How to Schedule Shifts During Eid, Saudi Arabia National Day, and Founding Day

Last updated: September 23, 2026

How to Schedule Shifts During Eid, Saudi Arabia National Day, and Founding Day

Public holidays in Saudi Arabia require careful workforce planning, particularly for businesses that continue operating during Eid, Saudi National Day, and Founding Day.

Retail stores, restaurants, hotels, hospitals, security companies, logistics businesses, transportation providers, manufacturing facilities, and other continuous operations may need employees to work while maintaining appropriate holiday entitlements and overtime records.

Under Saudi labor rules, employees are entitled to official holiday leave for Eid Al-Fitr, Eid Al-Adha, Saudi National Day, and Founding Day. HRSD guidance states that Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha each provide four days of holiday, while National Day and Founding Day each provide one day. Working during official holidays is treated as overtime under the applicable rules.

Effective holiday scheduling therefore requires more than simply marking a date as a holiday. Employers need to determine which employees are required for business continuity, prepare rotational schedules, manage weekly rest days, record actual hours, and ensure payroll receives accurate holiday-work information.

What Are the Main Public Holidays in Saudi Arabia?

For private-sector workforce planning, the key holidays include:

Holiday	General Entitlement
Eid Al-Fitr	4 days
Eid Al-Adha	4 days
Saudi National Day	1 day
Founding Day	1 day

HRSD states that Eid Al-Fitr begins on the day following the 29th of Ramadan according to the Umm Al-Qura calendar, while Eid Al-Adha begins from the Day of Arafah. National Day is observed on September 23, and Founding Day is observed on February 22.

The exact dates of Islamic holidays should be incorporated into the company's annual workforce calendar based on the applicable official announcements and calendar.

Why Holiday Shift Scheduling Requires Planning

A holiday does not necessarily mean every business can stop operating.

For example:

Hospitals require continuous staffing.
Hotels may experience increased occupancy.
Restaurants may have changing customer demand.
Retail stores may have increased footfall.
Security companies need site coverage.
Logistics businesses may continue deliveries.
Transportation companies may operate throughout the holiday period.
Manufacturing plants may require essential personnel.

HR therefore needs to distinguish between:

Employees who are on holiday and Employees who are required to work during the holiday.

This distinction should be reflected in the roster, attendance system, and payroll.

Step 1: Create a Saudi Holiday Calendar

HR should create an annual calendar containing all applicable public holidays.

The calendar should include:

Eid Al-Fitr
Eid Al-Adha
Saudi National Day
Founding Day
Weekly rest days
Company-specific closures
Planned operating periods
Relevant seasonal schedules

For example:

Holiday	Date/Period	Staffing Requirement
Eid Al-Fitr	Official holiday period	Essential staff
Eid Al-Adha	Official holiday period	Essential staff
National Day	September 23	Reduced/essential staff
Founding Day	February 22	Reduced/essential staff

The dates should be updated each year based on official announcements.

For example, HRSD officially announced February 22, 2026 as Founding Day for the public, private, and non-profit sectors.

Step 2: Identify Critical Operations

Before creating the holiday roster, identify which departments need to remain operational.

For example:

Hospital

Emergency
Nursing
Security
Pharmacy
Facilities

Hotel

Front office
Housekeeping
Food and beverage
Security
Maintenance

Retail

Store operations
Cashiers
Customer service
Security
Inventory

Logistics

Warehouse
Dispatch
Drivers
Customer service
Fleet operations

This prevents HR from scheduling unnecessary employees while ensuring essential functions remain covered.

Step 3: Divide Employees Into Holiday Shift Teams

Instead of asking the same employees to work throughout every holiday, create rotating teams.

For example:

Team	Eid Al-Fitr	Eid Al-Adha	National Day	Founding Day
Team A	Off	Working	Off	Working
Team B	Working	Off	Working	Off
Team C	Off	Working	Working	Off
Team D	Working	Off	Off	Working

The actual arrangement should be based on business requirements and applicable employment rules.

This approach gives managers a structured way to distribute holiday coverage.

Step 4: Plan Holiday Shifts in Advance

HR should publish holiday rosters early enough for employees and managers to understand their schedules.

