Nezar Hezam Sallam, an astronomer searching for the new crescent Moon. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
Nezar Hezam Sallam, an astronomer searching for the new crescent Moon. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
Nezar Hezam Sallam, an astronomer searching for the new crescent Moon. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
Nezar Hezam Sallam, an astronomer searching for the new crescent Moon. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

Ramadan: UAE Moon-sighting committee to search the skies on Tuesday


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The UAE's Moon-sighting committee will meet on Tuesday evening to determine the start of Ramadan.

If the new crescent is spotted, fasting will begin at dawn on Wednesday.

If the spotters cannot see it due to clouds, they will meet the following evening and fasting will not begin until Thursday at the earliest.

The committee will meet after the Maghreb prayer at the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department.

The meeting will be attended by several high-ranking officials and led by Abdullah Al Nuaimi, Minister of Justice.

According to Wam, Sharia courts across the country will monitor and notify the committee of any sightings, while the Lunar Calendar Committee will report its findings to the Moon-sighting Committee.

On Sunday, the Supreme Court in Saudi Arabia called on the public to look for the crescent Moon from Tuesday.

Ramadan is observed by more than 1.8 billion Muslims and is believed to be the month when the Quran was revealed to the Prophet Mohammed.

Fasting during the holy month is one of the Five Pillars of Islam and is mandatory for all Muslims who are in good health.

Those exempt include young children, anyone who is sick, travellers and women who are pregnant, nursing or menstruating.

Ramadan is also considered a nocturnal month for Muslims who end their daily fast at sunset, then begin longer-form Taraweeh prayers that are traditionally followed by social gatherings that last into the night.

Moon-sighting significance

The sighting of the Moon signifies the start and the end of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.

Religious authorities in the Middle East and beyond will soon begin scanning the night sky for the first glimpse of a crescent Moon.

In the Islamic lunar calendar, Ramadan is preceded by the month of Shabaan.

The month of fasting and spirituality begins when Moon-sighting committees convene after sunset on Shabaan 29 to look for a crescent Moon, in a tradition that has lasted thousands of years.

The crescent Moon is an important symbol in Islam and is used in Ramadan decorations.

It can often be seen hung outside homes, on Ramadan lanterns and even on gift-wrapped chocolates, dates and sweets exchanged by family, friends and neighbours.

