The Civil Service Commission announced on Wednesday the holiday dates for the Hijri New Year, setting the public sector break for mid-June in observance of the Islamic year 1448. Government offices, ministries and state institutions will close for the occasion on either Tuesday, June 16, or Wednesday, June 17, 2026, depending on whether the month of Dhul Hijjah lasts 29 or 30 days, according to the CSC. Work resumption is scheduled for the day after the holiday or the following Sunday in the longer scenario.
Should Dhul Hijjah end after 29 days, the holiday will be observed on Tuesday, June 16, with employees returning to their posts on Wednesday, June 17, the commission said in its statement. A 30-day month would move the holiday to Wednesday, June 17, and designate Thursday, June 18, as an additional rest day, pushing the return to work to Sunday, June 21. The CSC released the details via its account on the X platform to ensure wide dissemination among public employees.
The conditional dates reflect the lunar nature of the Hijri calendar, where the precise start of each month awaits visual confirmation of the new crescent moon. The CSC has applied this method consistently to all religious holidays as the body responsible for regulating Kuwait’s civil service and coordinating leave periods. Similar announcements in prior years have followed the same pattern, adjusting for the lunar calendar’s annual shift of about 11 days relative to the Gregorian one, CSC data from previous cycles shows.
All government entities will follow the CSC directive, closing their operations during the specified period. Private businesses frequently elect to align with the national holiday schedule to facilitate family and social activities. The commission has not signaled any changes or extensions beyond the outlined plan, leaving the final determination to the official moon sighting expected in the coming days.
The CSC’s announcements for the Hijri New Year date back many years as part of its mandate to manage public sector policies. The holiday marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar, commemorating the Hijra of Prophet Muhammad in 622 AD. Regional counterparts in the GCC countries have issued comparable holiday notices, reflecting a common approach to these observances.
