UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain announce official start date for Eid al-Fitr 2026 World News

The UAE and several Gulf countries will celebrate Eid al-Fitr 2026 on Friday, March 20, without sighting the crescent moon of Shawal, which marks the end of the 30-day holy month of Ramadan. The UAE confirmed the date on Wednesday, according to observations from the Lunar Observation Committee, which did not record any confirmed sightings of the new moon on Wednesday night. Therefore, Ramadan will end on Thursday, March 19, and Eid al-Fitr will begin the next day. Traditionally, seeing the crescent moon of Shawal marks the end of Ramadan and the beginning of Eid al-Fitr, one of the most important holidays in the Islamic calendar. Similar announcements were made in the Bay Area. Saudi Arabia After reviewing reports submitted by courts and observatories across the kingdom, it was confirmed that no new moon was sighted. The Saudi royal family noted in a statement that no sightings had been confirmed and confirmed Friday, March 20, as the first day of Eid al-Fitr. KuwaitThe Islamic Vision Authority also confirmed that Ramadan will end on Thursday and Friday will mark Eid al-Fitr. Similar confirmations were issued by Bahrain and Qatar, which declared March 20 as the first day of Eid al-Fitr after not seeing the new moon. In Qatar, the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs (Awqaf) said Thursday marked the 30th and last day of Ramadan, in line with wider regional announcements. Earlier, the UAE had designated an Eid holiday for public and private sector employees. According to the federal government’s Human Resources Management Authority, the public sector holiday will run from Thursday, March 19 to Sunday, March 22, with work resuming on Monday, March 23. For the private sector, the Ministry of Human Resources and UAE has announced a holiday from Thursday, March 19 to Saturday, March 21. The ministry added that if Ramadan ends for 30 days, the holiday will be extended to Sunday, March 22. With the date now set, preparations are about to begin across the region to celebrate Eid, with families and communities coming together to celebrate the end of Ramadan.