Pick a start and end date to count the working days.
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How many working days are between two dates?
Count the working days between two dates, or find the date a number of working days from now, using each Gulf country's weekend and its 2026 public holidays.
Weekend in UAE: Saturday–Sunday
Both dates are counted.
Uses the 2026 holiday list. Islamic dates are expected dates.
How Gulf working days are counted
The calculator walks through every date in your range and skips the country's weekend days (Saturday–Sunday in the UAE, Friday–Saturday elsewhere in the GCC). With holidays excluded, it also skips the public holidays on the 2026 list for that country. Islamic holidays are included at their expected dates and marked as such, because the official dates depend on moon sighting.
- Working day
- Any day that is not a weekend day and, when excluded, not a public holiday.
- Calendar days
- Every day in the range, including weekends and holidays.
- Expected date
- A lunar holiday date before its official announcement. It can move by a day.
- Count vs add
- Count includes both dates. Add starts the day after your start date.
Working days in sample 2026 periods
Calculated with the tool above, public holidays excluded.
| Country | Period | Calendar days | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| UAE | March 2026 (Eid al-Fitr) | 31 | 20 working days |
| Saudi Arabia | September 2026 (National Day) | 30 | 21 working days |
| Qatar | December 2026 (National Day) | 31 | 23 working days |
| Kuwait | February 2026 (National & Liberation Days) | 28 | 18 working days |
| UAE | 30 working days from 1 Oct 2026 | 42 | Lands on 12 Nov 2026 |
| Bahrain | 20 working days from 1 Dec 2026 | 30 | Lands on 31 Dec 2026 |
Islamic holidays at their expected dates; the count may shift by a day after official announcements.
When the working-day count can be off
- Estimate only — your contract and the employer's final calculation can differ. Rules reviewed Sep 2026.
- Eid and other Islamic holidays are expected dates until moon sighting confirms them.
- Public holidays are listed for 2026 only. Ranges that run into 2027 count weekends only for those days.
- Your employer may work a different week (six days, shifts, or a half-day Friday). The tool uses the standard weekend.
- Holidays announced after the list was reviewed, such as an extra day added at short notice, are not included.
Data Sources
2026 public holidays in the GCC
The holiday list the calculator uses, for all six Gulf countries. Dates marked expected are Islamic holidays that depend on moon sighting.
UAE public holidays 2026Weekend: Saturday–Sunday
| Holiday | Date | Days |
|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Thursday, 1 Jan 2026 | 1 |
| Eid al-Fitr(expected) | 19 Mar 2026 – 22 Mar 2026 | 4 |
| Arafat Day(expected) | Tuesday, 26 May 2026 | 1 |
| Eid al-Adha(expected) | 27 May 2026 – 29 May 2026 | 3 |
| Islamic New Year(expected) | Monday, 15 Jun 2026 | 1 |
| Prophet's Birthday(expected) | Tuesday, 25 Aug 2026 | 1 |
| UAE National Day | 2 Dec 2026 – 3 Dec 2026 | 2 |
Saudi Arabia public holidays 2026Weekend: Friday–Saturday
| Holiday | Date | Days |
|---|---|---|
| Founding Day | Sunday, 22 Feb 2026 | 1 |
| Eid al-Fitr(expected) | 20 Mar 2026 – 22 Mar 2026 | 3 |
| Arafat Day(expected) | Tuesday, 26 May 2026 | 1 |
| Eid al-Adha(expected) | 27 May 2026 – 29 May 2026 | 3 |
| Saudi National Day | Wednesday, 23 Sept 2026 | 1 |
Qatar public holidays 2026Weekend: Friday–Saturday
| Holiday | Date | Days |
|---|---|---|
| National Sport Day | Tuesday, 10 Feb 2026 | 1 |
| Eid al-Fitr(expected) | 20 Mar 2026 – 22 Mar 2026 | 3 |
