UAE's Astronomy Centre Reveals Likely Date Of Eid Al Fitr

2026-03-09 07:11:10

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) The crescent sighting is 'impossible' on March 18 due to the moon setting before the sun and the conjunction occurring after sunset, IAC said

PUBLISHED: Mon 9 Mar 2026, 12:37 PM

By:
Poojaraj Maniyeri

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The UAE-based International Astronomy Centre (IAC) has predicted that sighting the Shawwal crescent on March 18 is impossible, meaning the holy month of Ramadan will be 30 days. As per the astronomical calculations, the first day of Eid Al Fitr in the UAE will be on March 20, and in some other countries.

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Due to the moon setting before the sun and the conjunction occurring after sunset, the crescent sighting will be "impossible" on March 18, IAC said.

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For other countries looking for the crescent on March 19, here is the sighting update:

Not possible from the eastern part of the world
Possible with difficulty using a telescope from western Asia, central and northern Africa
Possible with extreme difficulty with the naked eye from western Europe and western Africa
Possible with relative ease with the naked eye from most of North America.

IAC stated that "it is expected that the majority of these countries will announce that Friday, March 20, is also Eid Al Fitr for them."

However, given the difficulty of sighting the crescent on Thursday from vast areas of the Islamic world, it is also expected that a considerable number of countries will announce that the crescent sighting is not confirmed on Thursday, making Saturday, March 21, Eid Al Fitr for them.

Some numbers behind the sighting

According to IAC, the lowest values for a crescent that was possible to sight with the naked eye were

Crescent persistence: 29 minutes. This refers to the duration a crescent moon remains visible above the horizon
Crescent's age: 15 hours, 33 minutes
Angular distance from the sun: 7.6 degrees.

However, exceeding any of these values is not sufficient for sighting, as these factors are interconnected and must be studied together, the UAE astronomers explained.

Eid Al Fitr holidays in UAE

UAE has already announced Eid Al Fitr holidays for both the private and public sector According to the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (Mohre), the holiday for private-sector employees will run from Thursday, March 19, to Saturday, March 21.

The authorities clarified that if the holy month of Ramadan lasts 30 days, the private sector holiday will be extended to Sunday, March 22. In the UAE, Sunday is also the official weekend.

For federal government entities, the Eid Al Fitr holiday will begin on Thursday, March 19, 2026, and continue until Sunday, March 22, 2026. Official working hours will resume on Monday, March 23.