Is there a public holiday on 23rd September in Pakistan? Find out here

Pakistani media outlets are buzzing with reports that a public holiday has been announced for 23 September 2025, citing a government notification.

The truth is that there is no public holiday on 23 September 2025 in Pakistan. While local news outlets are making waves with clickbait headlines, they are actually referring to Saudi Arabia’s National Day, not Pakistan.

Several Pakistani media outlets have published headlines like "Public holiday declared on 23 September, government issues notification", misleading many into believing the holiday applies to Pakistan.

Sources investigated the claim and found no mention of any holiday on 23 September in the official government holiday list for 2025. In fact, the only relevant date in the government’s list is 22 September, marked as the Equinox (a seasonal event), not a public holiday.

What’s really going on? These headlines are about Saudi Arabia’s 95th National Day, a major event commemorating the country’s unification in 1932. Saudi Arabia observes this holiday on 23 September every year, but the media failed to specify that the holiday is only for Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia’s National Day was first celebrated in 1965 and became an official public holiday in 2005. This year, it is celebrated with the theme “Pride in Our Nature” and will give public sector employees the day off, closing schools, banks, and government offices across the kingdom.

So, while Pakistani media outlets caused a stir with clickbait headlines, the real holiday is in Saudi Arabia, not Pakistan.