Gulf states including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are expected to celebrate Eid al-Fitr on Friday, March 20, 2026, following astronomical forecasts indicating the Shawwal crescent moon will be impossible to sight on Wednesday.
The International Astronomical Centre (IAC) stated that countries which began the fasting month of Ramadan on February 18 will look for the new moon on March 18. Scientific models from the IAC confirm the moon will set before the sun on that date, precluding visibility and necessitating a 30-day Ramadan.
In South Asian countries including India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, where the holy month commenced on February 19, official moon sighting committees are scheduled to convene on Thursday, March 19. If the crescent is visible, the region will observe the holiday on March 20. If it remains unseen, the festival will fall on Saturday, March 21.
Ibrahim Al Jarwan, chairman of the Emirates Astronomical Society, corroborated the IAC projections in a March 13 statement, forecasting that Ramadan will extend to 30 days. To scientifically validate a new lunar month in the Middle East, strict astronomical parameters are required: the crescent must be born before sunset, separate from the sun by at least six degrees, and remain above the horizon for a minimum of 20 minutes after the sun goes down.
Official preparations for the upcoming period are underway. The Saudi government announced a four-day public holiday for the private and nonprofit sectors starting March 18. Simultaneously, the UAE’s Al Khatim Astronomical Observatory released localized visibility charts to guide the public.
Muslims around the world observe a lunar calendar that relies on the physical sighting of the moon rather than the solar cycle. This system causes observances like Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr to shift 10 to 11 days earlier on the Gregorian calendar annually. The requirement for physical visibility across different longitudes historically results in Gulf nations celebrating the holiday one day ahead of South Asia.