A holiday roster should include:

Employee name or ID
Department
Work location
Holiday date
Shift start
Shift end
Break
Weekly rest day
Holiday status
Manager approval

For employees not required to work, the system should clearly show the applicable holiday leave.

For employees required to work, the schedule should clearly identify the holiday shift.

Step 5: Schedule Employees Based on Business Demand

Holiday demand is not always the same throughout the day.

For example, a restaurant may need:

Fewer employees during quieter periods
More employees during peak meal periods
Additional kitchen staff during busy periods
Additional service employees in the evening

Similarly, a retail business may need more employees during expected customer peaks.

A workforce management system can use historical attendance and demand information to create more efficient holiday rosters.

Step 6: Manage Eid Shifts Separately

Eid periods can require special workforce planning because customer and employee schedules may differ significantly from ordinary working days.

Eid Al-Fitr

Businesses may need staffing for:

Retail
Restaurants
Hotels
Transportation
Delivery
Security
Healthcare

HR can create a separate Eid roster rather than modifying the ordinary weekly schedule manually.

Eid Al-Adha

Eid Al-Adha may also require special staffing, particularly for:

Hospitality
Transportation
Retail
Healthcare
Security
Food services
Logistics

The official four-day holiday period should be incorporated into the workforce calendar.

Step 7: Schedule Saudi National Day

Saudi National Day is observed on September 23. HRSD identifies it as a one-day official holiday.

Businesses that remain open can create a dedicated National Day staffing plan.

For example:

Morning Shift: 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Evening Shift: 2:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Night/Closing Shift: 8:00 PM – 2:00 AM

The actual hours must comply with the working-hour requirements applicable to the employees.

If National Day coincides with a weekly rest day, HRSD guidance provides for compensation by an equivalent day before or after the holiday.

Step 8: Schedule Founding Day

Founding Day is observed on February 22 and is an official holiday for the private sector as well as the public and non-profit sectors.

For businesses that remain operational, HR can create a Founding Day shift roster in advance.

The roster can identify:

Employees on holiday
Essential employees
Backup employees
Shift managers
Branch coverage
Holiday working hours

Because Founding Day occurs on a fixed Gregorian date, it can be included in the annual HR scheduling calendar.

Step 9: Handle Employees Working on Public Holidays

Working during a public holiday has specific payroll implications.

HRSD states that working hours performed during public holidays are considered additional working hours. Overtime compensation is generally the hourly wage plus 50% of the basic wage, subject to the applicable rules.

For example, if an employee is scheduled to work during an official holiday, the attendance system should record:

Holiday date
Scheduled hours
Actual hours worked
Breaks
Overtime classification
Applicable compensation

This information should then be transferred accurately to payroll.

Step 10: Connect Holiday Scheduling With Attendance

A common payroll problem occurs when the holiday roster and attendance system are not synchronized.

For example:

Roster: Employee scheduled off for Eid
Attendance: Employee checks in
The system should flag the record for HR review.

Similarly:

Roster: Employee scheduled to work on National Day
Attendance: Employee checks in and completes the shift
The system should identify the work as holiday attendance so that payroll can process it correctly.

Step 11: Manage Holiday Shift Swaps

Employees may request to exchange holiday shifts.

For example:

Employee A is scheduled to work during Eid Al-Fitr but requests a change.
Employee B agrees to cover the shift.

A digital shift-swap workflow can require:

Employee A submits the request.
Employee B accepts.
The manager reviews the change.
HR approves if required.
The roster is updated.
Attendance uses the updated schedule.
Payroll receives the correct holiday-work record.

This is safer than relying on informal WhatsApp messages or verbal agreements.

Step 12: Maintain Backup Staffing

Holiday schedules can be affected by unexpected absences.

Companies should consider maintaining:

Backup employees
Relief teams
On-call personnel where applicable
Replacement lists
Cross-trained employees

A shift management platform can show managers which eligible employees are available when a scheduled worker becomes unavailable.

Holiday Shift Scheduling for Retail Businesses

Retail companies may remain operational during holidays and experience different customer demand.

