Astronomers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have announced the possible date for celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr after the end of Ramadan in 2026, saying the festival is likely to fall on Friday, March 20, as the holy month is expected to complete 30 days.
According to astronomical calculations released by the Sharjah Academy for Astronomy, Space Sciences and Technology, the crescent moon marking the start of Shawwal is unlikely to be visible in the UAE on the evening of March 18, which corresponds to the 29th day of Ramadan. Astronomers said the moon will set before sunset that day, making the crescent impossible to sight.
As a result, March 19 is expected to complete the month of Ramadan, making March 20 the first day of Shawwal and the likely date for Eid-ul-Fitr in the UAE.
The academy’s observatory said the astronomical conjunction, or new moon, will occur over Sharjah at 4:24 am UAE time on March 19. By sunset that day, the crescent moon will be about 14 hours old and will remain above the western horizon for around 29 minutes.
However, astronomers described the viewing conditions in the UAE as unfavourable, noting that the crescent would be extremely difficult to observe even with telescopes and impossible to see with the naked eye.
They added that the crescent may be visible in some Arab and Islamic countries further west, where geographical and astronomical conditions are more favourable.
Based on these calculations, March 20 is expected to mark the beginning of Shawwal and the celebration of Eid-ul-Fitr in the UAE and several other Muslim-majority countries, although some nations relying strictly on physical moon sighting may observe the festival a day later depending on local observations.
Source: Gulf News