Ramadan preparations around the world: in pictures

  • A worker cleans part of the Baiturrahman Grand Mosque ahead of Ramadan, in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. AFP
    A worker cleans part of the Baiturrahman Grand Mosque ahead of Ramadan, in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. AFP
  • Ramadan lights lit up at Piccadilly Circus in central London for the first time. Reuters
    Ramadan lights lit up at Piccadilly Circus in central London for the first time. Reuters
  • A vendor prepares khajla deep-fried pastry in Karachi, ahead of the holy month. EPA
    A vendor prepares khajla deep-fried pastry in Karachi, ahead of the holy month. EPA
  • Palestinians add the final touches to a crescent moon and star decoration in preparation for Ramadan, just outside Jerusalem's Old City. AP
    Palestinians add the final touches to a crescent moon and star decoration in preparation for Ramadan, just outside Jerusalem's Old City. AP
  • A member of the Saudi security forces stands on duty at an entrance to the Grand Mosque of Makkah ahead of Ramadan, with the holy city's Clock Tower in the background. AFP
    A member of the Saudi security forces stands on duty at an entrance to the Grand Mosque of Makkah ahead of Ramadan, with the holy city's Clock Tower in the background. AFP
  • A man carries a traditional lantern at Sayyeda Zeinab Ramadan market in Cairo, before the start of the holy month. AFP
    A man carries a traditional lantern at Sayyeda Zeinab Ramadan market in Cairo, before the start of the holy month. AFP
  • Palestinian artisan Maan Al Muhtaseb makes traditional lanterns and decorations ahead of Ramadan in Hebron city in the occupied West Bank. AFP
    Palestinian artisan Maan Al Muhtaseb makes traditional lanterns and decorations ahead of Ramadan in Hebron city in the occupied West Bank. AFP
  • Visiting graves at a Covid-19 cemetery in Depok, Indonesia. The practice is one of the traditions carried out by Muslims before Ramadan in the South-east Asian country. EPA
    Visiting graves at a Covid-19 cemetery in Depok, Indonesia. The practice is one of the traditions carried out by Muslims before Ramadan in the South-east Asian country. EPA
  • An Egyptian family out shopping for traditional decorative Ramadan lanterns, called Fanous, in the Sayyidah Zaynab district in Cairo. Reuters
    An Egyptian family out shopping for traditional decorative Ramadan lanterns, called Fanous, in the Sayyidah Zaynab district in Cairo. Reuters
  • Palestinian workers sort and pack dates at a factory in preparation for the holy month in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip. AFP
    Palestinian workers sort and pack dates at a factory in preparation for the holy month in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip. AFP
  • A torch parade to welcome the holy month that will start around March 23, in Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia. AFP
    A torch parade to welcome the holy month that will start around March 23, in Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia. AFP
  • A Ramadan lantern is hung on a wall painted in vivid colours in the Zeitun district of Gaza city. AFP
    A Ramadan lantern is hung on a wall painted in vivid colours in the Zeitun district of Gaza city. AFP
  • An Egyptian buys a Ramadan lantern at a workshop in Cairo. EPA
    An Egyptian buys a Ramadan lantern at a workshop in Cairo. EPA
  • Street decorations for the holy month of Ramadan in Giza, Egypt. EPA
    Street decorations for the holy month of Ramadan in Giza, Egypt. EPA
  • Architect Shahed Saleem in the Ramadan Pavilion at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, on show until May 1. PA
    Architect Shahed Saleem in the Ramadan Pavilion at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, on show until May 1. PA
  • Palestinian artisan Reham Shurab makes traditional 'fanous' lanterns at her home workshop in the Gaza Strip. AFP
    Palestinian artisan Reham Shurab makes traditional 'fanous' lanterns at her home workshop in the Gaza Strip. AFP
  • Workers sew women's prayer clothes called Mukenah at the Siti Khadijah clothing factory in Depok, Indonesia. EPA
    Workers sew women's prayer clothes called Mukenah at the Siti Khadijah clothing factory in Depok, Indonesia. EPA
  • Shoppers buy fresh produce at the Sidi Moussa market in Morocco's Atlantic coastal city of Sale. AFP
    Shoppers buy fresh produce at the Sidi Moussa market in Morocco's Atlantic coastal city of Sale. AFP
What are NFTs?

Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.

You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”

However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.

This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”

This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.

The White Lotus: Season three

Creator: Mike White

Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell

Rating: 4.5/5

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
FIXTURES

Nov 04-05: v Western Australia XI, Perth
Nov 08-11: v Cricket Australia XI, Adelaide
Nov 15-18 v Cricket Australia XI, Townsville (d/n)
Nov 23-27: 1ST TEST v AUSTRALIA, Brisbane
Dec 02-06: 2ND TEST v AUSTRALIA, Adelaide (d/n)
Dec 09-10: v Cricket Australia XI, Perth
Dec 14-18: 3RD TEST v AUSTRALIA, Perth
Dec 26-30 4TH TEST v AUSTRALIA, Melbourne
Jan 04-08: 5TH TEST v AUSTRALIA, Sydney

Note: d/n = day/night

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid

When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid

Stree

Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Movies
Director: Amar Kaushik
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee
Rating: 3.5

Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021

Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.

The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.

These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.

“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.

“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.

“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.

“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”

Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.

There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.

“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.

“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.

“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”

Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea

The President's Cake

Director: Hasan Hadi

Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem 

Rating: 4/5

THREE
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Nayla%20Al%20Khaja%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Jefferson%20Hall%2C%20Faten%20Ahmed%2C%20Noura%20Alabed%2C%20Saud%20Alzarooni%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
'Gehraiyaan'
Director:Shakun Batra

Stars:Deepika Padukone, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Ananya Panday, Dhairya Karwa

Rating: 4/5

Updated: March 22, 2023, 4:32 AM