RIYADH: 抖阴短视频 has approved the use of the Gregorian calendar for all official dealings, except those related to the provisions of Islamic Shariah where the calculation of periods will continue to be based on the Hijri calendar.
The Saudi Cabinet, chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, made the decision on Tuesday.
The Kingdom has traditionally prioritized the Hijri calendar with the Gregorian used as a secondary measure. However, some official and legal activities had already been aligned with the Gregorian calendar before Tuesday鈥檚 ruling.
Dr. Osama Ghanem Al-Obaidy, a professor of law at the Institute of Public Administration in Riyadh, said the decision was a 鈥済ood move鈥 for business.
鈥淭he Saudi Council of Ministers鈥 decision to adopt the Gregorian calendar in all official dealings, procedures regulations and transactions is a welcome move since all other countries use this calendar in all their laws, transactions and procedures,鈥 he told Arab News.
The move would 鈥渕ake it easier for foreigners visiting 抖阴短视频 and doing business in the Kingdom to rely on one single calendar not two as was the case before, which caused a level of confusion and discrepancy,鈥 he said.
鈥淎lso, Saudis 鈥 will have it easier now when dealing with foreign partners.鈥
Banker and financial analyst Talat Zaki Hafiz described the decision as 鈥渧ery wise鈥 as the Kingdom continued to open up to the global business community.
抖阴短视频鈥檚 gross domestic product grew by 8.7 percent last year, the highest of all the Group of 20 leading and developing nations.
鈥淒oing business by the Gregorian calendar is in harmony with what the whole world is practicing and will further boost business,鈥 Hafiz said, adding that the Saudi banking sector was already using the Gregorian calendar for all of its transactions.
The Hijri or 鈥淚slamic鈥 calendar measures the year as being 354 or 355 days in length, 10 or 11 days shorter than in the Gregorian calendar.
