Ramazan 2026 begins in Saudi Arabia, UAE and other GCC nations; first fast on Wednesday

RIYADH/ABU DHABI (Dunya News) – Muslims in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will begin observing Ramazan tomorrow, Wednesday, February 18, after the crescent moon marking the start of the holy month was sighted.

In Saudi Arabia, the crescent sighting was confirmed following a major gathering at Houta Sudair, along with seven other key locations across the Kingdom. Experts from meteorology and astronomy departments participated in the observation, with modern technology used for the first time to ensure accuracy. The Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia officially announced that the first day of Ramazan 1447 AH will be on February 18.

Meanwhile, the UAE’s Presidential Court confirmed the crescent moon’s sighting after the official moon-sighting committee convened at Qasr Al Hosn in Abu Dhabi. The announcement signals that tomorrow will mark the start of fasting and prayers across the Emirates.

Other nations that will begin fasting on February 18 include:

• Kuwait
• Qatar
• Bahrain
• Yemen
• Afghanistan

Some countries including Malaysia and Turkiye were unable to sight the crescent on Tuesday and will start Ramazan on Thursday, February 19:

Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and Iran will search for the crescent on Wednesday. The start of Ramazan in these countries will depend on local sightings, meaning the first fast could begin on either Thursday, February 19, or Friday, February 20.

Ramazan is observed according to the lunar calendar, with the new month commencing when the crescent is sighted after sunset on the 29th of Sha’ban. If the crescent is not visible, the month of Shaban completes 30 days, and the holy month begins the following day.