Ramadan 2020: UAE moon-sighting committee to meet on Thursday

If the committee sees the moon, Ramadan will begin on Friday

Children assist in the installation of Ramadan ornaments in the streets of Giza, Egypt. EPA

Ramadan date sales at the Abu Dhabi Dates Market at, Mina Zayed. Victor Besa / The National

A Ramadan date shopper at the Abu Dhabi Dates Market at Mina Zayed. Victor Besa / The National

Ramadan decoration and offers at the Lulu Hypermarket in Al Barsha in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

Ramadan decoration at the Spinneys in Al Barsha in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

The Carpet Souk at the Zayed Port area. Lalujan, a carpet salesman is looking forward to Ramadan carpet sales. Victor Besa / The National

The Carpet Souk at the Zayed Port area. An upholsterer cuts fabric for a Ramadan sofa. Victor Besa / The National

A man hangs decorations ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan on a mosque during a countrywide lockdown over the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Beirut, Lebanon. Reuters

A Palestinian girl leans out from the window of a vehicle to see the decorative lights in Gaza City as the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic lingers ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. AFP

A Palestinian packs boxes with food that will be distributed to poor Palestinian families ahead oof the hoy month of Ramadan, in Nablus, West Bank. AP Photo

Daily-wage workers wait in line to receive free wheat donated by Afghan businessmen ahead of the upcoming holy fasting month of Ramadan in Kabul, Afghanistan. AP Photo

The newly installed Ramadan lights on the Abu Dhabi Corniche during the rain. Victor Besa / The National

The newly installed Ramadan lights on the Corniche during the rain. Victor Besa / The National

The newly installed Ramadan lights on the Corniche during the rain. Victor Besa / The National

The newly installed Ramadan lights on the Corniche during the rain. Victor Besa / The National

A Palestinian vendor displays traditional lanterns known in Arabic as "Fanous" outside his shop in Gaza City, ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. From cancelled iftar feasts to suspended mosque prayers, Muslims across the Middle East are bracing for a bleak month of Ramadan fasting as the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic lingers. Ramadan is a period for both self reflection and socialising. Believers fast from dawn to dusk and then gather around a family or community meal each evening of Islam's holiest month, which begins later this week and ends with Eid al-Fitr festivities. AFP

An Egyptian vendor sells traditional lanterns known in Arabic as "Fanous" ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in the capital Cairo. AFP

A Yemeni vendor waits for costumers in the old city market of the capital Sanaa ahead of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. AFP

Livestock being carted from the Abu Dhabi Livestock Market to the Public Slaughter House which is directly across the street. Victor Besa / The National

Egyptian youths prepare decorations for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, also known to Egyptians as "Zeinat Ramadan" on a street in front of their homes during the night-time curfew to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Cairo, Egypt,. REUTERS

An Egyptian seller cleans a traditional Ramadan lantern called "fanous" at his shop ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, amid concerns over the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Cairo, Egypt. REUTERS

Palestinians shop in the market before the holy month of Ramadan in Gaza City. EPA

A vendor waits for customers to buy traditional food ahead of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, at the main market in Gaza City. AP Photo

An Iraqi man wearing a mask is reflected on a traditional lantern known in Arabic as "Fanous" at the Shorja market in central Baghdad as Iraq prepares to welcome the holy fasting month of Ramadan which begins later this week. AFP

A vendor wearing face mask sells sweets at al-Midan neighborhood ahead of the month of Ramadan in Damascus, Syria. EPA

People shop for Ramadan lanterns ahead of the holy month, in the Sayeda Zeinab neighborhood of Cairo, Egypt. AP Photo

A vendor wearing a protective face mask serves customers inside his shop, ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, amid concerns over the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Algiers, Algeria. REUTERS

A general view shows an outdoor market set up by the Algerian government to prevent crowding inside supermarkets, ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, amid concerns over the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Algiers, Algeria. REUTERS

Early Ramadan shoppers at Carrefour Yas Mall. A lady checks out a Ramadan promotional stand. Victor Besa / The National

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The UAE’s moon-sighting committee will on Thursday night begin looking for the crescent moon to indicate the start Ramadan.

An official told The National on Tuesday that the committee would meet partly through video conference to see the moon and deliberate the start of Ramadan.

State news agency Wam confirmed that the committee, chaired by Sultan Al Badi, Minister of Justice, would meet after maghrib prayers to begin looking.

Sharia courts across the country will also follow up and inform the committee of any sightings.

The Lunar Calendar Committee at the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department will also collect evidence and report any findings back to the committee to aid in their decision, Wam reported.

The Islamic or Hijri calendar is determined by moon cycles, which are either 29 or 30 days long.

The presence of a new moon signals the start of a new month.

Thursday is the 29th day of Shaban, the month preceding Ramadan.

If the crescent is seen, Ramadan begins the next day. If not, the committee searches the following night and the holy month will probably begin on Saturday instead.

Each country searches for the new moon differently.

The UAE uses a combination of tradition and science by first finding the new moon with a telescope and then confirming with the naked eye.

This week, the International Astronomical Centre, based in Abu Dhabi, confirmed from an astronomical perspective that Ramadan could not fall on Thursday as first suspected.

Mohammed Odeh, director of the centre, said sighting the moon on Wednesday evening would be “quite impossible”.

Mr Odeh said it could only be seen from Thursday night.

"Hence, the holy month of Ramadan is expected to start on Friday, April 24,” he said.

Other Islamic countries may choose to begin Ramadan on a different date, depending on when their committees see the moon.