Hijri to Gregorian Converter
Convert between the Islamic Hijri calendar and the Gregorian calendar used across Saudi Arabia. Today's Hijri date for Riyadh is shown first, then a two-way converter covering 1937 to 2077 CE.
How the Hijri calendar works
The Hijri calendar is lunar. Each month begins when the new crescent moon is sighted, which makes it roughly 11 days shorter than the Gregorian calendar every year. That is why Ramadan walks backward through the seasons.
A Hijri year is 354 or 355 days across twelve months of 29 or 30 days. Because months start with observation, the exact start date can differ by a day between countries.
Umm al-Qura and moon sighting in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia follows the Umm al-Qura calendar for official work, published by the Astronomical Society of the Kingdom and fixed in advance for roughly the next hundred years.
Religious observances such as Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr and Hajj are announced by the Supreme Court after an actual moon sighting, so the printed calendar and the announced date can occasionally differ by one day.
Where Hijri dates are used in Saudi Arabia
Hijri dates appear alongside the Gregorian date on official documents, contracts, residency paperwork and government notices. National Day, the founding of the Kingdom and Islamic holidays all follow the Hijri calendar.
You will also see the Hijri date on mosque timetables, prayer apps and Ramadan schedules, which is why converting between the two calendars comes up so often during the year.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I convert a Hijri date to Gregorian?
- Pick Hijri to Gregorian, choose the day, month and year, and the converter returns the matching Gregorian date. It uses a tabular astronomical calculation rather than a lookup table, so it stays accurate across the full supported range.
- How accurate is this Hijri converter?
- It agrees with the Umm al-Qura calendar over its supported range of 1937 to 2077 CE and 1356 to 1500 AH. Near the very start of a lunar month it may differ by one day from an officially announced sighting.
- Why does the Islamic date change at sunset?
- The Islamic day begins at maghrib, not midnight. A religious date such as the first day of Ramadan is therefore considered to have started the previous evening.
- Is the Hijri calendar the same in every country?
- No. Saudi Arabia announces dates after moon sighting, while many other countries rely on local committees. The difference is usually one day and rarely more than two.
- How long is a Hijri year?
- A Hijri year is 354 or 355 days, about 10 or 11 days shorter than a Gregorian year. Over a 33-year cycle the two calendars line up again.
- Can I use this for Ramadan and Eid dates?
- You can use it to plan, but the first day of Ramadan and both Eids are confirmed by the Saudi Supreme Court after the crescent is sighted, so treat any converted date as an estimate until it is announced.