Ramadan moon sighting confirmed in Saudi Arabia and UAE

In a surprising turn, both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates announced Tuesday night that they had sighted the Ramazan moon. These countries are set to observe the holy month from Wednesday (February 18) according to separate reports by Gulf News.

The official Saudi Press Agency confirmed via X earlier today that the first day of Ramazan would be observed on Wednesday in the kingdom, aligning with these regional announcements. Tolo News also reported this week that Ramazan would commence on February 18 in Afghanistan.

A significant statement came from a Supreme Court announcement in Parwan, Kandahar, Helmand, and Zabul provinces of Afghanistan. The court cited “credible witness testimonies” regarding the sighting of the moon crescent to report it to Sharia courts.

Meanwhile, last week, Pakistan’s Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) predicted that Ramazan in the country would begin on February 19, noting that while their prediction was likely accurate, they reserved final judgment until a decision is made by the Ruet-i-Hilal Committee, the sole competent authority for such announcements based on trustworthy eyewitness reports from across Pakistan.

The Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee will convene a meeting tomorrow at the Auqaf Department building in Peshawar. Following these deliberations, zonal and district committee meetings are scheduled to take place at their respective headquarters. The chairman of the Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee is expected to announce whether or not Ramazan has been sighted based on incoming information.

This juxtaposition of regional observations underlines the complexities in determining the beginning of Ramazan, a month that marks significant religious observance across Muslim-majority nations.