Dubai: The Moon Sighting Committee has announced that Sunday will be the 30th of Sha’aban.
Dr Hadef Bin Jua’an Al Daheri, Minister of Justice, said in a statement after the committee’s meeting Saturday night that Monday will be the first day of Ramadan.
On this occasion, Al Daheri and the committee congratulated President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Their Highnesses Supreme Council Members and Rulers of the Emirates, General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and other Crown Princes.
Saudi Arabia will also start Ramadan on Monday along with most other Gulf states, regional media said on Saturday.
Reports from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon, Kuwait and Qatar said the new moon had not been sighted after sunset on Saturday, indicating that Sunday would be regarded as the last day of the Muslim lunar month preceding Ramadan.
In nearby Yemen, Ramadan will also start on Monday.
Muslims scan the sky at night in search of the new moon to determine the start of Ramadan, the holiest month for the world's more than one billion Muslims, during which observant believers fast from dawn to dusk.
Businesses and offices reduce opening hours during the day and often re-open in the evenings.
Sweltering temperatures in the Gulf Arab countries and the length of time between dawn and sunset will make Ramadan in August a trying ritual for Muslims this year.
To help those fasting cope with the heat, Palestinian officials in the West Bank and Gaza said they will push back the clock one hour. That gives some psychological relief, making it seem as if the time for breaking the fast is coming an hour earlier and lengthening the evening hours.
- With inputs from agencies
