Public holidays in Qatar

Qatar observes several public holidays. The two weekend days are Friday and Saturday, similarly to many other Islamic countries. Annual public holidays include:

DateEnglish nameLocal (Arabic) nameDescription
Second Tuesday in FebruaryNational Sports Dayاليوم الوطني للرياضةA public holiday. Started in 2012.
18 DecemberQatar National Dayاليوم الوطني لقطرNational Day of Qatar.
1st, 2nd, 3rd Shawwal Eid al-Fitrعيد الفطرCommemorates end of Ramadan.
10th, 11th, 12th ZulhijjahEid al-Adhaعيد الأضحىCommemorates Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son. Also known as the Big Feast (celebrated from the 10th to 13th).

Several holidays are celebrated by the government or banks as well. In 2009, Cabinet Decision No. 33 was passed by the Emir, decreeing the first Sunday in March as an official holiday for all financial institutions in Qatar.