Ramadan will begin on Monday, March 11, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates announced, with the Muslim holy fasting month taking place against a backdrop of devastating war in Gaza.
Saudi Arabia, which is home to Islam's holiest sites, said through its official SPA news agency on Sunday that the Supreme Court had announced "Monday, March 11, 2024, the beginning of the blessed month of Ramadan for this year." The UAE and Qatar also announced the start date for Ramadan through their own official news outlets after the sighting of the crescent moon.
Earlier, Iran had set the beginning of Ramadan for Tuesday after its moon observation office said it had not been possible to observe "the crescent of Ramadan."
In Saudi Arabia, the start of the holy month had been cast into doubt after some of the kingdom's observatories reported that the moon was obscured by "cloudy weather and dust particles." But final confirmation of the sighting was given through the Al Majmaah University Astronomical Observatory in Riyadh.
The daytime fasting month of Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam. Observant Muslims refrain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk, and traditionally gather with family and friends to break their fast in the evening. It is also a time of prayers, with the faithful converging in large numbers at mosques, especially at night.
The war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip has cast a long shadow over festivities in the region, with hopes dashed that a ceasefire agreement could be reached before the start of Ramadan.