ع
Astronomical estimates place Arafat Day on or about May 15, 2027, with the Eid Al Adha observance extending through May 19 for a total of five consecutive days that have historically applied equally to public and private sector workers in Oman without a separate directive for the latter group. The Wego Travel Blog post updated on August 11, 2026, noted that the Oman News Agency typically issues the formal announcement a few days prior on behalf of the government following a declaration from the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs after moon sighting. An alternative calculation shifts the main Eid date to May 17, according to the same analysis, while the blog stressed that all such projections remain subject to official adjustment.
Royal Decree No. 53/2023, which took effect on July 31, 2023, and governs private sector holidays through its Article 72, establishes that all official Eid Al Adha days must be fully paid at the normal wage rate with no salary deduction permitted. The decree further specifies that these public holidays sit outside an employee’s annual leave balance, so any overlap with approved leave results in those days being excluded from the leave calculation. A review by the British Omani Society of the updated labour framework highlighted how the 2023 law standardised these entitlements after repealing prior regulations.
Employers must issue a written directive before requiring any worker to perform duties on an official holiday, after which the employee qualifies for compensation equal to 200 percent of the basic daily wage on top of normal pay or, by mutual agreement, two additional paid rest days for each holiday worked, the Royal Decree No. 53/2023 states. The Ministry of Labour provides a channel for filing complaints if these terms are not observed, according to summaries of the statute in sector analyses. Such provisions form part of broader overtime rules within the same article that address exceptional circumstances while protecting standard holiday observance.
National Center for Statistics and Information data placed the Omanization rate across the private sector at 42 percent by 2024, up from 34 percent in 2020, as authorities pushed to integrate more nationals into roles under the Vision 2040 plan. The Ministry of Labour targeted the creation of 33,000 private sector positions during 2026 as part of an initiative to generate 60,000 total job opportunities that year, including training programs, recent government statements showed. Private sector employment experienced an 8.8 percent workforce surge through 2026, reflecting sustained expansion that leaves holiday policies affecting a substantial share of the Sultanate’s labor market.
Recent Ministry of Labour figures recorded more than 11,000 labour violations in the first half of 2026, resulting in the deportation of nearly 3,000 workers and underscoring enforcement efforts around compliance with regulations including holiday and overtime rules. The decree authorises fines ranging from 100 to 300 Omani rials for certain breaches related to worker entitlements during prescribed holidays. Oversight falls to the Ministry of Labour, which maintains resources for both employers and employees to clarify obligations under the law.
The Wego Travel Blog post drew on announcements from the Oman News Agency, the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs to frame its guidance, while advising that workers consult official channels or legal professionals for case-specific advice. No annual leave is consumed by the Eid period itself, preserving full balances regardless of the final confirmed schedule. Similar five-day breaks have been the consistent pattern for Eid Al Adha in recent years once authorities finalise the lunar dates.
