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Saudi calls on Muslims to sight Eid moon this Thursday

Government and military staff will receive around a full working week off to mark the Eid holiday

June 12, 2018

Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court has called on Muslims to look to the skies on Thursday evening to look for the Shawwal crescent, marking the Eid Al Fitr holiday.

If anyone sights the crescent, which will mean the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan the next day and the start of Shawwal, they are asked to report to the nearest court.

Alternatively, they can report to the authority of the region’s centre in the area where the sighting occurred.

“The Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia wishes all Muslims throughout the Kingdom to investigate the vision Crescent of the month of Shawwal on the evening of Thursday, the twenty-ninth of the month of Ramadan for this year 1439,” according to Saudi Press Agency.

The UAEs justice ministry made a similar announcement on Tuesday, calling for the formation of a moon sighting committee, which will meet on Thursday evening.

Read: UAE announces Eid holiday for private sector

Eid Al Fitr marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan – when Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset – and the start of the Shawwal month.

The first day of Eid is officially announced after the sighting of the crescent moon, but astronomers predict that it will fall on Friday, June 15 this year.

Based on that, Ramadan, which began on Thursday, May 17, is expected to run for 29 days.

Last week, Oman’s government declared that both private and public sector workers in the country will be off from Thursday, June 14 until Monday, June 18. They will resume work from Tuesday, June 19.

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman also issued a directive last Tuesday to extend this year’s Eid Al Fitr holiday.

Under the plans, government and military staff will receive around a full working week off to mark the holiday. They will resume work on Sunday, June 24.