Muharram 2025: Hijri New Year begins as moon sighted in Saudi Arabia

The 1st of Muharram 1447 has commenced after Maghrib on Wednesday, June 25, 2025.

The moon was sighted in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday evening, which means the month of Dhul Hijjah will have 29 days. 

In the UAE, a one-day holiday for the Hijri New Year will be observed on Friday, June 27, by both the public and private sectors.

The Islamic New Year, also known as Hijri New Year, commemorates the migration (Hijrah) of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE, an event that marks the beginning of the Islamic lunar calendar. Though the occasion is not typically celebrated with the same scale as Eid Al Fitr or Eid Al Adha, it remains an important date in the Islamic world and is recognized as a public holiday in the UAE.

The Hijri New Year signals a chance for spiritual reflection and religious resolutions, set in the month following the annual Hajj in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

Because the Hijri calendar is lunar, the dates of Islamic months and holidays — such as Ramadan and Eid Al Fitr — change annually. The new year corresponds with the first sighting of the crescent moon during Muharram, the first of 12 months in the Hijri calendar.

The Hijri calendar begins counting from 622 C.E., the year the Prophet Muhammad emigrated from Mecca to Medina. 

This journey, known as the Hijrah or migration in Arabic, led to the religious, social and political consolidation of the Muslim community.

Muharram is one of four sacred months during which Islam forbids warfare, a condition that encourages increased prayer, charity and reflection throughout the month. More than 20 countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Morocco and Syria, have designated the Hijri New Year a national holiday.