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Ramadan 2026 Date: Muslims to Begin Fasting as Saudi Arabia Sights Crescent Moon - Yorkshire Live
Saudi Arabia confirmed Ramadan's start with crescent moon sightings, a practice rooted in Islamic tradition, followed by Gulf neighbors Oman, Qatar, and the UAE.
- Saudi authorities declared on Tuesday that the Saudi royal court ruled witnesses had seen the crescent and set Wednesday as the first day of Ramadan.
- Saudi religious authorities adhere to visual moon sighting, as Ramadan traditionally begins with the crescent moon and they rely on direct sighting rather than astronomical forecasts.
- Teams of observers across Saudi watched for the new crescent on Tuesday and an astronomical observatory more than 100 kilometres northwest of Riyadh hosted observers who scanned the desert sky.
- Many Muslim-majority communities follow Saudi confirmation, and Gulf neighbours Oman, Qatar and the UAE issued similar announcements, setting fasting and prayer timing for hundreds of millions of Muslims.
- Royal Observatory forecasts said the crescent would not be visible on February 17, while UK groups including the New Crescent Society expect Ramadan to start Thursday, February 19.
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Moon sighting is a key part of Muslim life – how the lunar cycle determines the start of Ramadan and Eid
Each year as Ramadan approaches, more than 2 billion Muslims around the world prepare for a month of fasting, prayer and communality. But Ramadan does not begin on the same day everywhere in the world. This year, some countries commence the month of fasting on Thursday, February 19, whereas others begin it a day earlier. Similarly, at the end of Ramadan, different communities will celebrate Eid on different dates. The reason for this lies in the…
Coverage Details
Total News Sources14
Leaning Left1Leaning Right0Center5Last UpdatedBias Distribution83% Center
Bias Distribution
- 83% of the sources are Center
83% Center
L 17%
C 83%
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