The UAE Council for Fatwa on Sunday announced the sighting of the crescent moon marking the beginning of Dhul Hijjah for the year 1447 AH, officially confirming the dates for the Islamic month and the upcoming Eid Al Adha celebrations.

According to the council, tomorrow, Monday, May 18, 2026, will mark the first day of Dhul Hijjah, while Eid Al Adha will be observed on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, across the UAE, a WAM report said.

The announcement followed the review of moon-sighting results and observation reports submitted by specialists, experts and traditional moon-sighters across the UAE through an approved observatory network supervised by institutions and centres specialising in astronomy and space sciences.

Hajj pilgrimage dates announced

Saudi Arabia also confirmed the sighting of the Dhul Hijjah crescent on Sunday evening, paving the way for the annual Hajj pilgrimage to begin.

According to an Arab News report, the Day of Arafat, considered the pinnacle of Hajj, will fall on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, one day before Eid Al Adha celebrations begin across the region.

Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam and is obligatory for Muslims who are physically and financially capable of undertaking the pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime, reports said.

Oman confirms Eid Al Adha date

Meanwhile, Oman’s Main Committee for Moon-sighting also confirmed on Sunday that the crescent moon of Dhul Hijjah 1447 AH had been sighted.

The committee announced that Monday, May 18, 2026, will be the first day of Dhul Hijjah, while the Day of Arafah will be observed on Tuesday, May 26. Eid Al Adha will subsequently begin on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, according to local reports.

Authorities in Abu Dhabi on Sunday responded to a fire incident that broke out in an electrical generator outside the inner perimeter of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant following a drone strike, according to the Abu Dhabi Media Office.

Officials confirmed that no injuries were reported and that there was no impact on radiological safety levels at the site.

“All precautionary measures have been taken, and further updates will be provided as they become available,” the Abu Dhabi Media Office said in a statement.

The Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) said the fire did not affect the safety of the plant or the readiness of its essential systems, adding that all units are continuing to operate as normal.

Authorities also urged the public to rely solely on official sources for information and to avoid spreading rumours or unverified reports.

The incident comes amid heightened regional tensions and renewed drone and missile attacks targeting the UAE earlier this month.

Located in Abu Dhabi’s Al Dhafra Region, the Barakah plant is a cornerstone of the UAE’s energy diversification and net-zero strategy.

The facility generates approximately 40 terawatt hours of clean electricity annually, supplying around 25 per cent of the country’s electricity needs.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it was closely monitoring the situation and remained in constant contact with UAE authorities, adding that it stood ready to provide assistance if required.

Meanwhile, the UAE’s Ministry of Defence on Sunday said that its “air defence systems intercepted three UAVs that entered the country from the western border direction.”

Two of the UAVs were successfully intercepted, the ministry noted.

It added that an investigation is underway and that it “remains fully prepared and ready to address any threats and will firmly confront any attempts to undermine the country’s security.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by MOD | وزارة الدفاع (@modgovae)

As preparations intensify across the Islamic world for the upcoming Hajj pilgrimage and Eid Al Adha celebrations, several countries have begun announcing the start of Dhul Hijjah following crescent moon observations and astronomical calculations.

The developments come as religious authorities, astronomers and moon-sighting committees across the Middle East and North Africa closely monitor the skies to determine the beginning of the sacred month.

The International Astronomy Center said the crescent moon of Dhul Hijjah 1447 AH was photographed during daylight hours from Abu Dhabi by the Khatm Astronomical Observatory on Sunday morning. According to a statement posted on the center’s official X account, the image was captured at 9:20am UAE time, with the moon positioned 7.8 degrees away from the sun and approximately nine hours old.

The announcement added fresh momentum to moon-sighting activities taking place across the region ahead of Eid Al Adha, one of the most significant holidays in the Islamic calendar.

Tunisia first to officially announce Dhul Hijjah

Tunisia became the first country to officially declare the beginning of Dhul Hijjah, announcing that the holy month will begin on Monday, May 18, with Eid Al-Adha set to fall on Wednesday, May 27.

Turkey also confirmed Monday, May 18, as the first day of Dhul Hijjah. Unlike many Islamic nations that rely on physical crescent sightings, Turkey follows a pre-calculated lunar calendar based on astronomical computations.

According to the International Astronomy Center, Saturday, May 16, marked the 29th day of Dhul Qadah in both Tunisia and Turkey.

