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Qatar has published a comprehensive breakdown of public holidays and associated worker entitlements that guarantee full remuneration on designated days, according to a Legit.ng report citing the country’s labour regulations. The rules set out in Articles 78 to 85 and 96 to 97 of the Labour Law provide three working days of paid leave for Eid Al-Fitr and three working days for Eid Al-Adha. One additional paid day applies to Qatar National Day on December 18 while employers must grant three further working days at their discretion, producing a total of ten paid public holiday days annually.
The framework, which covers religious observances, national events and employer-selected rest, forms part of broader protections that prevent salary deductions for official holidays, a Legit.ng report published on October 31, 2026, stated. Employers retain flexibility in choosing the three discretionary days to align with operational requirements while still meeting the statutory minimum. Should employees work on any of these holidays they qualify for both a compensatory day off and premium pay, consistent with provisions in the same legal framework.
Muslim workers receive the right to as many as 20 days of unpaid leave once in their career to undertake the Hajj pilgrimage, the labour regulations specify. This entitlement stands apart from annual leave and public holidays, offering a dedicated accommodation for religious duty. The provision appears alongside other family-focused measures designed to balance workforce participation with personal obligations.
Pregnant workers and new mothers benefit from dedicated protections that include paid maternity leave after one year of service together with a daily nursing break, according to the compiled guide to worker rights. These measures, addressed in the referenced articles of the Labour Law, aim to safeguard health and family needs without interrupting legal employment status. The entitlements apply uniformly across private-sector establishments governed by the legislation.
Separate from public holidays, workers who complete one continuous year of service earn at least three weeks of paid annual leave, rising to four weeks after five years, an analysis by Al Faisal Law Firm found. The firm documented that Law No. 9 of 2026 updated Article 78 to replace the former Independence Day reference with the State’s National Day, now fixed on December 18 by Emiri Decision No. 57 of 2025. Such amendments reflect ongoing refinement of the Labour Law first enacted in 2004 to address contemporary employment conditions.
Analyses from multiple legal sources, including Al Faisal Law Firm and RCH Qatar, confirm that employees called to work on weekly rest days or public holidays must receive either a substitute day off or enhanced compensation of at least 150 percent of the basic wage. The rules form part of a wider system that also mandates a non-discriminatory minimum wage of 1,000 riyals per month plus allowances where housing and food are not provided. These interconnected provisions, updated as recently as 2026, underscore the regulatory emphasis on clear, enforceable worker protections across the private sector.
