New Year's Day National
New Year's Day on 1 January marks the start of the Gregorian calendar year. It is an official day off in Bahrain, reflecting the Gregorian calendar's role in government and business.
Bahrain Public Holidays 2026
Official Calendar
Complete Guide to Islamic Holidays, National Days & Work Schedule in Bahrain
Bahrain Public Holidays List 2026
| Holiday | Date | Day | Hijri date | Days off | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Thursday | 12 Rajab 1447 AH | 1 day | National | |
| Eid al-Fitr | Friday | 1 Shawwal 1447 AH | 3 days (20 March – 22 March) | Religious | |
| Labour Day | Friday | 14 Dhu al-Qadah 1447 AH | 1 day | National | |
| Arafat Day | Tuesday | 9 Dhu al-Hijjah 1447 AH | 1 day | Religious | |
| Eid al-Adha | Wednesday | 10 Dhu al-Hijjah 1447 AH | 3 days (27 May – 29 May) | Religious | |
| Islamic New Year | Tuesday | 1 Muharram 1448 AH | 1 day | Religious | |
| Ashura | Friday | 10 Muharram 1448 AH | 2 days (25 June – 26 June) | Religious | |
| Prophet's Birthday | Tuesday | 12 Rabi al-Awwal 1448 AH | 1 day | Religious | |
| Bahrain National Day | Wednesday | 7 Rajab 1448 AH | 2 days (16 December – 17 December) | National |
Weekend days: Friday and Saturday
Note: Religious holiday dates may vary based on moon sighting and could change by one day. Please check official sources for confirmation.
Long Weekends 2026
Plan your vacations! There are 5 long weekends this year where public holidays connect with regular weekend days.
-
3 days off 1 January – 3 January
New Year's Day
-
3 days off 20 March – 22 March
Eid al-Fitr
-
5 days off 26 May – 30 May
Arafat Day + Eid al-Adha
-
3 days off 25 June – 27 June
Ashura
-
4 days off 16 December – 19 December
Bahrain National Day
Bahrain Calendar 2026
Public holiday Weekend
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 — New Year's Day | 2 | 3 | ||||
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
| 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
- 1 January New Year's Day
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 — Eid al-Fitr | 21 — Eid al-Fitr |
| 22 — Eid al-Fitr | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| 29 | 30 | 31 |
- 20 March Eid al-Fitr
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 — Labour Day | 2 | |||||
| 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
| 24 | 25 | 26 — Arafat Day | 27 — Eid al-Adha | 28 — Eid al-Adha | 29 — Eid al-Adha | 30 |
| 31 |
- 1 May Labour Day
- 26 May Arafat Day
- 27 May Eid al-Adha
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 14 | 15 | 16 — Islamic New Year | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 — Ashura | 26 — Ashura | 27 |
| 28 | 29 | 30 |
- 16 June Islamic New Year
- 26 June Ashura
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||||
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
| 23 | 24 | 25 — Prophet's Birthday | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
| 30 | 31 |
- 25 August Prophet's Birthday
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
| 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| 29 | 30 |
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 — Bahrain National Day | 17 — Bahrain National Day | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
- 16 December Bahrain National Day
Religious Holidays
- Based on Islamic (Hijri) calendar
- May vary based on moon sighting
- Move about 11 days earlier each Gregorian year
National Holidays
- Fixed dates every year
- Celebrate historical events
- Usually single-day observances
2026 Holiday Summary
- Total public holidays
- 9
- National holidays
- 3
- Religious holidays
- 6
- Total days off
- 15
- Long weekends
- 5
- Weekend days
- Friday and Saturday
About Public Holidays in Bahrain
Bahrain's public holiday calendar combines national celebrations with both Sunni and Shia Islamic observances, reflecting the kingdom's diverse population. National Day on 16 December marks Bahrain's independence in 1971, while the annual Accession Day commemorates the king's ascension to the throne. Like Iraq, Bahrain includes certain Shia religious occasions among its official public holidays, distinguishing it from several Gulf neighbours. Islamic religious holidays are confirmed by official moon sighting. Bahrain has a well-developed private sector employment framework, and workers are entitled to paid leave on all official public holidays under Bahraini Labour Law. Bahrain's economy is built on financial services, banking, oil production, tourism, and manufacturing, with the official work week running Sunday through Thursday and the weekend on Friday and Saturday. Islamic holiday dates shift annually according to the lunar Hijri calendar, with official bodies confirming final dates through moon sighting.
Practical Information for Residents and Visitors
- Government offices and official institutions close on all officially declared public holidays.
- Bahraini Labour Law entitles private sector employees to paid leave on public holidays.
- Official and public celebrations are held on National Day and Accession Day.
- Islamic holiday dates are subject to official moon sighting confirmation and may shift by one day.
Official source: Government of Bahrain
Public Holiday Details 2026
Eid al-Fitr Religious
Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan and falls on 1 Shawwal in the Hijri calendar. Families attend the Eid prayer in the morning, visit relatives and exchange gifts, and children traditionally receive Eidiya money. The exact start is confirmed by moon sighting, so the date can move by one day. See Eid 2026 dates for all Arab countries.
Labour Day National
Labour Day on 1 May honours workers and the labour movement. In Bahrain government offices, banks and most businesses close for the day.
Arafat Day Religious
Arafat Day falls on 9 Dhu al-Hijjah, when pilgrims gather on Mount Arafat for the most important rite of the Hajj. Many Muslims who are not on pilgrimage fast on this day. It immediately precedes Eid al-Adha.
Eid al-Adha Religious
Eid al-Adha, the Feast of the Sacrifice, begins on 10 Dhu al-Hijjah, the day after pilgrims stand at Mount Arafat during the Hajj. Muslims perform the Eid prayer and many sacrifice a sheep or other livestock, sharing the meat with family, neighbours and those in need. It is the longest public holiday of the year in most Arab countries. See Eid 2026 dates for all Arab countries.
Islamic New Year Religious
The Islamic New Year (Ras al-Sana al-Hijriya) falls on 1 Muharram and marks the start of a new Hijri year, commemorating the Prophet Muhammad's migration (Hijra) from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE. It is a quiet, reflective holiday rather than a festive one.
Ashura Religious
Ashura falls on 10 Muharram. Many Sunni Muslims fast on this day, and for Shia Muslims it is a major day of mourning commemorating the martyrdom of Imam Hussein at Karbala in 680 CE. In Bahrain it is an official day off.
Prophet's Birthday Religious
Al-Mawlid al-Nabawi commemorates the birth of the Prophet Muhammad on 12 Rabi al-Awwal. In Bahrain it is an official holiday, often marked with religious lectures, poetry recitals in praise of the Prophet and traditional sweets.
Bahrain National Day National
Bahrain National Day on 16–17 December celebrates the kingdom's national heritage and the accession of the late Sheikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many public holidays does Bahrain have in 2026?
Bahrain has 9 public holidays in 2026: 3 national and 6 religious, adding up to about 15 days off.
When is Eid al-Fitr 2026 in Bahrain?
Eid al-Fitr in Bahrain falls on Friday, 20 March 2026 (1 Shawwal 1447 AH), with 3 days off (20 March to 22 March).
When is Eid al-Adha 2026 in Bahrain?
Eid al-Adha in Bahrain falls on Wednesday, 27 May 2026 (10 Dhu al-Hijjah 1447 AH), with 3 days off (27 May to 29 May).
What are the weekend days in Bahrain?
The official weekend in Bahrain is Friday and Saturday.
How many long weekends are there in Bahrain in 2026?
There are 5 long weekends where public holidays connect with the weekend. The longest is 5 days, from 26 May to 30 May.