Ramadan Kareem! The holy month will officially begin Thursday, March 23, 2023 in the United Arab Emirates, the UAE has announced.
The government officially the first day of the Holy Month of Ramadan after the crescent was not sighted on Tuesday evening.
According To WAM UAE moon-sighting committee met after the Maghreb prayer at the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, to determine the commencement of the Holy Month.
Presided over by Abdullah Sultan bin Awad Al Nuaimi, Minister of Justice, the meeting will be attended by several high-ranking officials, WAM reported.
The Shariah courts across the country monitored and notified the committee of any sightings, while the Lunar Calendar Committee at the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department gathered evidence and reported its findings to the Moon-Sighting Committee, the report continued.
For those who don’t know, Ramadan starts when the crescent moon (called hilal) coincides with the astronomical new moon. The exact date is decided by the UAE’s Moon Sighting Committee, agreed upon by the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department and announced through WAM, the UAE’s official news agency.
The holy month will start on Wednesday in the UAE, but different countries may have different start dates depending on when their moon committee spots the moon, so keep an eye out if you are not in the Emirates.
Three Ramadans are coming in 2030, and three Eids in 2033
The biggest celebration of the century is coming in just 10 years, we discovered. Yep, New Year’s Day will fall the same weekend as Eid Al Fitr in 2033–and could even fall on the same day.
Yep, we’ve done the math, and found that not only will there be two Eid Al Fitrs in 2033–three in total–but the first will fall around New Year’s Day, and the second will fall on Christmas.
In 2030, there will, of course, be two Ramadans to enjoy.
The best Ramadan series of all time
Ready for the season to bring back everyone’s favorite pastime? Before the series begin across the region, we’ve counted down the most popular Holy Month-airing series of all time.
Find our list here:
We at Esquire Middle East wish you and your loved ones a blessed month, and a fruitful holy month full of family, spirituality and reflection.
Ramadan Kareem, once again!