Short answer: White Friday 2026 falls on Friday 27 November 2026, the day after US Thanksgiving, and the big marketplaces stretch their deals over several days around it. For an online store in Saudi Arabia, the more important date is earlier: the Ministry of Commerce's special "Discounts 2026" season, which does not count against your annual discount allowance, ends on 31 October 2026. Any discount you run in November needs a new licence that comes out of your 90-day annual balance, and you must have it before you advertise the offer.
Last updated: October 2026
White Friday 2026 and the nearby sale dates
No government body sets the date of White Friday. It is the Gulf name for Black Friday: the Friday after the fourth Thursday of November. In 2026 Thanksgiving is Thursday 26 November, so White Friday is 27 November.
| Occasion | 2026 date | Day | What it means for your store |
|---|---|---|---|
| End of the special "Discounts 2026" season | 31 October | Saturday | Last day for a discount that does not use your annual balance |
| 11.11 (Singles' Day) | 11 November | Wednesday | A dry run for your offers and ads before the peak |
| White Friday | 27 November | Friday | The peak |
| Cyber Monday | 30 November | Monday | A common extension for online stores |
| 12.12 | 12 December | Saturday | Year-end sales |
What changes after 31 October
According to Ajel (21 July 2026) and Okaz (20 July 2026), the Ministry of Commerce ran the "Discounts 2026" season from 1 August to 31 October 2026. During it, shops and online stores could issue discount licences online without using their annual discount days.
After 31 October the standard rules apply again. As reported by Okaz from the ministry's licensing mechanism:
| Item | Rule |
|---|---|
| Annual discount allowance | Up to 90 days a year |
| Splitting | Can be split into three periods |
| Single licence length | Up to 45 days for full and partial discounts |
| Special seasons | Not counted against the balance when the ministry announces one |
So a sale from 20 to 30 November uses 11 days of your allowance. If you also plan offers in December or next Ramadan, do the maths before you request a long licence you will not use.
At the time of writing we found no ministry announcement of a special season covering November. If one is announced we will update this article.
How to get a discount licence for an online store
Licences are issued online through the Ministry of Commerce discounts platform, the link the ministry gave when it announced the season (Ajel).
- Sign in with your establishment's account and request a discount licence.
- Set the discount type, the "from - to" percentage and the dates.
- Prepare the list of included products with prices before and after the discount.
- Save the issued licence with its barcode.
- Display it prominently on your store, for example a banner linked from the offers page.
Customers can scan the barcode with their phone camera to see the discount type, percentage, period and the business details. If your store says something different, both customers and inspectors will notice.
The nine discount rules for online stores
The ministry's nine rules for discounts in shops and online stores, as published by Okaz:
- Get the licence before announcing any discount.
- Display the licence so customers can verify it by barcode.
- Run only genuine, licensed discounts, with no price manipulation.
- State the discount range ("from - to") clearly.
- Show the price before and after the discount on each product.
- Disclose the exchange and return policy during the offer.
- Honour manufacturers' warranties on discounted products.
- Let customers buy without forcing them into the promotion.
- Follow the rules for e-commerce advertising.
Enforcement is real. In Q3 2026 the ministry carried out 6,936 electronic inspections of online stores and issued 434 violations, according to Sada Tabuk, reporting the ministry's consumer bulletin.
The mistake that repeats every year
If a product sold all October at SAR 180, writing "was SAR 300, now SAR 150" in November is misleading, even though 150 is below 180. Keep a record of your real prices weeks before the sale, and use the price the item actually sold at as your "before" price.
A five-week plan to 27 November
| Week | Task |
|---|---|
| 26-31 October | Choose products, percentages and dates; check your annual balance |
| 1-7 November | Request the November licence; check stock and "before" prices |
| 8-14 November | Run a small 11.11 offer; test site speed and checkout on mobile |
| 15-21 November | Prepare ads, banners and WhatsApp templates; submit templates for Meta review |
| 22-30 November | Run the campaign; track orders, shipping and customer replies daily |
Pre-launch checklist
- Licence issued, and its type, percentage and dates match the store.
- Licence and barcode visible on the store.
- Real "before" prices, with a record kept.
- Return and exchange policy visible on the offer page and at checkout.
- Shipping fees and free-shipping threshold shown before payment.
- National address requested clearly: parcel carriers have been barred from moving shipments without one since January 2026 (Sabq).
- mada, Apple Pay and any instalment options tested on mobile.
- Marketing messages sent only to customers who agreed to receive them.
Before you spend on ads, make sure the store can take the traffic. Send us the link through the free check and we will review speed, mobile checkout and product pages, and reply in writing.
Getting your Salla store ready
Naqla Digital Solutions is a licensed Gulf company (CR 1647570) that sets up and customises Salla stores. The "Launch" package (SAR 2,300, one-time) covers full store setup, shipping and policies, a tidy theme with branded banners, and Google, Meta and Snapchat tracking. The "Grow" package (SAR 4,500, one-time) adds WhatsApp and abandoned-cart flows, reviews, five CSS/JS edits and accounting integration. See our Salla services or request a quote.
FAQ
When is White Friday 2026 in Saudi Arabia?
Friday 27 November 2026. No official body sets it, and marketplaces usually run deals for several days around it.
Do I need a licence for White Friday discounts on my online store?
Yes. The ministry's first rule is that the shop or online store must have a discount licence before announcing the discount.
Do November discounts count against my annual allowance?
Yes, unless the ministry announces a new special season. "Discounts 2026" ended on 31 October 2026.
How long can a single discount licence last?
Up to 45 days for full and partial discounts, within a 90-day annual allowance that can be split into three periods, as reported by Okaz.
Can I tease "big discounts coming" before the licence is issued?
The rule is licence before announcement. The safe approach is to publish no offer or percentage until the licence is issued.
By Naqla Digital SolutionsPublished All articles
