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Count working days between two dates, with a Gulf weekend

Most day counters assume a Saturday and Sunday weekend. In the UAE and the Gulf that is often not your week, so the answer is wrong. Here is how to count it right.

Updated 16 October 2026 · 2 min read

First, which weekend do you count?

Since January 2022 the UAE government works Monday to Friday, with a Saturday and Sunday weekend. Many private companies, schools and other Gulf countries still use Friday and Saturday, and some teams count Friday only. Pick the weekend of whoever the count is for: an employer, a client, a school or a visa deadline.

Also decide whether the last day counts. For leave or a hotel stay it usually does, so add one day.

Count it by hand

  1. Total days: end date minus start date. Add 1 if the end day counts.
  2. Full weeks: divide the total by 7. Each full week has the same number of weekend days, 2 for a two-day weekend.
  3. The rest: count the leftover days one by one against your weekend.
  4. Working days: total days minus weekend days, minus any public holidays that fall on a working day.

Count it in Excel or Google Sheets

NETWORKDAYS.INTL counts working days with any weekend. Its third value picks the weekend: 1 is Saturday and Sunday, 7 is Friday and Saturday, 16 is Friday only.

  • Friday and Saturday weekend: =NETWORKDAYS.INTL(A2, B2, 7)
  • Saturday and Sunday weekend: =NETWORKDAYS.INTL(A2, B2, 1)
  • To leave out public holidays, list them in a range and add it as a fourth value: =NETWORKDAYS.INTL(A2, B2, 7, H2:H12)

Both start and end dates are counted.

Count it with KhCal Basic (free)

KhCal is a calculator, notes and date app built Arabic first, for Mac, Windows (beta) and Android.

  1. Open Days Between and pick the start and end dates.
  2. Set your weekend once in the settings, and choose whether the end date counts.
  3. You get the total days, the years, months and days, the working days, the weekend days, the weeks and the hours at once.

It works offline, asks for no permissions and keeps everything on your device.

Free download

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Free, with no account. Pick your platform on the app's page.

  • BASIC · Free
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    KhCal: Calculator, notes and dates

    Calculator, notes and dates

    A calculator, notes and date tools, built Arabic and right-to-left first.

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FAQ

Questions, answered

Does KhCal leave out public holidays?

Holidays you mark yourself are part of KhCal ADVANCED. In BASIC, subtract them from the working days.

Can I count only Friday as the weekend?

Yes. Choose the weekend that matches your week in KhCal's settings, or use code 16 in Excel.

Does the start day count?

In KhCal and in NETWORKDAYS.INTL the start day counts. Choose whether the end day counts too.

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