Ramadan will begin in the UAE on Thursday, authorities have announced.
The Moon-sighting committee met at the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department after maghrib (sunset) prayers on Tuesday and announced it could not yet see a new crescent moon, meaning Ramadan would begin on Thursday, state news agency Wam reported.
Saudi Arabia had earlier declared Ramadan would commence on Thursday after its sighting committee was unable to see the new moon on Tuesday.
The holiest month of the year in Islam, Ramadan is observed by more than 1.9 billion Muslims. It is said to be the month the Quran was revealed to Prophet Mohammed.
During the month, which lasts either 29 or 30 days, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset.
Fasting during the holy month is one of the five pillars of Islam and is mandatory for all Muslims who are in good health.
The start of Ramadan is determined by each country's Moon-sighting committee.
In the UAE, Moon-sighting attempts are held nationwide but not all manage to see the crescent.
The committee makes the final decision at Abu Dhabi Judicial Department after collecting all the reports from across the country.
Eid Al Fitr and the first of Shawwal — the 10th month in the Islamic calendar — is expected to be on either April 21 or 22, but will be confirmed closer to the time.
Ramadan preparations around the world — in pictures
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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 -
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 -
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 -
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 -
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 -
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 -
An Egyptian buys a Ramadan lantern at a workshop in Cairo. 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 -
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 -
Shoppers buy fresh produce at the Sidi Moussa market in Morocco's Atlantic coastal city of Sale. AFP
