Hijri Date Converter

What is the Hijri calendar?

The Hijri calendar is the Islamic lunar calendar. Each month starts with a new crescent moon, and a year has twelve months. Years are counted from the Hijra, when the Prophet Muhammad moved from Makkah to Madinah in 622 CE. That is why years are written with "AH", which stands for Anno Hegirae, or "in the year of the Hijra". In Arabic you will often see the letter هـ after the year.

The Gregorian calendar, the one used across most of the world, follows the sun. A Gregorian year has 365 or 366 days. A Hijri year has only 354 or 355 days, because twelve moon cycles add up to less than a full solar year. The gap is about 11 days a year.

This difference is the reason Ramadan moves. In 2026, Ramadan began in mid February. In 2027 it begins in early February, and over about 33 years it passes through every season. It is also why converting dates is not simple subtraction. You need a table or an algorithm that knows the length of every month.

Every Hijri month has 29 or 30 days. No month is ever 28 or 31 days long. Which months have 29 days and which have 30 changes from year to year.

Hijri month names in English and Arabic

English spellings of Hijri months vary a lot. You may see Rabi al-Awwal written as Rabi' I, Rabiul Awal or Rabi-ul-Awwal. They all mean the same month. The table below uses common spellings and gives the Arabic name used on official Saudi documents.

Weekday names in Arabic are also common on forms: Sunday is al-Ahad, Monday al-Ithnayn, Tuesday al-Thulatha, Wednesday al-Arbia, Thursday al-Khamis, Friday al-Jumuah and Saturday al-Sabt. The converter shows both the English and Arabic weekday.

The Umm al-Qura calendar

Umm al-Qura, which means "Mother of Towns", is a traditional name for Makkah. The Umm al-Qura calendar is Saudi Arabia's official calculated Hijri calendar. It is prepared in advance so that government offices, courts, schools and businesses can plan dates years ahead.

The rules behind it have changed a few times. Since 1423 AH (2002), the rule for the 29th day of each month is roughly this. If two things are both true on that evening at Makkah, the next day is the first of the new month:

• The astronomical new moon (the conjunction) happens before sunset.
• The moon sets after the sun.

If either condition fails, the current month runs to 30 days. These rules are purely astronomical. They do not require anyone to see the crescent. That makes the calendar predictable, which is very useful for civil life. But it also means that the calculated date may not match the date on which the crescent is actually seen.

Most modern computers and phones include the Umm al-Qura tables. In web browsers they are available under the calendar name islamic-umalqura. Our converter uses this built-in data, so it matches what you see on most Saudi digital services that show Umm al-Qura dates.

Moon sighting and why dates can differ by a day

For religious duties, many scholars hold that a new month starts when the crescent is actually seen, or when the current month completes 30 days. This follows well-known hadith about starting and ending the Ramadan fast by sighting the moon. Others accept astronomical calculation. Both approaches are followed by Muslims today.

In practice, this means:

• Saudi Arabia uses the Umm al-Qura calendar for civil dates. For Ramadan, Shawwal and Dhu al-Hijjah, the Supreme Court announces the start of the month after receiving sighting reports.
• Other Gulf states have their own moon sighting committees. They often follow the same date as Saudi Arabia, but not always.
• Countries further away, such as Pakistan, India or Bangladesh, often start Ramadan and Eid a day later than the Gulf, because the moon may be visible there one evening later.

A real example from 2026: Saudi Arabia announced that 1 Ramadan 1447 was Wednesday 18 February 2026. Oman's committee said the crescent could not be seen on the evening of 17 February and began Ramadan on Thursday 19 February. So for one day, two neighbouring Gulf countries were on different Hijri dates. Our converter shows 18 February, the Umm al-Qura date.

That is why the converter carries a note about ±1 day. For legal and civil dates in Saudi Arabia, the Umm al-Qura date is the standard. For worship dates, follow the announcement of your local authority.

How the converter works

Gregorian to Hijri

When you enter a Gregorian date, the page asks your browser to format that date using the Umm al-Qura calendar. The browser looks up the date in its built-in tables and returns the Hijri day, month and year. We then add the weekday and the month name in English and Arabic.

Hijri to Gregorian

Browsers can show a Hijri date, but they cannot read one in. So the converter uses a search. It first estimates the Gregorian date using the average lengths of a lunar year and month. Then it converts that guess back to Hijri, sees how far off it is, and moves forward or back until the Hijri dates match exactly.

If you enter day 30 for a month that has only 29 days in that year, no Gregorian date will match, and the converter tells you the month has 29 days.

We tested the converter for every single day from March 1937 to November 2077, over 51,000 days. Converting each day to Hijri and back gave the original date every time.

Supported range

The converter accepts Hijri years 1356 to 1500, which is roughly 1937 to 2077. This range covers almost every practical use, such as birth dates, contract dates and future planning.

Worked examples

Example 1: Gregorian to Hijri

You want to know the Hijri date of Friday 23 October 2026.

• Enter 23 October 2026 with "Gregorian → Hijri" selected.
• Result: 12 Jumada al-Ula 1448 AH, Friday (al-Jumuah).
• Arabic month name: جمادى الأولى.

Example 2: Hijri to Gregorian for Ramadan

You want to plan for the start of Ramadan 1448.

• Choose "Hijri → Gregorian". Enter day 1, month Ramadan, year 1448.
• Result: Monday 8 February 2027 on the Umm al-Qura calendar.
• Remember that the actual start will be confirmed by moon sighting, and could be a day later in some places.

Example 3: Checking the Day of Arafah

Enter 9 Dhu al-Hijjah 1447. The converter gives Tuesday 26 May 2026. Saudi Arabia's Supreme Court confirmed Arafah on that day, with Eid al-Adha on Wednesday 27 May 2026.