Meanwhile, most other Islamic countries, including Saudi Arabia, observed Sunday, May 17, as the 29th day of Dhul Qadah based on official moon-sighting announcements issued by religious authorities.

Saudi Arabia calls for crescent sighting

Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court has officially called on Muslims across the kingdom to sight the crescent moon marking the beginning of Dhul Hijjah on the evening of Sunday, May 17.

In a statement issued Friday, the court urged anyone who spots the crescent moon, either with the naked eye or through binoculars, to report to the nearest court and formally register their testimony. The court also encouraged citizens to coordinate with nearby centers that assist moon-sighting committees.

The Saudi Gazette reported that the move follows Supreme Court ruling No. 206/H dated 29/10/1447H, which declared Saturday, April 18, as the completion of Shawwal and Sunday, April 19, as the beginning of Dhul Qadah.

Officials said Sunday, May 17, corresponds to the 29th of Dhul Qadah according to the court’s calendar determination, while the Umm Al Qura calendar calculations place it as the 30th day of the month.

The Supreme Court further encouraged experienced observers to participate in regional moon-sighting committees, emphasising the importance of contributing to a practice deeply connected to Islamic tradition and community observance.

The beginning of Dhul Hijjah determines not only the timing of the annual Hajj pilgrimage but also the dates for Eid Al Adha celebrations observed by millions of Muslims worldwide.

Emirates NBD has received all regulatory and governmental approvals, including clearance from the Indian government, for its acquisition of a majority stake in RBL Bank, paving the way for the completion of what it described as one of the most significant cross-border investments in India’s financial services sector.

The deal, first announced on October 18, 2025, involves an investment of approximately $3bn, or about INR268.5bn.

Emirates NBD said the transaction represents the largest equity fundraise in India’s banking sector and the acquisition of a majority interest in a profitable Indian bank by a foreign banking institution.

Under the agreement, Emirates NBD will subscribe to up to 959,045,636 fully paid equity shares in RBL Bank at 280 rupees per share through a preferential issue, representing approximately 60 per cent of RBL’s post-issue paid-up share capital.

Final shareholding is expected to range between 51 to 74 per cent

The lender said its final shareholding is expected to range between 51 per cent and 74 per cent, subject to applicable foreign ownership limits and the completion of a mandatory open offer process.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman of Emirates NBD, said: “Emirates NBD continues to accelerate development across our network and deepen our presence in high-potential regional markets such as India.

“The successful accomplishment of this milestone acquisition underscores the strategic and long-standing relationship with the country, mirroring the UAE’s own strategic and business cooperation. We look forward to expanding our presence in the nation and serving our customers by unlocking the next chapter of Emirates NBD’s growth and impact.”

The transaction also envisages the eventual amalgamation of Emirates NBD’s India branch operations in Mumbai, Chennai and Gurugram into RBL Bank, subject to additional regulatory approvals.

Upon completion, Emirates NBD will be classified as the promoter of RBL Bank, which will operate as a foreign bank subsidiary under the Reserve Bank of India framework.

Emirates NBD had total assets of Dhs1.2tn as of March 31, 2026, equivalent to approximately $327bn, and serves more than 10 million active customers across 13 countries.

Abu Dhabi technology group G42 and the government of India have formalised commercial and operational terms for the deployment of Condor Galaxy India, an 8-exaflop artificial intelligence supercomputing cluster that will rank among India’s most powerful AI compute systems.

The agreement was witnessed by UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during Modi’s official state visit to Abu Dhabi, reaffirming the UAE-India digital infrastructure memorandum of understanding signed in 2024.

The supercomputing cluster will comprise 64 Cerebras Systems CS-3 systems and is expected to serve as a foundational asset for India’s sovereign AI ambitions.

Under the framework, G42, in partnership with Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), will oversee the installation, deployment, operations and maintenance of the system.

The companies said the infrastructure would support joint research and development across sectors, including health and genomics, energy and geospatial analytics, while enabling researchers, institutions and startups in both countries to advance scientific research.

“India is one of the world’s great innovation economies,” Mansoor Al Mansoori, chief executive of G42 International, said in a statement. “Deploying an instance of G42’s Intelligence Grid at this scale in such an important geography is what AI-native transformation looks like in practice. We are delivering infrastructure that converts energy and compute into sovereign-governed nation-scale intelligence.”

The deployment expands the existing partnership between G42 and Cerebras, which currently operates several supercomputing clusters in the US through the Condor Galaxy network, extending that footprint into India.