In a recent decision, the Saudi Council of Ministers has approved the use of the Gregorian calendar as the basis for calculating durations in all official procedures and transactions. However, exceptions will apply to matters governed by Islamic Shariah, where the Hijri date remains the standard for period calculations.
Exceptions will also be made for cases explicitly specifying the use of the Hijri calendar for duration calculations. This important decision was reached during the Cabinet's weekly session, presided over by Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh.
It's worth noting that Saudi Arabia had previously initiated the use of the Gregorian calendar for specific official and legal activities. The Kingdom currently employs the Hijri calendar as the primary official calendar while simultaneously recognizing the Gregorian calendar as a secondary calendar. The Hijri calendar is approximately 11 to 12 days shorter than the Gregorian calendar each year.
