Saudi Arabia’s upcoming public holidays to trigger travel demand

With three public holidays to come in Saudi Arabia in 2026, travel agents have high-value booking windows to capitalise on. Arafat Day and Eid Al Adha holidays will fall at the end of May, followed by Saudi National Day in September. By adding a few days’ annual leave clients can use the public holidays to book a nine-day long-haul trip and a four-day long weekend break.

Arafat Day and Eid Al Adha: Tuesday 26 to Friday 29 May 

With Arafat Day and Eid Al Adha falling back-to-back, the holidays will result in a four-day break from Tuesday 26 to Friday 29 May. As Islamic holidays, the official dates for both events are subject to a moon sighting. Travellers can extend the break into a nine-day holiday by adding two days of annual leave on Sunday 24 and Monday 25 May.

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Saudi National Day: Wednesday 23 September 

The kingdom’s final public holiday of 2026 is for Saudi National Day on Wednesday 23 September. Taking one day of annual leave on Thursday 24 September could extend this holiday into a four-day break, ideal for shorter getaways with the GCC region.

High travel demand is expected, as the next public holiday, Saudi Founding Day, will not fall until February 2027. Local carriers, including Saudia Airlines and Flyadeal, are expected to roll out discounts for National Day, further driving activity during this period.