A retailer can create:

Opening team
Sales team
Cashier team
Inventory team
Security team
Closing team

Managers can then distribute holiday shifts across employees rather than assigning the entire holiday workload to a small group.

Holiday Scheduling for Restaurants and Hotels

Restaurants and hotels may need increased staffing during certain holiday periods.

Scheduling can cover:

Kitchen
Restaurant service
Housekeeping
Reception
Concierge
Security
Maintenance

Managers can use demand-based staffing to determine when additional employees are needed.

Holiday Scheduling for Hospitals

Hospitals cannot simply stop operating during public holidays.

Holiday rosters may cover:

Emergency departments
Nursing
Doctors
Pharmacy
Laboratory
Security
Facilities
Patient support

Because healthcare operations can be continuous, managers should prepare holiday rosters well in advance and maintain backup coverage.

Holiday Scheduling for Security Companies

Security companies may need guards at:

Construction sites
Commercial buildings
Residential properties
Warehouses
Hotels
Industrial facilities

Holiday schedules should identify each employee's site, shift, and rest arrangements.

The company should also verify whether any special working-hour provisions apply to the employee's role.

Holiday Scheduling for Logistics and Delivery

Logistics companies may continue operating during holidays.

Scheduling can cover:

Warehouse teams
Drivers
Dispatchers
Fleet supervisors
Customer service
Maintenance

A digital system can help managers match employee availability with delivery and warehouse demand.

Managing Holiday Shifts During Ramadan

Eid Al-Fitr occurs immediately after Ramadan, making the transition between Ramadan scheduling and Eid scheduling particularly important.

During Ramadan, actual working hours for Muslim workers are reduced to a maximum of six hours per day or 36 hours per week under Article 98.

HR should therefore avoid simply copying the normal annual roster into the Eid period.

A better process is:

Ramadan schedule → Eid holiday schedule → Post-Eid normal schedule

This helps prevent incorrect working-hour calculations.

Managing Weekly Rest Days That Overlap With Holidays

Holiday scheduling must also account for weekly rest days.

HRSD guidance states that when official holidays overlap with weekly rest, the worker is compensated with equivalent time before or after the holiday.

For this reason, the scheduling system should identify overlapping:

Public holidays
Weekly rest days
Annual leave
Sick leave

rather than treating each calendar event independently.

Managing Annual Leave During Public Holidays

Public holidays can also overlap with annual leave.

HRSD guidance states that annual leave is extended by the number of official holiday days that overlap with it.

An HR system can automatically flag these overlaps for review and help HR maintain accurate leave balances.

Holiday Attendance and Payroll Integration

Holiday scheduling should be connected directly with payroll.

The workflow can be:

Holiday Calendar → Shift Roster → Employee Attendance → Holiday Work Detection → Overtime Calculation → Payroll

This reduces manual data entry and makes holiday payroll processing easier to audit.

How Shift Management Software Helps

A modern shift management platform can help Saudi businesses manage holiday staffing through several features.

Holiday Calendar

HR can add Eid Al-Fitr, Eid Al-Adha, National Day, and Founding Day to the organization's scheduling calendar.

Automated Shift Templates

Managers can create reusable holiday morning shifts, evening shifts, night shifts, weekend shifts, and emergency coverage shifts.

Employee Self-Service

Employees can view their holiday schedules through a mobile or web application.

Shift Swap Workflow

Employees can request and approve changes without relying on manual spreadsheets.

Attendance Integration

Holiday attendance can be matched automatically against scheduled shifts.

Overtime Alerts

The system can flag working hours that require HR or payroll review.

Multi-Branch Management

Businesses with branches in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Makkah, Madinah, and other locations can manage holiday schedules centrally.

Example of a Holiday Shift Plan

Consider a hotel with 30 employees.

Instead of assigning all employees to work during a holiday, HR could divide them into teams.

Team	Holiday Assignment	Staffing
Team A	Holiday Off	8
Team B	Morning Shift	7
Team C	Evening Shift	8
Team D	Night/Essential Coverage	7

The following holiday, the company could rotate assignments where operationally appropriate.

This creates a structured process for distributing holiday coverage.

