Saudi Arabia & the Gulf

The Saudi religious calendar is determined by the Supreme Court's moon-sighting committee, whose announcements typically set the standard for Sunni observance across the wider Muslim world. The first ten days of Dhul Hijjah are marked by intensive preparations for Hajj, with over two million pilgrims arriving from across the world. Eid al-Adha is the central public holiday of the Saudi year, with weeklong school and government closures. Eid al-Fitr is similarly extended. Saudi Arabia and most Salafi-influenced communities do not formally observe Mawlid al-Nabi, regarding it as a later innovation. The Day of Arafah on the ninth of Dhul Hijjah is the most sacred day of the Saudi calendar. The UAE has emerged as a major hub of Islamic finance, scholarship, and tourism, with the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque hosting hundreds of thousands of worshippers each Eid. Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain observe similar calendars with the addition of Ashura observances by their Shia populations.