Background

hijri-converter is a Python package to convert accurately between Hijri and Gregorian dates based on the Umm al-Qura calendar; which is the official Hijri lunar calendar in Saudi Arabia. The calendar was adopted by the Saudi government in 1346 AH (1 July 1927 CE) for administrative purposes. King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) determines the astronomical rules behind the calendar calculations.

This Hijri calendar is commonly used in Saudi Arabia, notably within the public sector. Official documents, political letters, healthcare reports, and education certificates are just examples of many other documents dated in Hijri. In contrast, the private sector has been using the Gregorian calendar for years, as the most widely used calendar in the world today.

An accurate converter between Hijri and Gregorian dates is a necessity. For instance, when conducting researches, analyzing data, or developing solutions that may have Hijri dates. Therefore, the hijri-converter was developed to fill the gap with higher code quality, more accuracy, and better performance compared to other tools.