Will Eid Al Fitr 2025 fall on March 30 or 31?

Abu Dhabi: As the end of Ramadan 1446 AH approaches, a pressing question arises across the Islamic world: Will Eid al-Fitr begin on Sunday, March 30, with Ramadan lasting 29 days, or will it fall on Monday, March 31, completing a full 30-day month? The answer depends on the lunar observations conducted by astronomical experts and legislative bodies responsible for sighting the Shawwal crescent.

In an exclusive statement to Gulf News, Emirati astronomer and Chairman of the Emirates Astronomy Society, as well as a member of the Arab Union for Space and Astronomy, Ibrahim Al-Jarwan, revealed that precise astronomical calculations indicate the impossibility of sighting the Shawwal crescent after sunset on Saturday, March 29, 2025 (corresponding to 29 Ramadan 1446 AH).

Based on these calculations, the Emirates Astronomy Society anticipates that Ramadan will be completed in full 30 days, with Sunday, March 30, 2025, marking the last day of the holy month. Consequently, Eid Al-Fitr is expected to fall on Monday, March 31, 2025.

Providing further details, Al-Jarwan explained: “The Shawwal crescent will be born on Saturday, March 29, at 14.58 UAE time. It will set approximately five minutes after sunset in the UAE and around ten minutes after sunset in Mecca. The age of the crescent—defined as the period between conjunction and the time of observation at sunset—will be approximately three hours and 35 minutes in the UAE and around four hours and 25 minutes in Mecca.”

According to astronomical calculations, at sunset in Mecca, the crescent’s altitude above the western horizon will be around 2 degrees, while in the UAE, it will be nearly aligned with the horizon.

Al-Jarwan referenced over a century of documented astronomical observations, including more than 5,000 scientifically recorded crescent sightings. These studies established minimum visibility criteria for a crescent to be observable, whether by the naked eye, binoculars, or telescopes, under ideal atmospheric conditions. These parameters are crucial for the formation of the crescent’s visible arc of light.

Key crescent visibility criteria

Al-Jarwan outlined the essential conditions required for a successful crescent sighting:

• The new moon must be born before sunset.

• The moon must be at least 6 degrees away from the sun.

• The crescent’s age must be no less than 12 hours.

• The moon must remain above the horizon for at least 20 minutes after sunset.

“Apart from the new moon’s birth, the other conditions for crescent visibility will not be met on the evening of March 29,” Al-Jarwan stated.

“Therefore, we do not anticipate a confirmed crescent sighting after sunset on Saturday. As a result, Ramadan will be completed on Sunday, and Eid Al-Fitr will be observed on Monday, March 31, based on astronomical calculations. However, the official announcement of Islamic observances remains under the jurisdiction of the relevant religious authorities.”

Most Islamic countries will attempt to sight the crescent moon of Shawwal, which determines the start of Eid al-Fitr, on Saturday, March 29—coinciding with the 29th of Ramadan in many nations. The International Astronomical Center (IAC) has issued a report detailing the conditions for moon sighting on that evening.

For countries that rely on visual moon sighting to mark the beginning of the new month, the outcome will determine whether Eid falls on Sunday, with Ramadan lasting 29 days, or on Monday, extending the holy month to 30 days.

In a scientific report, the UAE-based International Astronomical Centre stated that sighting the Shawwal crescent on Saturday, March 29, will be impossible in the eastern hemisphere and highly unlikely across the rest of the Arab and Islamic world, even with advanced observation tools such as telescopes and astronomical imaging technology.

The report further explained that the crescent moon will be visible only through telescopes in central and northern parts of the Americas. However, even in the eastern regions of the continent, spotting the crescent will be extremely difficult, and unaided eye visibility will be limited to areas over the Pacific Ocean, west of the United States.

Moreover, calculations for key locations such as Mecca, Cairo, Muscat, and Amman indicate that, at sunset on March 29, the crescent will not be visible—neither to the naked eye nor through telescopes.

Possible variations

Based on these observations, the International Astronomical Centre concluded that countries requiring an actual sighting of the moon will likely complete a full 30-day Ramadan, making Eid al-Fitr fall on Monday, March 31.

However, the report also acknowledged that since the lunar conjunction will occur before sunset on Saturday and the moon will set after the sun in central and western parts of the Islamic world, some countries may still declare Eid on Sunday, March 30, following their own lunar calendar conventions.

Egypt’s National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics has announced that, based on its calculations, Eid al-Fitr will fall on Sunday, March 30, with Ramadan lasting 29 days.

The institute’s official statement noted that the Shawwal crescent will be born at midday on Saturday, March 29, and will remain visible for seven minutes after sunset in Mecca and 11 minutes in Cairo. Across Egypt, the crescent will be visible for durations ranging between 9 and 12 minutes.

Nonetheless, Egypt’s Dar Al-Ifta, the official authority for moon sighting, will determine the final date of Eid based on physical lunar observations conducted by specialised committees across the country.

As the Islamic world awaits official announcements, the question remains: Will Ramadan 1446 last 29 or 30 days? The answer will soon be revealed through lunar sighting reports issued by religious and astronomical authorities.