Example 4: A day that does not exist

Enter 30 Shaban 1447. The converter shows an error explaining that Shaban 1447 has only 29 days on the Umm al-Qura calendar. The day after 29 Shaban 1447 (17 February 2026) was 1 Ramadan.

Example 5: Islamic New Year

Enter 1 Muharram 1448. The result is Tuesday 16 June 2026. This is the start of the Hijri year 1448.

Key dates for 1447 and 1448 AH

These are Umm al-Qura dates from the converter. Dates already passed in 2026 were also confirmed by official Saudi announcements. Future dates may move by one day after moon sighting.

The Umm al-Qura calendar gives Ramadan 1447 thirty days. Saudi Arabia's Eid al-Fitr on Friday 20 March 2026 matched it, after the Shawwal crescent was not sighted on the evening of 18 March.

How Hijri dates are used in the Gulf

Saudi Arabia

For many years the Saudi government used the Hijri calendar for nearly everything, including salaries. In October 2016 the Council of Ministers moved salaries, allowances and other payments for government staff to the Gregorian calendar, to match the fiscal year. Hijri dates are still common on official documents and in government systems. Many older iqamas, passports and records show Hijri dates, and some government portals display both.

If you work in the Saudi private sector, your contract will usually state which calendar it uses. This matters for things like contract length and leave. Because a Hijri year is about 11 days shorter, a "one-year" contract written in Hijri ends earlier than one written in Gregorian. For service-based payments, such as end of service benefits, check which calendar your employer uses. Our Saudi End of Service Calculator and Saudi Vacation Salary Calculator use Gregorian dates, so convert any Hijri dates first.

Other Gulf countries

The UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman mainly use the Gregorian calendar for business and labour matters. Hijri dates still matter for public holidays, Ramadan working hours, Islamic finance products, inheritance and personal status matters, and religious events.

Zakat and Islamic finance

Zakat is based on a lunar year. Many people choose a fixed Hijri date, such as 1 Ramadan, as their zakat date. Use this converter to find the Gregorian date each year, then work out what you owe with our Zakat Calculator.

Special cases

Hijri dates of birth

Older Saudi records often hold a date of birth only in Hijri. Sometimes only the year is recorded. If a document shows only a Hijri year, the Gregorian year can fall in one of two years. Enter the full date if you have it, and check the weekday against any other paperwork.

Age in Hijri years

Because a Hijri year is shorter, a person is slightly "older" in Hijri years than in Gregorian years. After about 33 Gregorian years, the Hijri count is one year ahead. This can matter wherever a rule is written in Hijri years. Check which calendar the rule uses.

Counting a period in Hijri months

To find the end of a period stated in Hijri months, add the months to the Hijri date, then convert the result. Do not multiply by 30 days. For example, three Hijri months from 1 Muharram 1448 ends at 1 Rabi al-Thani 1448. Convert that date to find the Gregorian day.

Dates near midnight and travel

If you are flying between countries, the local date at your destination may already be the next day. The converter works with the calendar date you enter and does not adjust for time zones.

Limitations of this Hijri date converter

• ±1 day for religious dates. The converter uses the calculated Umm al-Qura calendar, not local moon sighting. Ramadan, Eid and Hajj dates in your country can differ by one day.
• Other Hijri calendars. Some countries and apps use a different tabular Islamic calendar. Their dates can be one or two days apart from Umm al-Qura.
• Day boundary. In Islamic tradition the new day begins at sunset. Civil dates, and this converter, switch at midnight.
• Range. Dates outside 1356 to 1500 AH are not supported.
• Browser support. The page needs a modern browser with Umm al-Qura calendar data. All current versions of Chrome, Edge, Safari and Firefox support it.

Common mistakes when converting Hijri dates

1. Subtracting a fixed number. You cannot get the Hijri year by subtracting 579 or 622 from the Gregorian year. The gap changes every year.
2. Assuming 30 days in every month. Many months have 29 days.
3. Mixing up Rabi and Jumada months. "Rabi II" and "Jumada II" are often confused. Check the month number.
4. Treating a Hijri year as 365 days. It is about 354 days. Over a long contract the difference adds up to weeks.
5. Using a non-Umm al-Qura app for Saudi papers. For official Saudi dates, use Umm al-Qura.

Practical tips

• When a Saudi form asks for a Hijri date of birth, convert your Gregorian birth date here and double-check the weekday.
• For contracts, write both dates if possible, and state which calendar governs.
• When planning holidays around Eid, allow for a one-day change after the moon sighting announcement.
• Bookmark this page. The "Today in Hijri" line at the top updates every time you open it.

Where to check official dates

For Saudi civil dates, the Umm al-Qura calendar is the reference. For the start of Ramadan, Eid and Hajj, follow the Saudi Supreme Court announcements published by the Saudi Press Agency, or the moon sighting committee in your country. For dates on a legal document, the issuing authority is the final word.

Frequently asked questions

Disclaimer

This converter gives dates from the calculated Umm al-Qura calendar for general guidance. It is not an official announcement. Dates for fasting, Eid and Hajj are set by the relevant religious authorities and may differ by one day. For legal documents, rely on the date issued by the authority.

Sources and references

Umm al-Qura calendar rules: R.H. van Gent, Utrecht University – The Umm al-Qura Calendar of Saudi Arabia. Ramadan 1447 start in Saudi Arabia, announced by the Supreme Court: Saudi Arabia declares Ramadan 2026 start date. Eid al-Fitr 1447: TradeArabia – Saudi announces Friday as first day of Eid. Arafah and Eid al-Adha 1447: TradeArabia – Eid Al Adha on May 27. Oman's Ramadan start: Oman to begin Ramadan on February 19. Saudi government payroll move to the Gregorian calendar: Arab News, October 2016.