RIYADH — Students in public schools across Saudi Arabia will enjoy their first extra school holiday of the current academic year next Sunday, Oct. 25. This holiday was approved by the education departments across the Kingdom but is not included in the academic calendar issued by the Ministry of Education. These include six extended school holidays during the current academic year. The departments have designated Sunday, October 25, and Sunday, November 29 of 2026, and Thursday, January 7 and Sunday, April 11of 2027 as additional holidays within the academic calendar. Meanwhile, the education departments in the regions of Makkah, Madinah, Jeddah governorate, and Taif governorate have announced only one additional holiday, which will be on Oct. 25, 2026. It is noteworthy that the academic calendar issued by the Ministry of Education included six school holidays: National Day holiday (two days), Autumn holiday (9 days), Mid-year holiday (9 days), Founding Day holiday (two days), Eid al-Fitr holiday (16 days), and Eid al-Adha holiday (16 days).