Mawlid al-Nabi: List of Muslim Countries That Do Not Declare a Public Holiday and Why
- Saudi Arabia and Qatar are the only widely cited Muslim-majority countries that do not declare Mawlid al-Nabi an official public holiday
- Both countries follow a Salafi/Wahhabi interpretation that views formal celebration of the Prophet's birthday as a religious innovation
- Dozens of Muslim-majority nations across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia officially observe Mawlid al-Nabi as a public holiday
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Saudi Arabia and Qatar stand apart from the overwhelming majority of Muslim-majority nations by not declaring Mawlid al-Nabi, the commemoration of Prophet Muhammad's birthday, as an official public holiday.
The exclusion is not incidental. Both countries follow the Salafi/Wahhabi school of Islamic thought, which classifies the formal observance of the Prophet's birthday as a bid'ah, meaning a religious innovation that lacks grounding in the earliest period of Islamic practice. Under this view, introducing such a celebration into the official calendar is considered impermissible.
Mawlid: Official holidays in both countries
Public holidays in Saudi Arabia and Qatar are limited mainly to the two major Islamic feasts: Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. Each country also recognises its own national occasions. Saudi Arabia observes Saudi National Day and Saudi Founding Day, while Qatar marks Qatar National Day and National Sports Day. Mawlid al-Nabi does not appear on either country's official list of gazetted public holidays.
It is worth noting that private reflection or informal observance of the Prophet's birthday may still take place among individuals in both countries. The position of the state, however, is that no official day off is granted and no state-sanctioned public celebrations are held.
Where Mawlid al-Nabi is officially recognised
The picture elsewhere in the Muslim world is markedly different. Across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, most Muslim-majority governments formally recognise the day. Countries including Nigeria, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sudan, Somalia, and Senegal all observe Mawlid al-Nabi as a public holiday.
Nigeria is expected to declare the public holiday on Tuesday, August 25, when Muslims in the country will be celebrating the 2026 Mawlid al-Nabi.
Saudi Arabia and Qatar remain the consistent, well-documented exceptions among Muslim-majority states on this question. Specific country policies can shift slightly over time, but multiple sources confirm that these two nations have maintained their position as the only Muslim-majority countries where Mawlid al-Nabi carries no official public holiday status.
Source: Legit.ng
