- The prominent northern African country of Egypt declared June 18, 2026, a public holiday for the Islamic Hijri New Year observance
- An official crescent moon sighting has been set for Monday, June 15, to confirm the start of the new lunar year
- The coming public holiday impacts ministries and government agencies, with examinations continuing as scheduled
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience reporting on national and regional news from Lagos, with a strong focus on Nigeria, Africa and broader international affairs.
Cairo, Egypt – Mostafa Madbouly, the prime minister of Egypt, has declared Thursday, June 18, 2026, as a public holiday in observance of the Islamic Hijri New Year (1448 AH).
According to the State Information Service (SIS), Egypt’s official government media and information authority, the country’s Dar Al-Iftaa (an Islamic institution or council responsible for issuing formal legal rulings and religious verdicts known as fatwas) is expected to sight the crescent moon for the first month of Muharram on June 15, which corresponds to the 29th of Dhu al-Hijjah in the Islamic calendar, marking the beginning of the new lunar year.
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Source: Twitter
Egypt declares Hijri holiday
Egypt is a majority Muslim country.
Legit.ng reports that this Muharram 1 marks 1448 lunar years since the Prophet Muhammad’s migration from Mecca to Medina in Saudi Arabia, known as the “Hijra”.
The update concerning the work-free day in Egypt was also reported on Monday, June 8, 2026, by Lovin Cairo.
The public holiday applies to employees in ministries, government agencies, local councils, and the public business sector.
According to the statement, the holiday will replace the Gregorian date corresponding to the first day of Muharram 1448 AH, subject to the official religious sighting of the new lunar month.
The decree confirmed that scheduled examinations will proceed as planned, in line with timetables set by the relevant authorities, per a report by Ahram Online.
Source: Twitter
Hijri calendar converter
People can convert dates between the Hijri (Islamic) and Gregorian calendars, allowing them to view both systems side by side and compare dates with ease.
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Because the Hijri calendar is lunar, it shifts backwards by about 10 to 11 days each Gregorian year.
For accurate conversion from Gregorian to Hijri dates, users can rely on online tools based on the official Umm al-Qura calendar, which is primarily used in Saudi Arabia.
Read more on Hijri New Year:
Jordan announces holiday for Islamic New Year
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Jafar Hassan, the prime minister of Jordan, issued a circular declaring Tuesday, 16 June 2026, a public holiday to mark the beginning of the Islamic Hijri New Year.
The holiday will apply to ministries, government departments, public institutions and authorities, public universities, municipalities, joint service councils, the Greater Amman Municipality, and wholly government‑owned companies. Certain ministries and institutions exempted by necessity will continue operations.
The circular from the Prime Ministry also called on government entities to highlight the significance of the Islamic New Year and honour the occasion appropriately.
Source: Legit.ng