Festival of lights
Diwali in Saudi Arabia 2026
Diwali 2026: Sunday, 8 November 2026
Dates and venues checked against the organisers’ own pages on .
Diwali 2026 in Saudi Arabia is on Sunday, 8 November 2026. The sun sets at 4:53 pm in Dammam. Lakshmi Puja is performed in the evening after sunset, in the pradosh period — roughly the first two and a half hours after it; the lamps are lit as it gets dark.
Saudi Arabia has no Hindu temples, and the public practice of any non-Islamic religion is not permitted; the US State Department’s 2022 report on religious freedom records that non-Muslims could practise their religion only in private. Diwali in Riyadh, Jeddah and the Eastern Province is therefore kept at home, with lamps, sweets and a puja at the family shrine, and in private gatherings of the Indian community. The Embassy of India in Riyadh held a Diwali celebration for the community in October 2024.
Diwali is not a public holiday in Saudi Arabia and Sunday 8 November is a working day, so the family gatherings fall on the Friday and Saturday before it; Dhanteras is Friday 6 November. Making, possessing, selling or using fireworks requires a permit under the Explosives and Fireworks Law, and dealing in them without one can bring up to six months in prison and a fine of SR100,000, so the lights are lamps and candles.
Sunset on Diwali 2026 in Saudi Arabia
Sunday, 8 November 2026 · local time, worked out for each city centre
Diwali 2026 dates
Friday, 6 November
Dhanteras
Saturday, 7 November
Naraka Chaturdashi (Choti Diwali)
Sunday, 8 November
Diwali — Lakshmi Puja
Monday, 9 November
Govardhan Puja and Annakut
Tuesday, 10 November
Bhai Dooj
Diwali events in Saudi Arabia0 listed
Where to celebrate Diwali in Saudi Arabia, city by city
Diwali in Riyadh
Riyadh keeps Diwali at home and in private gatherings, as there is no Hindu temple in the kingdom; the Embassy of India in Riyadh held a Diwali celebration for the community in October 2024. Sunday 8 November is a working day, so Friday 6 November, Dhanteras, is the day for family gatherings and for buying a coin or a pan.
Diwali in Dammam
Dammam and the Eastern Province keep Diwali the same way, at home and in private gatherings of the Indian community, with the puja on Sunday 8 November after work; Dhanteras, Friday 6 November, falls on the weekend.
Diwali in Jeddah
Jeddah and the western region keep Diwali privately too, with lamps, sweets and a puja at the family shrine on Sunday 8 November; the Consulate General of India in Jeddah serves the community there.
New Indian events near Saudi Arabia, by email
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Diwali is better with people near you
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- Groups near youJoin the Indian community groups in your city — chat, plans and people who get it.
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- Buy and sellSarees, kurtas, furniture, kitchen things — from people a few streets away.
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What Diwali is
The biggest night of the Indian year: lamps, sweets, new clothes and fireworks. Abroad it is celebrated over the surrounding weekends, with one large public event in most big cities.
Diwali marks the return of Rama to Ayodhya and the victory of light over darkness; for many families it is also the day of Lakshmi Puja and the start of a new business year. Homes are cleaned and lit with diyas, sweets are exchanged, and the evening ends with fireworks.
If it is your first one in Saudi Arabia
- Book restaurant tables two weeks ahead — the Diwali weekend fills every Indian restaurant in town.
- Check local fireworks rules before buying any; most European towns restrict them to New Year.
- Sweets (mithai) can be ordered from Indian grocers a week ahead; many deliver nationwide.
- The big city events sell tickets in advance and sell out; children under a certain age are usually free.
Questions people ask
- When is Diwali 2026 in Saudi Arabia?
- Diwali 2026 falls on Sunday, 8 November 2026. It is not a public holiday in Saudi Arabia, so the community celebrates on the weekends around it — events are listed on this page as organisers post them, usually four to six weeks ahead.
- What time is sunset on Diwali 2026 in Saudi Arabia?
- On Sunday, 8 November 2026, the sun sets at 4:53 pm in Dammam, 5:43 pm in Jeddah and 5:09 pm in Riyadh. The times are worked out for each city centre with a flat horizon, as every published table gives them; behind buildings or hills it appears a few minutes later. Lakshmi Puja is performed in the evening after sunset, in the pradosh period — roughly the first two and a half hours after it; the lamps are lit as it gets dark.
- Where can I celebrate Diwali in Saudi Arabia?
- Saudi Arabia has no Hindu temples, and the public practice of any non-Islamic religion is not permitted; the US State Department’s 2022 report on religious freedom records that non-Muslims could practise their religion only in private. Diwali in Riyadh, Jeddah and the Eastern Province is therefore kept at home, with lamps, sweets and a puja at the family shrine, and in private gatherings of the Indian community. The Embassy of India in Riyadh held a Diwali celebration for the community in October 2024.
- Can non-Indians go to Diwali events in Saudi Arabia?
- Yes. Almost every community event is open to everyone and runs in English; temple and gurdwara celebrations welcome visitors too — dress modestly, and cover your head in a gurdwara.
- Is Diwali a public holiday in Saudi Arabia?
- No. Diwali is not a public holiday in Saudi Arabia, and in 2026 it falls on Sunday 8 November, a working day (the weekend is Friday and Saturday), so the family gatherings fall on the Friday and Saturday before it.
- Are there Hindu temples in Saudi Arabia?
- No. The kingdom has no Hindu temples, and the US State Department’s 2022 report records that the government prohibits the public practice of any non-Islamic religion, with non-Muslims able to practise only in private. Hindus keep Diwali at home.
- How do Indians celebrate Diwali in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam?
- At home and in private gatherings: lamps, sweets, new clothes and a puja at the family shrine. The Embassy of India in Riyadh held a Diwali celebration for the community in October 2024; no public programme for 2026 had been found by 22 October.
- Can I light fireworks for Diwali in Saudi Arabia?
- No, not without a permit. Under the Explosives and Fireworks Law, making, possessing, selling or using fireworks requires a permit, and dealing in them without one can bring up to six months in prison and a fine of SR100,000. Light lamps or candles instead.
Organising something?
Post it from the app under Events, wherever you are. It is free, a moderator checks it, and it appears here and to every member nearby. Running several a year? Email hello@namaste.community for a listing invite.