Saudi Arabia announced that Wednesday will be the first day of Ramadan, following traditional crescent moon sightings, with neighboring Gulf states making similar announcements.
The royal court of Saudi Arabia announced that Wednesday will mark the first day of the holy month of Ramadan, during which Muslims worldwide fast from sunrise to sunset, the official Saudi Press Agency posted on X. Observing the fast is one of the five pillars of Islam, requiring believers to abstain from eating, drinking, smoking, and sexual activity during daylight hours, while also encouraging charitable acts.
“Wednesday, is the first day of the blessed month of #Ramadan,” the agency said. Gulf neighbors, including Oman, Qatar, and the UAE, issued similar announcements. Despite advances in astronomy, Saudi religious authorities rely on direct visual crescent sightings, a tradition dating back to the Prophet Mohammed. Teams of observers across the kingdom, including at an observatory over 100 kilometers northwest of Riyadh, scanned the skies and filed reports to the Supreme Court, which officially declares the start of Ramadan.
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