Today’s Hijri Date in Riyadh

Today's Hijri date is shown automatically at the top of this page, updated daily using precise astronomical calculations for Riyadh based on the Umm al-Qura calendar.

The Hijri calendar is calculated either through direct moon sighting or astronomical calculations that predict each month's new crescent; Saudi Arabia uses the astronomically calculated Umm al-Qura calendar for its official dates.

The Hijri date usually differs by one day between countries because of differing crescent-sighting locations and because some countries rely on visual sighting rather than astronomical calculation.

The Umm al-Qura calendar is the official Hijri calendar used in Saudi Arabia, calculated astronomically under defined criteria to unify official, civil, and religious dates.

Yes — a one-day difference is common and normal between the astronomically calculated calendar and an actual moon sighting, and between countries using different methods.

Use the converter above: pick the Gregorian date from the date field, then click "Convert" to instantly see the matching Hijri date.

Use the converter above: select the Hijri day, month, and year, then click "Convert" to instantly see the matching Gregorian date.

They are: Muharram, Safar, Rabi' al-Awwal, Rabi' al-Thani, Jumada al-Awwal, Jumada al-Thani, Rajab, Sha'ban, Ramadan, Shawwal, Dhu al-Qi'dah, and Dhu al-Hijjah.

A Hijri year is about 354 to 355 days — roughly 10 to 11 days shorter than a Gregorian year, since it follows the moon's cycle rather than the sun's.

Because the Hijri year is about 11 days shorter than the Gregorian year, Ramadan — like every Hijri month — shifts earlier each year relative to the Gregorian calendar.

In the calculated Hijri calendar (such as Umm al-Qura), a leap year occurs 11 times in every 30-year cycle, adding one extra day to the end of Dhu al-Hijjah, making it 30 days instead of 29.

There are four sacred months: Muharram, Rajab, Dhu al-Qi'dah, and Dhu al-Hijjah — fighting is especially prohibited in them, and extra acts of worship are encouraged.

Saudi Arabia officially relies on an actual moon sighting announced by the Supreme Court to determine the start of Ramadan and the two Eids, alongside using the calculated Umm al-Qura calendar for civil purposes.

"AH" (Anno Hegirae) refers to the Hijri calendar, dated from the Prophet's migration, while "CE" (Common Era) refers to the Gregorian calendar.

Yes, both terms refer to the same lunar calendar used in Islam — "Hijri" is simply the more common name for it in the Arabic-speaking world.

Because the two calendars are completely independent — the lunar Hijri calendar starts from the Prophet's ﷺ migration in 622 CE, while the solar Gregorian calendar starts from an entirely different reference point, so the 1st of Muharram falls on a different Gregorian date each year.

This site relies on Aladhan API's astronomical data based on the Umm al-Qura calendar, which is accurate for general use, with a rare possible one-day difference from official moon-sighting announcements.

Yes, you can use the converter above for any Gregorian or Hijri date in the past or future, not just today's date.

The Hijri day begins at sunset (the Maghrib adhan), not at midnight as in the Gregorian calendar — so the Hijri night actually begins before its corresponding civil-time day.

Hijri calendar data is used alongside daily prayer times, since both rely on precise astronomical calculations for Riyadh's location; see how prayer times are calculated in Riyadh for more detail.

The site has a dedicated page with the full Suhoor and Iftar timetable for Ramadan in Riyadh, updated daily.