The crescent moon shows itself at the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Mosque at Al Bahia, Abu Dhabi, during Ramadan. Victor Besa / The National
The crescent moon shows itself at the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Mosque at Al Bahia, Abu Dhabi, during Ramadan. Victor Besa / The National
The crescent moon shows itself at the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Mosque at Al Bahia, Abu Dhabi, during Ramadan. Victor Besa / The National
The crescent moon shows itself at the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Mosque at Al Bahia, Abu Dhabi, during Ramadan. Victor Besa / The National

UAE explained: Why Eid Al Fitr is likely to begin on Thursday


Kelly Clarke
  • English
  • Arabic

The UAE's moon-sighting committee will look to the skies to decide the start date of Eid Al Fitr on Tuesday evening.

They will meet after maghrib prayers to attempt to sight the new crescent moon which would herald the start of the month of Shawwal, which has the Eid festival at its beginning.

If the new moon is visible, the holiday will begin on Wednesday.

If not, it will start the following day.

Astronomers previously forecast that Ramadan will likely consist of 30 days in the UAE, therefore Eid Al Fitr is expected to fall on Thursday.

The length of the lunar calendar is 29 days, plus some additional hours, which means the month can last 29 or 30 days, depending on the orbit

“The moon does not circulate or orbit the Earth at the same time every month, sometimes the orbit is longer and sometimes shorter. There is usually a difference of about six hours each month,” said Dr Hasan Al Hariri, chief executive of the Dubai Astronomy Group.

“The length of the lunar calendar is 29 days, plus some additional hours, which means the month can last 29 or 30 days, depending on the orbit.

“With that element in play, we have to understand that this is how we determine the right position of the crescent to announce a new month.

“Looking at the crescent, it should be high in the sky and bright, not dim.”

Traders hopeful of busy Eid:

  • Retailers are expecting a busy Eid Al Fitr, as shoppers make the most of the holiday. All photos by Antonie Robertson / The National
    Retailers are expecting a busy Eid Al Fitr, as shoppers make the most of the holiday. All photos by Antonie Robertson / The National
  • A shop worker puts up an Eid Mubarak message on a shop window in Festival City Mall in Dubai.
    A shop worker puts up an Eid Mubarak message on a shop window in Festival City Mall in Dubai.
  • Retailers were leaving nothing to chance when it came to attracting Eid shoppers at Mall of the Emirates in Dubai.
    Retailers were leaving nothing to chance when it came to attracting Eid shoppers at Mall of the Emirates in Dubai.
  • Retailers in the Mall of the Emirates were offering bargains as Eid approached.
    Retailers in the Mall of the Emirates were offering bargains as Eid approached.
  • Decorations on display at Festival City Mall ahead of Eid Al Fitr.
    Decorations on display at Festival City Mall ahead of Eid Al Fitr.
  • Shoppers flock to the Mall of the Emirates ahead of Eid.
    Shoppers flock to the Mall of the Emirates ahead of Eid.
  • Preparations are under way for Eid Al Fitr at Festival City Mall.
    Preparations are under way for Eid Al Fitr at Festival City Mall.
  • Decorations in Festival City Mall as shoppers and retailers prepare for Eid Al Fitr.
    Decorations in Festival City Mall as shoppers and retailers prepare for Eid Al Fitr.
  • Dubai's Festival City Mall was quiet on Monday morning. Retailers are expecting the opposite during Eid Al Fitr.
    Dubai's Festival City Mall was quiet on Monday morning. Retailers are expecting the opposite during Eid Al Fitr.

Dr Hariri said on Tuesday the moon would set before the sun by 11 minutes, so there will not be a clear sighting of the moon.

Unlike the Gregorian calendar, which is solar, the Islamic calendar is lunar, meaning the date for Ramadan and Eid Al Fitr change each year. Typically, an Islamic month is 29 to 30 days long, but not 31 days.

What is Eid Al Fitr?

Eid Al Fitr marks the end of the month-long fasting period.

Noted as a festive holiday, people across the Arab world and Muslim nations often celebrate the occasion with family and friends, sharing food, gifts and prayers and offering charity to those in need.

It is the first of two Eids of the Islamic calendar, with Eid Al Adha observed later in the year.

This year, with Covid-19 restrictions in place, well-wishers in the UAE have been urged to celebrate at home with immediate family to help stem the spread of infection.

FA Cup fifth round draw

Sheffield Wednesday v Manchester City
Reading/Cardiff City v Sheffield United
Chelsea v Shrewsbury Town/Liverpool
West Bromwich Albion v Newcastle United/Oxford United
Leicester City v Coventry City/Birmingham City
Northampton Town/Derby County v Manchester United
Southampton/Tottenham Hotspur v Norwich City
Portsmouth v Arsenal 

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Try out the test yourself

Q1 Suppose you had $100 in a savings account and the interest rate was 2 per cent per year. After five years, how much do you think you would have in the account if you left the money to grow?
a) More than $102
b) Exactly $102
c) Less than $102
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer

Q2 Imagine that the interest rate on your savings account was 1 per cent per year and inflation was 2 per cent per year. After one year, how much would you be able to buy with the money in this account?
a) More than today
b) Exactly the same as today
c) Less than today
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer

Q4 Do you think that the following statement is true or false? “Buying a single company stock usually provides a safer return than a stock mutual fund.”
a) True
b) False
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer

The “Big Three” financial literacy questions were created by Professors Annamaria Lusardi of the George Washington School of Business and Olivia Mitchell, of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. 

Answers: Q1 More than $102 (compound interest). Q2 Less than today (inflation). Q3 False (diversification).

Dubai Bling season three

Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed 

Rating: 1/5

Islamophobia definition

A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.

De De Pyaar De

Produced: Luv Films, YRF Films
Directed: Akiv Ali
Cast: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Rakul Preet Singh, Jimmy Sheirgill, Jaaved Jaffrey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars

World record transfers

1. Kylian Mbappe - to Real Madrid in 2017/18 - €180 million (Dh770.4m - if a deal goes through)
2. Paul Pogba - to Manchester United in 2016/17 - €105m
3. Gareth Bale - to Real Madrid in 2013/14 - €101m
4. Cristiano Ronaldo - to Real Madrid in 2009/10 - €94m
5. Gonzalo Higuain - to Juventus in 2016/17 - €90m
6. Neymar - to Barcelona in 2013/14 - €88.2m
7. Romelu Lukaku - to Manchester United in 2017/18 - €84.7m
8. Luis Suarez - to Barcelona in 2014/15 - €81.72m
9. Angel di Maria - to Manchester United in 2014/15 - €75m
10. James Rodriguez - to Real Madrid in 2014/15 - €75m

Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill

Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.

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Fire and Fury
By Michael Wolff,
Henry Holt

MATCH INFO

Liverpool 0

Stoke City 0

Man of the Match: Erik Pieters (Stoke)