Saudi Arabia on Sunday officially announced the sighting of the crescent moon (Ramadan moon), signaling the commencement of the sacred month of Ramadan in the kingdom.

The news was confirmed by the social media channels dedicated to updates regarding the Grand Mosque of Makkah and the Prophet’s (PBUH) Mosque in Madina, both significant sites for Muslims worldwide, with reference to the nation’s moon-sighting committee.

As a result of this sighting, people in Saudi Arabia will begin observing their first fast on the following day, Monday. The Saudi Supreme Court, as reported by Khaleej Times, declared that the crescent was sighted on Sunday evening, March 10.

It is anticipated that other Arab countries and nations in the Middle East will also commence Ramadan on the same evening, as both the apex court of Saudi Arabia and the moon sighting committee in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had previously announced Sunday evening as the expected date for the sighting of the Ramadan moon, urging residents to keep an eye out for the crescent and report their findings.

In the Islamic calendar, months can last either 29 or 30 days, and the beginning or end of a month is determined by the sighting of the crescent moon, hence Ramadan does not fall on a fixed date each year.

Typically, Saudi Arabia is among the first countries to sight the moon for Islamic months, followed by other Arab, Middle Eastern, and Western countries, as well as some parts of India. However, countries like Pakistan, the rest of India, Bangladesh, and other Asian nations usually commence the holy month a day later.

Ramadan is greeted with great religious fervor and enthusiasm across the Muslim world. With over a billion believers participating in fasting during Ramadan, the month serves as a time for practicing patience, self-control, and promoting acts of charity and welfare.