The move to the Gregorian calendar began in earnest in , when the Saudi government adopted it as the basis for paying civil servant salaries. This change was part of a broader austerity package to streamline public finances. Because the Hijri year is approximately 11 days shorter than the Gregorian year, the shift allowed the government to reduce the number of paydays per solar year, saving an estimated 12% on payroll costs.
In , the Saudi Cabinet, chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, further expanded this policy. The council officially approved the use of the Gregorian calendar for all official dealings, procedures, and transactions . This decision aims to: gregorian calendar saudi arabia
Saudi Arabia ’s official shift toward the marks a significant milestone in its modern history, signaling a move to align with global financial and administrative standards while maintaining its religious heritage. Historically, the Kingdom strictly followed the lunar Hijri calendar , but recent reforms under Vision 2030 have prioritized the solar-based Gregorian system for official transactions. A Transition Driven by Modernization The move to the Gregorian calendar began in