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 Kuwait, reflecting the Gregorian calendar's role in government and business.
Kuwait Public Holidays 2026
Official Calendar
Complete Guide to Islamic Holidays, National Days & Work Schedule in Kuwait
Kuwait Public Holidays List 2026
| Holiday | Date | Day | Hijri date | Days off | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Thursday | 12 Rajab 1447 AH | 1 day | National | |
| Isra and Mi'raj | Friday | 27 Rajab 1447 AH | 1 day (18 January) | Religious | |
| National Day | Wednesday | 8 Ramadan 1447 AH | 1 day | National | |
| Liberation Day | Thursday | 9 Ramadan 1447 AH | 1 day | National | |
| Eid al-Fitr | Friday | 1 Shawwal 1447 AH | 4 days (19 March – 22 March) | Religious | |
| Arafat Day | Tuesday | 9 Dhu al-Hijjah 1447 AH | 1 day | Religious | |
| Eid al-Adha | Wednesday | 10 Dhu al-Hijjah 1447 AH | 5 days (27 May – 31 May) | Religious | |
| Islamic New Year | Tuesday | 1 Muharram 1448 AH | 1 day | Religious | |
| Prophet's Birthday | Tuesday | 12 Rabi al-Awwal 1448 AH | 1 day (27 August) | Religious |
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 6 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 16 January – 18 January
Isra and Mi'raj
-
4 days off 25 February – 28 February
National Day + Liberation Day
-
4 days off 19 March – 22 March
Eid al-Fitr
-
6 days off 26 May – 31 May
Arafat Day + Eid al-Adha
-
3 days off 27 August – 29 August
Prophet's Birthday
Kuwait 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 — Isra and Mi'raj | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
| 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
- 1 January New Year's Day
- 16 January Isra and Mi'raj
| 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 — National Day | 26 — Liberation Day | 27 | 28 |
- 25 February National Day
- 26 February Liberation 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 — Eid al-Fitr | 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 | 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 — Eid al-Adha |
| 31 — Eid al-Adha |
- 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 | 26 | 27 |
| 28 | 29 | 30 |
- 16 June Islamic New Year
| 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 — Prophet's Birthday | 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 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
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
- 16
- Long weekends
- 6
- Weekend days
- Friday and Saturday
About Public Holidays in Kuwait
Kuwait's public holiday calendar is shaped by two defining national events celebrated on consecutive days. National Day on 25 February marks Kuwait's independence in 1961, immediately followed by Liberation Day on 26 February, commemorating the liberation of Kuwait from Iraqi occupation in 1991. These back-to-back national holidays form the centrepiece of Kuwait's annual celebrations and are observed with significant public festivities. Islamic religious holidays include Eid Al-Fitr, Eid Al-Adha, and the Prophet's Birthday, all determined by official moon sighting. New Year's Day is also observed, reflecting Kuwait's openness as an international business hub. Oil and gas form the backbone of Kuwait's economy alongside finance and investment sectors, with the official work week running Sunday through Thursday and the weekend on Friday and Saturday. Islamic holiday dates shift each year according to the lunar Hijri calendar, with dates confirmed by official moon sighting committees.
Practical Information for Residents and Visitors
- Government offices and official institutions close on all public holidays.
- Kuwaiti Labour Law guarantees private sector employees paid leave on public holidays.
- National Day and Liberation Day see large public celebrations; some roads may be closed.
- Islamic holiday dates are officially announced by religious authorities following moon sighting.
Official source: Government of Kuwait
Public Holiday Details 2026
Isra and Mi'raj Religious
Isra and Mi'raj, on 27 Rajab, commemorates the Prophet Muhammad's night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and his ascension to the heavens. In Kuwait it is an official day off, sometimes moved to the start or end of the working week.
National Day National
National Day is the main patriotic celebration of Kuwait, with flags, parades and festivities across the country.
Liberation Day National
Liberation Day commemorates the liberation of Kuwait and is observed as an official national holiday.
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.
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.
Prophet's Birthday Religious
Al-Mawlid al-Nabawi commemorates the birth of the Prophet Muhammad on 12 Rabi al-Awwal. In Kuwait it is an official holiday, often marked with religious lectures, poetry recitals in praise of the Prophet and traditional sweets.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many public holidays does Kuwait have in 2026?
Kuwait has 9 public holidays in 2026: 3 national and 6 religious, adding up to about 16 days off.
When is Eid al-Fitr 2026 in Kuwait?
Eid al-Fitr in Kuwait falls on Friday, 20 March 2026 (1 Shawwal 1447 AH), with 4 days off (19 March to 22 March).
When is Eid al-Adha 2026 in Kuwait?
Eid al-Adha in Kuwait falls on Wednesday, 27 May 2026 (10 Dhu al-Hijjah 1447 AH), with 5 days off (27 May to 31 May).
What are the weekend days in Kuwait?
The official weekend in Kuwait is Friday and Saturday.
How many long weekends are there in Kuwait in 2026?
There are 6 long weekends where public holidays connect with the weekend. The longest is 6 days, from 26 May to 31 May.