Common Holiday Scheduling Problems

Last-Minute Scheduling: Creating rosters immediately before a holiday can lead to staffing gaps.
Manual Spreadsheets: Multiple managers may create conflicting versions of the same roster.
Unapproved Shift Changes: Employees may exchange shifts without updating official records.
Incorrect Holiday Payroll: Holiday attendance may not be identified correctly.
Double Scheduling: An employee may accidentally appear on two holiday shifts.
Insufficient Backup Coverage: Unexpected absences can leave a branch or site understaffed.
Poor Communication: Employees may not know whether they are working or on holiday.

A centralized shift management system can reduce many of these administrative issues.

Best Practices for Holiday Shift Scheduling

Saudi employers can improve holiday workforce planning by following these practices:

Create the annual holiday calendar in advance.
Identify departments that must remain operational.
Determine minimum staffing levels for each shift.
Create separate Eid, National Day, and Founding Day schedules.
Rotate holiday coverage where appropriate.
Publish holiday rosters early.
Allow controlled shift swaps.
Maintain backup staffing.
Track actual holiday attendance.
Connect attendance with payroll.
Review overtime calculations carefully.
Check holiday and weekly-rest overlaps.
Maintain records of schedule changes and approvals.
Review official HRSD announcements for holiday dates and applicable requirements.

Holiday Shift Scheduling Checklist

Before the Holiday

Add the holiday to the company calendar
Confirm the official holiday period
Identify essential departments
Determine required staffing levels
Create holiday shift templates
Assign employees
Check weekly rest arrangements
Publish the roster
Notify employees and managers

During the Holiday

Track employee attendance
Monitor staffing levels
Record actual working hours
Approve shift changes
Record holiday work correctly
Manage unexpected absences
Maintain backup coverage

After the Holiday

Review attendance
Reconcile holiday working hours
Check overtime records
Update payroll
Resolve attendance exceptions
Review staffing performance
Archive the holiday roster

Frequently Asked Questions

How many days of Eid holiday are employees entitled to in Saudi Arabia?

HRSD guidance provides four days for Eid Al-Fitr and four days for Eid Al-Adha, subject to the applicable rules and calendar dates.

How many days are provided for Saudi National Day?

Saudi National Day is a one-day official holiday, observed on September 23.

When is Saudi Founding Day?

Founding Day is observed annually on February 22. HRSD confirmed February 22, 2026 as an official holiday for the public, private, and non-profit sectors.

Can employees work during Eid or other public holidays?

Businesses that need to operate can schedule employees during holidays, but the working hours must be handled according to applicable labor and overtime requirements. HRSD states that working hours performed during public holidays are considered additional working hours.

How is holiday work compensated?

Under Article 107, overtime compensation is generally the hourly wage plus 50% of the basic wage. Working hours performed during holidays and official vacations are treated as overtime under the applicable rules.

What happens if a public holiday overlaps with a weekly rest day?

HRSD guidance provides compensation by an equivalent day before or after the holiday when an official holiday overlaps with a weekly rest day.

Can shift management software manage Eid and National Day schedules?

Yes. A shift management system can create holiday calendars, assign employees to holiday shifts, manage shift swaps, track attendance, identify holiday work, and provide payroll-ready records.

Conclusion

Scheduling employees during Eid, Saudi National Day, and Founding Day requires careful coordination between holiday entitlements, business continuity, shift coverage, attendance, and payroll.

Saudi labor rules provide official holiday entitlements for Eid Al-Fitr, Eid Al-Adha, National Day, and Founding Day, while working performed during public holidays is treated as overtime under the applicable rules.

For businesses that operate throughout holidays, a structured rotational schedule can distribute holiday coverage across employees while helping managers maintain adequate staffing.

A modern shift management system can further simplify the process by connecting the holiday calendar, employee roster, attendance, shift changes, overtime records, and payroll.

By planning holiday schedules in advance and maintaining accurate records, Saudi employers can reduce scheduling conflicts, improve workforce visibility, and manage holiday operations more efficiently.

Eid, Saudi Arabia National Day, and Founding Day schedules can be planned through InnBuilt Shift Management Software with holiday calendars, staffing requirements, replacement assignments, and employee notifications. Attendance records support the correct payroll treatment for approved holiday work.