Bahrain public holidays 2026: What dates are confirmed?

01Bahrain public holidays 2026: full official calendar

This is an independent guide, not legal advice and not an official government website. Check the Bahrain National Portal calendar and PMO notices before acting.

This table combines the Bahrain National Portal calendar with Prime Minister’s Office closure circulars issued during 2026. The portal marks Islamic dates as subject to confirmation, so the dated circular takes priority when it publishes the actual government closure.

For planning after 22 October, the remaining listed public holiday is National Day on 16 and 17 December. The weekly government weekend is Friday and Saturday.

02New annual holiday announced in October 2026

Decree 54 of 2026 added Day of Pledge and Loyalty as an annual official public holiday on 1 June. The decree was issued on 15 October 2026 and says it takes effect the day after publication in the Official Gazette.

Because 1 June 2026 had already passed before the decree took effect, this page does not retroactively place it in the observed 2026 closure table. It is an annual date to include in planning for future years.

This distinction matters because older 2026 calendars published before October cannot show the new holiday. Use the current legislation for the annual holiday rule and dated government circulars for the actual closure in a particular year.

03Why the confirmed closure can be longer than the holiday name suggests

A dated government circular can add compensatory days when an official holiday overlaps the weekly weekend. In 2026, the Eid Al Fitr circular closed ministries and public institutions for Eid and the following two days, then extended the closure by two days because Friday and Saturday fell within it.

For Eid Al Adha, the government closure covered Arafat and Eid from 26 to 29 May, with Sunday 31 May added because Friday was inside the holiday.

Labour Day fell on Friday 1 May, so the government circular added Sunday 3 May as the compensatory holiday. Check the dated circular rather than assuming a one-day label always produces only one day away from government counters.

04Treat Islamic holiday dates as confirmed only when announced

For Ashura, the Bahrain National Portal lists 26 and 27 June, while the Central Bank of Bahrain bank-holiday table lists 24 and 25 June. The dated 17 June circular closed ministries, government departments, agencies and public institutions on Thursday 25 and Friday 26 June, with Sunday 28 June as compensation. For the 2026 government closure, use the dated circular.

Use an early calendar for leave planning, but do not book a non-refundable journey around a provisional Islamic date alone. Wait for the relevant Bahraini announcement, then confirm the operating schedule with your airline, employer, school, bank or service provider.

A closure circular applies to the government bodies it names. Private businesses, malls, clinics and transport services can have different hours even when the date is an official holiday.

05What official holidays mean for private-sector employees

Bahrain Labour Law Article 64 says a worker is entitled to leave on full pay during Eid and official occasions set by a Council of Ministers edict. Your employer should tell you how the confirmed holiday affects the roster.

If work circumstances require an employee to work on one of those days, Article 64 gives the worker a choice between 150 percent of the wage for the days worked or substitute leave. If one of those days falls on a Friday or public holiday, the worker receives another day in lieu.

Keep the employer’s written schedule and payslip if you work during an official holiday. Ask HR to explain whether the roster uses paid leave, holiday compensation or another rest day under the applicable rule.

New employees should also check whether the workplace follows a sector-specific roster or continuous-operation schedule. The official holiday entitlement still matters, but the day actually taken away from work or credited as compensation can depend on the confirmed shift arrangement.

06Plan government and everyday services around a holiday

Check the dated closure circular and the service’s own notice before visiting a government counter. Submit time-sensitive applications before the last working day and keep the submission confirmation.

Banks and schools publish their own calendars. Use the Central Bank of Bahrain bank-holiday page for listed bank dates, and the Ministry of Education academic calendar for school planning. Confirm the operating notice from the organisation you need.

If a deadline falls near a holiday, save the submission confirmation and any official notice about the closure. Do not send CPR copies, eKey credentials or one-time codes to anyone offering to “keep your place” while an office is closed.

Separate the legal holiday date, the government counter closure and your organisation’s operating schedule. They often overlap, but they answer different questions. The annual calendar names the occasion, a PMO circular states the ministries and public institutions affected, and an employer or service provider tells customers about its own hours.

Treat the published deadline as controlling unless the responsible authority announces an extension. Read the authority’s notice, submit earlier when possible and keep the timestamped confirmation.

Check your airline schedule, visa expiry date, transport timetable and attraction notice separately before travelling. Use the responsible official source for each condition.

07A practical 2026 leave-planning checklist

Use the calendar as a starting point, then separate confirmed government closures from provisional lunar dates. For National Day, mark 16 and 17 December and check whether your organisation announces different customer-facing hours.

For travel, check the airline schedule, visa expiry date and border requirements separately with the responsible official sources.

For work, keep the employer’s final roster. For school, use the Ministry of Education or school calendar. For official applications, submit early and keep a dated receipt.

1. Mark the fixed dates and the Friday-Saturday weekend.
2. Label Islamic dates as provisional until officially confirmed.
3. Check the Prime Minister’s Office circular for compensatory government days.
4. Confirm private-sector leave, shifts and compensation with the employer.
5. Check the exact service provider’s opening notice before travelling.
6. Keep confirmations, receipts and travel-change terms.

08FAQs

What are the remaining public holidays in Bahrain in 2026?

National Day on Wednesday 16 and Thursday 17 December is the remaining listed nationwide government holiday after 22 October. The 2026 PMO closure circular had not been published when checked.

When were the Eid holidays in Bahrain in 2026?

The Eid Al Fitr government closure ran from 20 to 24 March. The Eid Al Adha government closure ran from 26 to 29 May, with 31 May added as compensation.

What days are the Bahrain government weekend?

Friday and Saturday are the weekly holidays.

Was Eid Al Fitr a five-day government closure in 2026?

Yes. The circular covered Eid and the following two days, then added two compensatory days because Friday and Saturday fell within the closure.

When was the 2026 Eid Al Adha government holiday?

The closure ran from 26 to 29 May, with Sunday 31 May added as compensation.

Are Islamic holiday dates fixed far in advance?

No. Bahrain’s National Portal says Islamic holiday dates are subject to confirmation, and the official AIC says lunar dates can vary by about one day.

Is 1 June now a Bahrain public holiday?

Yes. Decree 54 of 2026 made 1 June the annual Day of Pledge and Loyalty holiday. The decree took effect after the 2026 date had passed.

Do private-sector employees receive paid official holidays?

Yes. Article 64 says workers are entitled to full-pay leave during Eid and official occasions set by a Council of Ministers edict.

What if a private-sector employee works on an official holiday?

The worker chooses 150 percent of the wage for the days worked or substitute leave. A holiday falling on Friday or a public holiday is compensated with another day in lieu.

09Official sources

• Bahrain National Portal holiday calendar
• Bahrain AIC public holidays 2026
• Eid Al Fitr holiday circular
• Eid Al Adha holiday circular
• Hijri New Year holiday circular
• Prophet Mohammed’s Birthday holiday circular
• Labour Day holiday circular
• Decree 54 of 2026, LLOC
• Labour Law No. 36 of 2012, LMRA
• Ashura holiday circular, 17 June 2026
• Prime Minister’s Office news
• Central Bank of Bahrain Official Bank Holidays
• Ministry of Education Academic Calendar

Sources checked 22 October 2026.