National Day 2026: Paid Holiday for Private Sector

Saudi Arabia has declared Wednesday, 23 September 2026 (12 Rabi Al Thani 1448 AH) an official paid holiday for all employees in the private and non-profit sectors across the Kingdom, marking the 96th Saudi National Day.

The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development issued the decision under the Saudi Labour Law and Article 24 of its Executive Regulations, which govern official holidays and require employers to grant National Day leave. For 2026, the holiday for the private and non-profit sectors is one day only.

Eligible workers receive their full regular wage for that day — 100% of basic salary plus any contractual allowances — as a fully paid official holiday, with no salary deduction. If an employee is required to work on National Day, the Labour Law entitles them to their full wage for the day plus overtime pay, commonly calculated as the normal wage plus at least 50% of the hourly wage for the hours worked.

If National Day falls on an employee's weekly rest day, the practice under the Labour Law is to move the holiday to another day so the worker still receives a substitute paid day off without any loss of pay. For public-sector employees and students, 23 September 2026 is also recognized as an official National Day holiday; any extension or linkage with the weekend will depend on later formal announcements by the competent authorities.

Why it matters

National Day appears automatically as a paid official holiday in workers' records, and employers typically implement it through national labour platforms such as those integrating with قوى for employment and payroll compliance. The day does not require any individual application through أبشر, مقيم, or قوى by the employee.

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