What Are The Public Holidays in Qatar in 2026?

List of Public Holidays in Qatar (2026)

Qatar’s public holidays are largely tied to Islamic lunar dates, so exact Gregorian dates can shift slightly depending on official moon sightings. The table below reflects the most widely accepted projected dates for 2026, but you should always confirm final dates with official government announcements closer to the time.

Do Employers Have to Provide Paid Leave on Public Holidays?

Yes, under Qatari labor practice, employees are generally entitled to paid leave on official public holidays, and if they are required to work, they must receive enhanced compensation. The Labor Law provides that workers are entitled to full pay on official holidays, and if work is necessary on those days, employees are usually owed premium pay (often at least basic wage plus additional percentage) or compensatory time off, subject to the specific terms of the law and any applicable employment contract or collective agreement.

Public holidays in Qatar are set at the national level, so there are no regional differences in which holidays apply. However, the exact dates of Islamic holidays such as Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha are confirmed by official moon sighting, so your company should treat the dates in the table as indicative and adjust once the government publishes the official circular.

For part-time employees, the safest approach is to provide paid public holiday leave on a pro-rated basis when the holiday falls on a day they would normally work. If a public holiday falls on a weekly rest day or a non-working day, many employers either grant a substitute day off or ensure that the total number of paid holiday days provided over the year is at least equivalent to the statutory minimum. You should reflect your approach clearly in employment contracts and internal policies, while ensuring that you meet or exceed the minimum protections in Qatari law.

Legal Penalties for Not Providing Paid Holiday Leave

Failure to respect public holiday entitlements in Qatar can expose your company to administrative penalties, back-pay orders, and potential disputes with employees. The Ministry of Labour is the primary enforcement authority and can investigate complaints, review payroll records, and require employers to correct non-compliant practices.

Where an employer does not pay employees correctly for public holidays or for work performed on those days, authorities can order payment of outstanding wages and, in some cases, impose fines under the Labor Law’s wage protection and working time provisions. Persistent or serious non-compliance can also affect your company’s reputation and its ability to obtain or renew certain licenses or approvals.

Common employer mistakes include treating public holidays as unpaid leave, failing to apply premium pay when employees work on an official holiday, and not adjusting schedules when holidays are officially moved or confirmed at short notice. To reduce risk, keep clear records of working hours and holiday pay, monitor official announcements, and ensure your local HR and payroll teams understand the specific rules that apply to your workforce.

How Do Holidays Affect Overtime Thresholds?

In Qatar, public holidays interact with overtime rules by changing how hours worked on those days are compensated. Work performed on an official public holiday is generally treated as exceptional and should be paid at a higher rate than ordinary working hours, often combining the normal wage with an additional premium. While the exact percentage and calculation method are set out in the Labor Law and may be supplemented by contract, the principle is that employees should not be worse off for working on a public holiday.

Hours worked on a public holiday can count toward daily or weekly overtime thresholds, and when those thresholds are exceeded, overtime premiums may apply on top of any public holiday premium. In practice, many employers in Qatar adopt a conservative approach and pay the higher of the applicable rates or combine them, to avoid underpayment risk. Because interpretations can vary, especially for shift workers and employees on alternative work patterns, you should obtain local legal or payroll advice and document your approach in your internal policies.

For salaried staff, it is common to provide a substitute day off if they work on a public holiday, particularly where tracking exact hours is difficult. Whatever approach you choose, consistency and clear communication are key to staying compliant and maintaining employee trust.

Stay 100% Compliant with Leave Regulations Using Playroll

Managing public holidays in Qatar can be tricky, especially when you are juggling lunar-based Eid dates, last-minute government announcements, and different work patterns across your team. Playroll helps you cut through that complexity so you can stay compliant without slowing down your business.

Our platform keeps track of official Qatari public holidays and updates your employees’ leave calendars automatically, so you always know which days are treated as paid holidays and when substitute days may be needed. We apply local labor law rules to your payroll calculations, helping ensure that employees who work on public holidays receive the correct premium pay or compensatory time off.

With Playroll, you can standardise your holiday and leave policies across countries while still respecting Qatar’s specific legal requirements. That means fewer manual calculations, fewer errors, and a much lower risk of underpaying staff or missing a statutory entitlement. If you are hiring in Qatar through an employer of record model, Playroll can also act as the legal employer, handling contracts, leave tracking, and payroll compliance on your behalf.

Instead of monitoring every legal update yourself, you get a single, reliable system that is built around local compliance. Your HR team can focus on supporting your people, while Playroll quietly keeps your Qatari holiday and leave obligations on track.