When Is Eid: Egypt Expects Eid al-Fitr Holiday Starting March 20
9: 00 a. m. ET — When Is Eid is a central question for Egyptian workers as the Cabinet prepares decrees tied to astronomical calculations that point to the start of Eid al-Fitr. Why now: calculations identifying Shawwal’s opening and the government’s pending orders make an official holiday decision imminent.
Based on astronomical calculations, the first day of Shawwal 1447 AH will astronomically fall on Friday, March 20, 2026, thus coinciding with the first day of Eid al-Fitr.
Egypt Cabinet and Ministry of Labor Set Holiday Rules
The Cabinet will issue a decree shortly before the holiday to specify the number of official days off for government offices. That decree will be followed by a separate order from the Ministry of Labor to determine the holiday schedule for the private sector.
When Is Eid: Employees Await Official Announcement and Holiday Length
The Eid al-Fitr 2026 holiday for both the public and private sectors is expected to be three days long, with the precise timing to be fixed once the Cabinet publishes its decision. Employees are awaiting the Cabinet’s official announcement regarding the Eid al-Fitr holiday, which is expected to be published on the official website at the end of Ramadan, to learn the full details of the holiday based on the date of the first day of Eid al-Fitr 2026. Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm.
How the Timing Comes Together for Workers and Employers
The government’s procedural sequence — a Cabinet decree for public offices followed by a Ministry of Labor order for private businesses — creates a narrow window in which employers and employees will finalize plans for the spring holiday period. That sequence also explains why announcements are concentrated at the end of Ramadan rather than earlier in the month.
The astronomical calculation naming the start of Shawwal provides the technical trigger; the Cabinet’s decree and the Ministry of Labor’s subsequent instructions will convert that astronomical date into concrete days off for payroll and scheduling purposes.
The next confirmed event is the Cabinet’s official announcement at the end of Ramadan; more details are expected at 9: 00 a. m. ET on the day the decree is posted to the official website. If the Cabinet confirms the astronomical date, the three-day Eid al-Fitr holiday will apply to both public and private sectors as outlined above.
