Saudi Arabia adopts Gregorian calendar to cut employment costs

The Islamic Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has dropped the use of the Islamic lunar-based calendar in favor of the "Western" Gregorian calendar in an effort to cut employment costs.

The Islamic calendar, also known as the Hijri, has 12 months in a year, but it is 11 days shorter than its Western equivalent. The dates of Islamic festivals will still be based on the Hijri. according to Christian Today.

The decision was made in a recent cabinet session headed by King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz. The switch is part of an austerity measure to reduce the kingdom's budget deficit. Public sector employees stand to lose 11 days of salary as a result of the switch. Previously, only the private sector used the Gregorian calendar to compute salaries.

The Economist reported that Islamic puritans are decrying their loss of control over the calendar. The Guardians of the Wahhabi rite, who seek to be guided by Muhammad's acts, expressed their concerns that the switch might lead to forgetting of the fasting month of Ramadan.

The clergy considers it as a move to rewind the clock to the jahiliyyah or the pre-Islamic age of ignorance. The judiciary still insists on using the old calendar to sentence criminals.

The calendar switch, along with other cost-cutting measures, came into effect this October.

Minister's salaries have been cut by 20 percent, and bonus payments for state employees were canceled. Wage increases were put on hold, and allowances for public-sector employees were also reduced, according to a report from Independent.

The government also decided to stop providing cars to senior state officials for the next financial year. Ministers will also have to pay their fixed and mobile phones fees. Members of the legislative body that advises the monarchy also saw their salaries cut by 15 percent.

The government aims to reduce public-sector wage bill from 45 percent down to 40 percent by the year 2020.