Jordan's Prime Minister Jafar Abdel Fattah Hassan has officially confirmed Tuesday, June 16, 2026, as a public holiday to mark the Islamic Hijri New Year. The announcement was made on Sunday, June 7, through a circular issued by the prime minister's office, as reported by The Jordan Times.
All ministries, municipalities, joint service councils, government departments, public institutions and authorities, public universities, the Greater Amman Municipality, and wholly government-owned companies will observe the holiday. The celebration honors the significance of the Islamic New Year and commemorates the Prophet Mohammad's migration from Mecca to Medina, known as the Hijra.
Holiday Details and Exemptions
The government's circular also specifies exemptions for ministries, departments, and institutions where continued operations are otherwise required. The prime minister urged all government entities to highlight the importance of the Islamic New Year and honor it accordingly. Jordan, a predominantly Muslim country where Islam is the official state religion and approximately 92% to 97% of the population are Sunni Muslims, observes this holiday as a reflection of its cultural and religious heritage.
Significance of the Hijri Calendar
This Muharram 1 marks 1448 lunar years since the Prophet Mohammad's migration from Mecca to Medina in Saudi Arabia, known as the Hijra. The Hijri calendar, rooted in the pre-Islamic era and formally starting with the Hijrah, has guided Muslims worldwide for centuries. It is used to determine important religious observances such as Ramadan, Hajj, Eid al-Fitr, and Eid al-Adha. Additionally, calculating Zakat (almsgiving) and determining personal maturity in Islamic jurisprudence rely on tracking time by the Hijri year.
Islamic Months in Order
The Islamic (Hijri) calendar is a lunar calendar consisting of 12 months in a year of 354 or 355 days. Because it is based on the phases of the moon, the months shift backward by about 11 days each year relative to the Gregorian calendar. The months are:
- Muharram
- Safar
- Rabi-ul-Awwal
- Rabi-ul-Thani
- Jumada-l-Ula
- Jumada-th-Thaniyya
- Rajab
- Shaaban
- Ramadhan
- Shawwal
- Dhul Qadah
- Dhul Hijja
This announcement follows a similar declaration by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which declared Monday, June 15, a public holiday for both government employees and private sector workers to mark the Hijri New Year 1448. The UAE's decision was made by the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources and the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, in line with the approved list of public holidays for 2026.
