Cairo: Saudi Arabia has brought forward students’ holiday of Eid Al Fitr, which follows the end of the current Islamic holy month of Ramadan, to begin on 21st of the lunar month instead of 25th as was previously planned.
Ramadan this year is expected to end on May 1 and be followed by the three-day Eid on May 2.
Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz directed the start of the holiday be amended for all students to be at the end of the working day on Thursday Ramadan 20 corresponding to April 21, the Saudi news agency SPA reported.
The gesture reflects the king’s keenness to “facilitate things for students,” SPA added.
The holiday for school and university students in the kingdom is due to end on May 7.
The academic year started in Saudi Arabia in late August with a revival of in-person classes for intermediate and secondary school students after a halt of nearly two years prompted by the COVID-19 outbreak.
In January, over 3.5 million students in elementary schools and kindergartens returned to in-person classes across the kingdom.
The Saudi ministries of education and health said at the time that the decision to resume in-person classes was due to success of earlier return of intermediate and secondary school students to class attendance and "the kingdom's efforts to reach high herd immunity".