| Arafat Day(expected) | Tuesday, 26 May 2026 | 1 |
| Eid al-Adha(expected) | 27 May 2026 – 29 May 2026 | 3 |
| Qatar National Day | Friday, 18 Dec 2026 | 1 |
Kuwait public holidays 2026Weekend: Friday–Saturday
| Holiday | Date | Days |
|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Thursday, 1 Jan 2026 | 1 |
| National Day | Wednesday, 25 Feb 2026 | 1 |
| Liberation Day | Thursday, 26 Feb 2026 | 1 |
| Eid al-Fitr(expected) | 20 Mar 2026 – 22 Mar 2026 | 3 |
| Arafat Day(expected) | Tuesday, 26 May 2026 | 1 |
| Eid al-Adha(expected) | 27 May 2026 – 29 May 2026 | 3 |
| Islamic New Year(expected) | Tuesday, 16 Jun 2026 | 1 |
| Prophet's Birthday(expected) | Tuesday, 25 Aug 2026 | 1 |
Bahrain public holidays 2026Weekend: Friday–Saturday
| Holiday | Date | Days |
|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Thursday, 1 Jan 2026 | 1 |
| Labour Day | Friday, 1 May 2026 | 1 |
| Eid al-Fitr(expected) | 20 Mar 2026 – 22 Mar 2026 | 3 |
| Arafat Day(expected) | Tuesday, 26 May 2026 | 1 |
| Eid al-Adha(expected) | 27 May 2026 – 29 May 2026 | 3 |
| Islamic New Year(expected) | Tuesday, 16 Jun 2026 | 1 |
| Prophet's Birthday(expected) | Tuesday, 25 Aug 2026 | 1 |
| National Day | 16 Dec 2026 – 17 Dec 2026 | 2 |
Oman public holidays 2026Weekend: Friday–Saturday
| Holiday | Date | Days |
|---|---|---|
| Accession Day (observed) | Thursday, 15 Jan 2026 | 1 |
| Eid al-Fitr(expected) | 20 Mar 2026 – 22 Mar 2026 | 3 |
| Arafat Day(expected) | Tuesday, 26 May 2026 | 1 |
| Eid al-Adha(expected) | 27 May 2026 – 29 May 2026 | 3 |
| Islamic New Year(expected) | Tuesday, 16 Jun 2026 | 1 |
| Prophet's Birthday(expected) | Tuesday, 25 Aug 2026 | 1 |
| National Day (observed; statutory 20–21 Nov fall on the weekend) | 25 Nov 2026 – 26 Nov 2026 | 2 |
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Frequently asked questions
Which days are the weekend in the Gulf?
The UAE's weekend is Saturday–Sunday. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman use Friday–Saturday. Some private employers set a different week in the contract, for example a six-day week, so check yours if the count needs to be exact.
Why are Eid dates marked as expected?
Islamic holidays follow the lunar Hijri calendar and are confirmed by moon sighting shortly before they begin, so the official date can move by a day. The calculator uses the expected dates and labels them. Once the government announces the final dates, the count may shift by one working day.
Does the count include the start and end date?
In 'count' mode, yes: both the start and end date are counted if they are working days. In 'add' mode the start date is not counted, so adding 1 working day to a Monday gives Tuesday, unless Tuesday is a holiday.
How many public holidays does the UAE have in 2026?
The 2026 list used here has 13 holiday days in the UAE, including Eid al-Fitr, Arafat Day, Eid al-Adha and UAE National Day. Saudi Arabia has 9, Qatar 9, Kuwait 12, Bahrain 13 and Oman 12. The full table is on this page.
Is my notice period in working days or calendar days?
It depends on how your contract words it. Many Gulf contracts state notice in days or months, which usually means calendar days. Our notice period calculator works out your last day from the contract terms; use this tool if your contract says working days.
What happens when a public holiday falls on a weekend?
The calculator never counts a day twice: a holiday on a weekend is already a non-working day, so it doesn't reduce the working-day count again. Governments sometimes move a holiday to a weekday instead, as Oman did for National Day 2026, and the list reflects those announcements where known.
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