers Yes, although employers Yes, although employers Yes, although employers Yes, although employers employee to work on a should bear in mind the should bear in mind the should bear in mind the should bear in mind the should bear in mind the should bear in mind the public holiday? If so, religious significance of religious significance of religious significance of religious significance of religious significance of religious significance of is the employee some of the holidays. some of the holidays. some of the holidays. some of the holidays. some of the holidays. some of the holidays. entitled to time off in If the employee works lieu / financial on a public holiday the compensation? employee should be provided with time off in lieu or be financially compensated (please paragraph below). The employee must agree to work on a public holiday and this should be covered in the contractual arrangement between the parties.

UAE KSA Kuwait Oman Bahrain Qatar

Where you require an Employers should be Where you require an Where you require an Where you require an An employee working on employee to work on a aware that under the employee to work on a employee to do so, you employee to do so, you a Friday (a rest day in public holiday, you must Saudi Labour Law all public holiday, you must must provide that must provide that the Middle East) and provide that employee in hours worked during Eid provide that employee in employee in respect of employee in respect of public holidays is respect of the days holidays are considered respect of the days the days worked: the days worked: entitled to the following: worked with either: overtime hours. worked:  Compensatory leave  Compensatory leave time off in lieu and  Compensatory leave Employees working  Compensatory leave (i.e. time off in lieu); (i.e. time off in lieu); his/her basic salary for (i.e. time off in lieu) during this time are (i.e. time off in lieu); or or the hours worked plus a together with a therefore entitled to be and supplement equal to  Remuneration of not  The employee's bonus equal to 50% paid for each hour, their 50% of the employees  Remuneration of less than 125% of daily wage plus an of his/her hourly wage plus 50% of full salary if the twice the the employee's additional payment remuneration; or the basic wage. employee has worked employee's daily gross daily wage. of not less than between 9pm and 3am  a bonus equal to wage. 150% of the 150% of his/ her employee's daily OR remuneration. wage. his/her basic salary for Senior and managerial the hours worked plus a employees are also supplement equal to entitled to overtime if 150% of the employees they are required to full salary . work on a public holiday.

Do employers have to No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes (please see give compensation or comments above) time off in lieu when a public holiday falls on the weekend?

Comments When a public holiday When a public holiday When a public holiday When a public holiday When a public holiday When a public holiday falls on the weekend (or falls on a weekend an falls on a weekend an falls on the weekend an falls on the weekend an falls on the weekend an any other non-working employee is entitled to employee is entitled to employee is entitled to a employee is entitled to a employee is entitled to a day) an employee is not the same days off in double their basic wage day in off lieu. day off in lieu. day off in lieu. entitled to compensation lieu, either before or and a day off in lieu. or time off in lieu. In after the public holiday. practice, some companies do offer time off in lieu where a public holidays falls on the weekend but this is entirely discretionary.