Saudi Arabia has announced that the holy month of Ramadan will run for a full 30 days this year, after the crescent moon marking the start of Shawwal was not sighted.
The Kingdom confirmed that Eid al-Fitr will be observed on Friday, signalling the end of the fasting period for millions of Muslims.
The decision follows reports from the country’s official moon-sighting committees, which said no verified sightings of the Shawwal 1447 crescent were recorded on Thursday evening.
Under the Islamic lunar calendar, months last either 29 or 30 days depending on the visibility of the new moon. In the absence of a confirmed sighting, Ramadan is completed as a full 30-day month.
Other countries in the Gulf region, including the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, are also expected to follow Saudi Arabia’s announcement, as is common practice, though some nations rely on their own local moon sightings.
Meanwhile, countries such as Indonesia and Pakistan typically make independent determinations, meaning the date of Eid may vary slightly across different regions.
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