More than a billion Muslims will begin fasting during daylight hours when Ramadan begins next week.
The holy month starts about two weeks earlier each year and, for half the world, it will this year move away from the longer, hotter days of summer towards the shorter, cooler winter.
Ramadan will begin on or about March 11, with fasting hours varying across different countries. The range for this year is expected to be between 12 hours and more than 17 hours.
So, which countries, especially in the Arab and Muslim world, will have the most daylight hours and which nations will have the shortest fast?
Shortest Ramadan fast in 2024
This year, Muslims in Chile will face the shortest fasting hours during Ramadan with an average of 12 hours and 44 minutes.
Being in the southern hemisphere, New Zealand, Argentina and South Africa are also looking at a shorter fasting period, between 12 and 13 hours a day during the month.
Longest Ramadan fast in 2024
Muslims in Finland, Greenland and Iceland will have the longest fasting hours this year.
They are expected to endure an average of 17 hours a day of fasting during the holy month.
-
Ramadan decor at Lulu Hypermarket, Abu Dhabi. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
Workers arrange fruit at a fresh produce market in Dubai before the Muslim fasting month. AFP -
Festive lighting for Ramadan along the Corniche, Abu Dhabi. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
Ramadan decorations at Dubai Mall, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
A stall holder in Dubai with produce ready for Ramadan. EPA -
Dubai old souq hung with traditional Ramadan decorations. EPA -
The old souq in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. EPA -
Ramadan sales advertising at Lulu Hypermarket, Abu Dhabi. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
Ramadan decorations at Dubai Mall, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
The old souq in Dubai. EPA -
Ramadan decorations at Dubai Mall, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Khalifa City residents buy groceries in preparation for Ramadan at Lulu Hypermarket, Al Forsan Central Mall. Victor Besa / The National -
Ramadan decorations at Dubai Mall, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Shoppers at Lulu Hypermarket, Al Forsan Central Mall. Victor Besa / The National -
Decorations at Galleria Mall, Abu Dhabi. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
Staff stocking shelves at at Lulu Hypermarket, Abu Dhabi. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
Ramadan decorations at Galleria Mall, Abu Dhabi. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
Lulu Hypermarket, Abu Dhabi, all set for Ramadan. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
Festive decorations for Ramadan at Galleria Mall, Abu Dhabi. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
Ramadan sales signage in the electronics section at Lulu Hypermarket, Abu Dhabi. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
Ramadan decorations in Dubai before the Muslim holy fasting month. AFP -
Ramadan decor throughout Lulu Hypermarket, Abu Dhabi. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
Spices on display at the Souq Ramadan in Dubai ahead of the Muslim fasting month. AFP -
Souq Ramadan in Dubai. AFP -
The Ramadan discount counter at Carrefour at Ibn Battuta mall in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National -
A woman taking a photograph of the Ramadan cannon at Expo City, Dubai. Ruel Pableo for The National
How can you fast for Ramadan when it never gets dark?
While there is no place expecting a midnight sun this Ramadan, Muslims in countries with exceptionally long daytimes during the holy month cannot actually adhere to a fast of more than 20 hours.
Fasting in countries further from the equator tends to be longer, as the duration of daylight varies depending on the season.
So, what do they do?
In countries where the sunset and sunrise are less than three hours apart, fatwas have been declared to allow residents to follow the schedule of other cities. Many, for example, will follow the fasting times of Makkah in Saudi Arabia.
This year, Saudi Arabia and much of the Middle East will be fasting for about 13.5 hours to 14 hours a day.
Tunisians will experience the longest fast day of Ramadan at 14 hours and 29 minutes.
Shortest to longest fasting times for Ramadan in the Arab world
Tunisia: Shortest day – 13 hours and 17 minutes, longest day – 14 hours and 29 minutes
Algeria: Shortest day – 13 hours and 14 minutes, longest day – 14 hours and 27 minutes
Libya: Shortest day – 13 hours and 18 minutes, longest day – 14 hours and 20 minutes
Morocco: Shortest day – 13 hours and 12 minutes, longest day – 14 hours and 12 minutes
Egypt: Shortest day – 13 hours and 17 minutes, longest day – 14 hours and 34 minutes
Iraq: Shortest day – 13 hours and 13 minutes, longest day – 14 hours and 18 minutes
Bahrain: Shortest day – 13 hours and 13 minutes, longest day – 14 hours
UAE: Shortest day – 13 hours and 12 minutes, longest day – 13 hours and 57 minutes
Saudi Arabia: Shortest day – 13 hours and 13 minutes, longest day – 13 hours and 56 minutes
Oman: Shortest day – 13 hours and 13 minutes, longest day – 13 hours and 54 minutes
Kuwait: Shortest day – 13 hours and 14 minutes, longest day – 14 hours and 8 minutes
Lebanon: Shortest day – 13 hours and 12 minutes, longest day - 14 hours and 17 minutes
Jordan: Shortest day – 13 hours and 12 minutes, longest day – 14 hours and 15 minutes
Palestine: Shortest day – 13 hours and 10 minutes, longest day – 14 hours and 11 minutes
Syria: Shortest day – 13 hours and 13 minutes, longest day – 14 hours and 19 minutes
Qatar: Shortest day – 13 hours and 13 minutes, longest day – 13 hours and 59 minutes
Mauritania: Shortest day – 13 hours and 10 minutes, longest day – 13 hours and 42 minutes
Sudan: Shortest day – 13 hours and 16 minutes, longest day – 13 hours and 43 minutes
Yemen: Shortest day – 13 hours and 13 minutes, longest day – 13 hours and 39 minutes
Somalia: Shortest day – 13 hours and 15 minutes, longest day – 13 hours and 18 minutes
Djibouti: Shortest day – 13 hours and 11 minutes, longest day – 13 hours and 31 minutes
Comoros: Shortest day – 13 hours and 18 minutes, longest day – 13 hours and 23 minutes
