Saudi Arabia Changes Its Weekend. Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah issued a royal decree June 23, 2013, shifting the nation's weekend for public workers from Thursday and Friday to Friday and Saturday, beginning June 28. The kingdom switched its national weekend to align its workweek with most of its Arab neighbors.
The Saudi working week begins on Sunday and ends on Thursday. Friday and Saturday are the official days of rest, but in certain cases Saturday might be considered as a working day.
Opening hours and bank holidays. The Saudi working week begins on Sunday and ends on Thursday. Friday and Saturday are the official days of rest, but in certain cases Saturday might be considered as a working day.
Private prayer services are suppressed, and the Saudi Arabian religious police reportedly regularly search the homes of Christians. Foreign workers are not allowed to celebrate Christmas or Easter.
Saudi Arabia will celebrate Eid tomorrow | GNN | 03 June 2019.
Potential tourist areas include the Hijaz and Sarawat Mountains, Red Sea diving and a number of ancient ruins. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), in 2018, Travel and tourism in Saudi Arabia added 9% to the Kingdom's total economy which is worth $65.2 billion.
Saudi Arabia to open up to foreign tourists with new visas. Saudi Arabia will open its doors to international tourists for the first time as part of a broader push to cut its economic dependence on oil. On Friday, the kingdom will launch a visa regime for 49 countries and relax strict dress codes for female visitors.
Saudi Arabia's official Umm al-Qura calendar marks the first day of Ramadan as May 6, 2019.
Eid al-Adha. Eid al-Adha (Arabic: ??? ??????, romanized: ʿīd al-ʾa??ā, lit. In the Islamic lunar calendar, Eid al-Adha falls on the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, and lasts for four days. In the international (Gregorian) calendar, the dates vary from year to year shifting approximately 11 days earlier each year.
Saudi Arabia has banned smoking in government offices and most public places, including restaurants, coffee shops, supermarkets and shopping centres. The ban includes smoking of water-pipes (or shishas), and prohibits selling tobacco to those under the age of 18. It banned smoking in its airports last year.
Some of the common food items in Saudi Arabian cuisine include wheat, rice, lamb, chicken, yogurt, potatoes, seafood and dates.
