Azernews.Az

Saudi Arabia, the home of Islam's holiest sites, has officially announced that Eid al-Fitr, the holiday marking the end of Ramadan, will begin on Sunday, March 30, 2025.

According to a statement from the Royal Court, carried by the official Saudi Press Agency on X, "The Supreme Court has decided that tomorrow, Sunday, March 30, 2025, will be the first day of Eid al-Fitr."

The United Arab Emirates and Qatar also confirmed that Eid will start on Sunday. However, countries like Syria, Jordan, Libya, Oman, and Shia-majority Iran have announced that the holiday will begin on Monday.

Eid al-Fitr’s timing depends on the sighting of the crescent moon, as per the Islamic lunar calendar.

This year’s announcement, however, has raised concerns among some astronomers and Muslim moon-sighting organizations. Imad Ahmed, the founder of the UK-based New Crescent Society, explained that it will be scientifically impossible to see the crescent moon anywhere in the Middle East on Saturday, as it will be too small and thin. He clarified that Islamic months begin with the visible waxing crescent, not the new moon phase. Ahmed also noted that while a partial solar eclipse is expected in much of North Africa, it won’t affect moon visibility, as the moon will still be in its invisible new phase.

The Islamic lunar calendar allows months to last either 29 or 30 days, depending on moon sightings. Eid al-Fitr marks the beginning of Shawwal, the 10th month of the Islamic calendar.