Understanding the Hijri Calendar in Saudi Arabia

If you have recently arrived in Saudi Arabia, you may have noticed that dates here sometimes come in pairs. A government letter shows one year, your phone shows another, and somewhere along the way you realise the Kingdom quietly runs on two calendars at once. Welcome to the Hijri calendar, and do not worry, it is easier than it looks.

The Hijri, or Islamic, calendar is lunar. Each of its twelve months begins with the sighting of the new crescent moon and lasts 29 or 30 days, giving a year of about 354 days. That makes it roughly eleven days shorter than the Gregorian year, which is why occasions like Ramadan arrive a little earlier on your Western calendar every year. The Kingdom recently welcomed the year 1448, which began in mid-June, marked with quiet reflection rather than fireworks, since Muharram is a sacred month.

Why should an expat care? Because the Hijri calendar is the official calendar of Saudi Arabia, and it shapes real things in your life. Many government documents and deadlines follow Hijri dates, your Iqama expiry has traditionally been recorded in Hijri, ministry correspondence often uses it, and public holidays like the two Eids move with the lunar months. Knowing the system helps you avoid genuine surprises, like assuming you have a full Gregorian year on a document that follows the shorter lunar one.

A few months are worth learning by name. Muharram opens the year. Ramadan, the ninth month, is the month of fasting, when daily rhythms across the Kingdom transform beautifully. Dhul Hijjah, the twelfth, is the month of Hajj and Eid al-Adha.

The practical tips are simple. Absher and Tawakkalna show your key dates in both calendars, most Saudi phones and banking apps can display dual dates, and the official Umm al-Qura calendar is the reference everyone follows. Glance at both dates whenever anything official lands in your hands, and within a few months, thinking in two calendars will feel as natural as the call to prayer marking your afternoon.

Keywords: Hijri calendar, Islamic calendar Saudi Arabia, Hijri new year 1448, Umm al-Qura calendar, Hijri to Gregorian dates, Islamic months explained, expat life in Saudi Arabia