Saudi Arabia, UAE announce Ramadan to begin on Thursday

The Ramadan crescent moon was not sighted in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday evening, meaning the holy month will officially begin on Thursday instead of Wednesday.

Therefore, Wednesday, March 22, would be the last day of the month of Sha’ban, and the holy month would begin from Thursday, March 23.

The Islamic calendar is usually either 29 or 30 days and the beginning and end of the month depend on the crescent moon, which is why Ramadan is not set on any specific days annually.

The Kingdom’s moon sighting committee will meet again on Wednesday evening to confirm the sighting of the moon.

Earlier, Saudi Arabia had called on Muslims to sight the crescent of the holy month of Ramadan. The Supreme Court called on whoever sights the crescent – either by the naked eye or through binoculars – to report to the nearest court and register their observation.

Ramadan in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will also begin on Thursday, state press agency WAM reported on Tuesday.