Ramadan 2021: holy month to begin in UAE on Tuesday

Announcement made after the UAE moon-sighting committee spotted new crescent moon

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  Ramadan decorations on the Corniche at sunset in Abu Dhabi. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  Ramadan decorations on the Corniche at sunset in Abu Dhabi. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  Ramadan decorations on the Corniche at sunset in Abu Dhabi. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  Ramadan decorations on the Corniche at sunset in Abu Dhabi. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  Ramadan decorations on the Corniche at sunset in Abu Dhabi. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  Ramadan decorations on the Corniche at sunset in Abu Dhabi. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  Ramadan decorations on the Corniche at sunset in Abu Dhabi. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  Ramadan decorations on the Corniche at sunset in Abu Dhabi. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  Ramadan decorations on the Corniche at sunset in Abu Dhabi. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  Ramadan decorations on the Corniche at sunset in Abu Dhabi. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Ramadan will begin in the UAE on Tuesday, authorities announced.

The declaration came after the UAE's moon-sighting committee spotted the new crescent moon after sunset prayers on Monday.

The UAE's leaders wished all citizens, residents and Muslims across the globe peace and prosperity.

President Sheikh Khalifa wished leaders and their people good health and well-being, and further progress and prosperity for Arab and Islamic nations.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, shared his best wishes for the month ahead.

“We wish the people of the Emirates and in the Arab and Muslim world a blessed month of Ramadan filled with mercy, goodness and blessings,” he tweeted.

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, said the occasion was a time for compassion and kindness.

"The Holy Month of Ramadan is now upon us and we welcome it with great joy. This is a time for patience, contemplation and compassion and we pray for God’s mercy and kindness," he wrote on Twitter.

Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, and the Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, delivered greetings to the President, Sheikh Khalifa, to mark the start of Ramadan.

They also sent warm wishes to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, and to all the Rulers of the UAE.

Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, Ruler of Ajman, and Sheikh Saud bin Rashid Al Mualla, Ruler of Umm Al Quwain, sent similar messages to the UAE Rulers on the occasion.

Saudi Arabia's religious authority confirmed that Ramadan would also begin on Tuesday in the kingdom.

The start of Ramadan is determined by the sighting of the crescent moon, which is typically spotted using a telescope and then confirmed with the naked eye.

Spotting a new moon indicates that Sha'ban, the month proceeding Ramadan, has ended and the holy month has begun.

For the moon-sighting in the UAE, the International Astronomical Centre sets up telescopes on Jebel Hafeet in Al Ain, one of the country's highest mountains.

The committee deliberates over the data at the Ministry of Justice and, once confirmed, announces the start of the holy month.

This year, mosques will be open for prayer in the UAE during Ramadan, having been closed last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Special measures are in place to protect worshippers and prevent the spread of the virus, including capacity limits and mandatory face mask use. Muslims are also asked to bring their own prayer mats and copies of the Quran.

Setting up iftar tables and distributing food in mosques is prohibited.

The elderly and people with chronic health problems have also been advised to pray at home.

Ramadan 2020 - in pictures

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  A cannon is fired to signal the end of the fast on the first day of Ramadan at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Victor Besa / The National

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  A boy looks through a window near decorations for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in Sidon, Lebanon. Reuters

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  Palestinian Musharatis call for Muslims to wake up to have the predawn meal before they start their long-day fast in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Reuters

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  A Muslim man reads the Quran inside a mosque in Mamuju, West Sulawesi province, Indonesia. Reuters

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  A Muslim prays on a roof inside Jerusalem's Old City. Reuters

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  People eat their Iftar meals at Jama Masjid in the old quarters of Delhi, India. Reuters

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  Migrant workers pray in their dormitory in Singapore. Reuters

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  Muslims attend a Friday prayer at Mahabat Khan mosque in Peshawar, Pakistan. Reuters

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  A small group of worshippers pray at Kaaba in the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Reuters

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  People buy traditional bread at a bakery before the time for iftar in the rebel-held Idlib city, Syria. Reuters

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  Sheikh Junayd Ahmad leads livestreamed Taraweeh evening prayers at the Muslim Association of Puget Sound in Redmond, Washington, USA. Reuters

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  A Muslim family breaks their fast with the Iftar meal in the historic Bo-Kaap district in Cape Town, South Africa. Reuters

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  A muezzin of the shrine of Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jeelani prays in Baghdad, Iraq. Reuters

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  A man prays insider the Great Mosque of Brussels in Belgium. Reuters

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  Muslims pray before breaking their fast at Independence Square, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Reuters

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  A boy looks up while waiting to break his fast in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Reuters

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  A man reads the Quran by the window of his house in Ahmedabad, India. Reuters

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  A girl lies down as women pray at a mosque in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Reuters

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  Imam Ahmad Al-Harasis reads the Quran at Abdullah Ben Sallam mosque in Amman, Jordan. reuters

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  Nepalese Muslim men are seen reflected in a mirror as they pray next to sacks of food to distribute to needy families in Kathmandu, Nepal. Reuters

Ramadan 2021 and Covid-19 restrictions: All you need to know by country