Egypt Moves Prophet's Birthday Holiday to Thursday 27 August; Red Sea Marks Mawlid at Hurghada's Al-Dahar Mosque

Egypt will observe the Prophet Muhammad's birthday, Mawlid al-Nabawi, as an official paid holiday on Thursday, 27 August, after Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly issued a decision moving it from Tuesday, 25 August, Egypt Independent reported.

• The decision was issued on Monday, 17 August 2026.
• The holiday is set for Thursday, 27 August, instead of Tuesday, 25 August.
• Tuesday 25 August corresponds to 12 Rabi' al-Awwal 1448 AH, the date of the Mawlid itself.
• The decision applies to employees of ministries and government agencies, according to the report.

On this coast, the religious observance is being marked publicly as well. The Red Sea endowments directorate is holding its Mawlid celebration at the Al-Dahar Mosque in Hurghada, according to Sada El-Balad and Dar Al-Hilal — Al-Dahar being the older, downtown quarter of the city rather than the hotel strip.

The practical effect of the shift is a longer break. Egypt's weekend falls on Friday and Saturday, so a Thursday holiday runs the closure through to the end of the week for government employees, rather than leaving a single day stranded mid-week.

For visitors, that means government offices and public administration will be shut on the Thursday. The reporting does not address private-sector working hours and does not say whether banks and private companies follow the same date, so anyone with business to settle that week should not assume it.