In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, schools begin their academic year around the first week in September. This is when the students start attending their classes, while the teachers come back to work a week prior, at the end of August. While summer vacations make for a mandatory period when schools remain shut there are several other days in the year when students get leave, spread through the school year.
In all the international schools in Riyadh, school holidays include almost every bank holiday and a few additional days. Certain days are religious holidays, like Eid Al Adha or Eid Al Fitr. Others are public or national holidays like the Saudi National Day which falls on September 23rd.
Among the latest updates, the Saudi Arabian Council of Economic and Development Affairs suggested that students of Saudi Arabian schools have a break during the holy month of Ramadan.
Instead of the previous calendar, the school year would now start from September 17th till May 15th, one day before the beginning of Ramadan. Students would get one day as a break on September 23rd as well as a mid-year off period from January 12th to 20th.
One World International School always provides parents, students, and teachers with a school holiday calendar at the start of the year so that they can plan their curriculum, holidays, and any travel plans accordingly. While most national bank holidays are the same as school holidays, there are a few minor switches.
Table of Contents
Holidays Observed in International Schools of Saudi Arabia:
Eid Al Fitr:
Eid Al Fitr is one of the most important festivals on the Islamic calendar, which signifies the end of the fasting period of Ramadan. It is celebrated in Saudi Arabia, other countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) as well as Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas.
Eid Al Adha:
Eid Al Adha celebrates Abraham who willingly agreed to offer his only son Isaac as a sacrifice at the command of God. Also called the Greater Eid, this festival is a celebration of obedience and the Feast of the Sacrifice.
Arafat Day:
Arafat Day commemorates our prophet Muhammad’s final sermon where he completed his preaching of the message of Islam. It is a popular celebration across the other GCC countries.
Our Prophet’s Birthday:
Prophet Muhammad’s birthday is celebrated and observed in the third month according to the lunar Islamic calendar. It is both a school and a public holiday in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia National Day:
The Saudi Arabia National Day is observed and celebrated on September 23rd every year. It is a commemoration of the day that King Abdulaziz established the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932. That was the year when he issued a decree that renamed the Najd and Hejaz kingdom Saudi Arabia.
School Holiday Calendar for 2022-23:
Save this chart and keep it handy whenever you want to check the school holidays throughout the year.
| Mid-semester break: | 06/01/2022 |
| Beginning of studies after the mid-term break: | 16/01/2022 |
| Long weekend: | 02/02/2022 |
| Founding Day holiday | 22/02/2022 |
| Long weekend: | 23/02/2022 |
| Beginning of the second-semester vacation | 10/03/2022 |
| Beginning of the third semester | 20/03/2022 |
| The start of the Eid al-Fitr holiday | 25/04/2022 |
| The start of the study after the Eid Al-Fitr vacation | 08/05/2022 |
| Long weekend: | 25/05/2022 |
| Long weekend: | 16/06/2022 |
| Beginning of vacation | 30/06/2022 |
Welcome to One World International School:
Learn From Qualified Teachers:
As one of the leading international schools in Riyadh, we work with highly-qualified teachers experienced in teaching a structured inquiry-based American curriculum.
Inquiry-based American Curriculum Options:
Students and parents can choose from two high-quality offerings when it comes to the learning curriculum they follow. OWIS provides one curriculum that combines Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards, and also an International Baccalaureate curriculum.
Smart Campus Facilities:
OWIS provides world-class child-friendly infrastructure and digital facilities to nurture young minds from their primary schooling up till they’re ready for college. Our holistic development style combines excellence in academics as well as sports and other passions.
Career Counseling:
During the final schooling years, making a career decision can be difficult, confusing, and intimidating for students. OWIS gives you international-level career counselors to help your child make the right decision.
About OWIS:
One World International School is one of the leading international schools in Riyadh offering a carefully-curated world-class American school curriculum and a contemporary teaching environment.
We provide a holistic and well-balanced educational experience with a structured learning foundation, a strong elementary learning model that follows STEAM theories, middle school American methodologies, and International Baccalaureate learning during the primary and secondary years.
We provide the best of American Common Core and Next Generation Science standards, ensuring a superior and globally-relevant educational experience.
Our teaching staff is from all around the world, English speaking, highly qualified, and experienced. Every teacher is chosen based on their integrity, experience, and global qualifications.
We have adapted the renowned Singapore-style educational methodologies that nurture a student’s logical and analytical skills. Focusing on and rewarding merit, this learning system deepens each student’s understanding and knowledge to prepare them for competition at the international level.
We aim to foster deep learning experiences by providing experiential learning through empirical evidence and incorporating it into our competent curriculum. When a child can visualize real-world applications of their theoretical learning, they are more eager to try new things and become independent.
OWIS regularly conducts and curates learning opportunities and educational programs that provide international exposure to every student.
We also conduct inter-school, inter-city, and international activities that give students an international platform and provide ample opportunities for interaction and collaboration with experts and fellow students from different parts of the globe.
OWIS encourages inter-school and community-driven collaboration, industry programs, and internships to groom students and help them build a relevant student portfolio for international university admissions.
For admissions and any other queries, get in touch with us today.
