Morocco Announces Special Holiday for Eid Al-Adha on June 9
Doha – The Head of Government’s office has announced that government departments and local authorities will observe an exceptional holiday on Monday, June 9, for Eid Al-Adha. The holiday extends the observance of the festival, which falls on Saturday, June 7, corresponding to the 10th of Dhu al-Hijjah 1446H.
This decision was made in accordance with Article 3 of Decree No. 2.05.916 issued on July 20, 2005, as amended and supplemented, according to the government statement.
The Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs had previously announced on Tuesday, May 27, that the month of Dhu al-Qa’dah had completed thirty days. Consequently, the first day of Dhu al-Hijjah is Thursday, May 29, with Eid Al-Adha falling on Saturday, June 7.
The ministry clarified that it had monitored the crescent of Dhu al-Hijjah for the year 1446H after sunset on Tuesday, the 29th of Dhu al-Qa’dah (May 27).
Officials contacted all Islamic Affairs delegates across the kingdom and units of the Royal Armed Forces participating in the crescent observation, who unanimously confirmed that the crescent was not visible.
This year’s Eid Al-Adha comes under exceptional circumstances as Moroccans have been called to abstain from the traditional sacrifice.
On February 26, King Mohammed VI urged citizens to refrain from performing the ritual sacrifice this year due to the alarming decline in the national livestock population.
The royal appeal was motivated by economic rather than religious considerations. The national livestock, particularly sheep, has decreased by 38% since 2016, with the number of female breeding stock falling to 8.7 million heads in 2024, compared to 11 million in 2016. This decline threatens the sector’s sustainability and has caused red meat prices to soar.
The COVID-19 pandemic followed by several years of drought severely impacted livestock numbers. In normal years, approximately 5.5 to 6 million animals would be sacrificed during Eid Al-Adha.
Continuing this practice this year would further deplete breeding stock and potentially drive meat prices to MAD 200 ($20) per kilogram.
While there is no formal ban on sacrifices, authorities are implementing stricter enforcement of regulations regarding informal practices associated with the holiday.
The government has launched a MAD 3 billion ($300 billion) program to help rebuild livestock numbers, with an additional MAD 3.2 billion ($320 million) planned for 2026 to support breeders participating in the female breeding stock preservation campaign.
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