Ramadan 2023: UAE moon-sighting committee to meet Tuesday

The UAE Moon-Sighting Committee will meet Tuesday evening to determine the start of the holy month of Ramadan, according to the state-run news agency, WAM.

Presided over by Abdullah Sultan bin Awad Al Nuaimi, the UAE Minister of Justice, the meeting will be attended by several high-ranking officials. The committee will look for the new crescent moon, and if spotted, fasting will begin at dawn on Wednesday.

The committee is set to meet after the Maghreb prayer at the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department. The Shariah courts across the country will monitor and notify the committee of any sightings, while the Lunar Calendar Committee will report its findings to the Moon-sighting Committee.

The sighting of the moon signifies the start and the end of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Religious authorities in the Middle East and other regions will soon gather for moonsighting to determine the start of the holy month.

In other news, the Supreme Court in Saudi Arabia called on the public to look for the crescent Moon on Tuesday, according to the state-run news agency SPA.

The Supreme Court asked people who see the crescent Moon with their naked eyes or through binoculars to notify the nearest court to record the testimony there or contact the nearest centre to help them get to the nearest court. The moon sighting is expected on Tuesday evening, 29/8/1444 AH, in Umm al-Qura calendar, which corresponds to March 21.

Meanwhile, the UAE reduced official working hours for the month of Ramadan for both the public and private sector. The Federal Authority for Government Human Resources (FAHR) said government entities will work from 9 am through to 2.30 pm from Monday to Thursday, and from 9 am until 12 pm on Fridays during the holy month. Employees working across the country’s private sector will have a reduction of two working hours per day, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation said.

Read: Ramadan 2023: UAE announced reduced working hours

Ramadan 2023 preparations

Meanwhile, Ramadan cannons will mark the time of iftar during the holy month from locations in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Al Dhafra, Ras Al Khaimah and Umm Al Quwain.

Dubai Police unveiled the location of seven fixed cannons to be installed in various parts of the emirate and one mobile cannon that will travel to 15 areas during the holy month of Ramadan.

Major General Abdullah Ali Al Ghaithi Assistant Commander-in-Chief for Operations Affairs confirmed that the Dubai Police had finished prepping the cannons during a press conference at Dubai Expo City.

#أخبار | شرطة دبي تعلن أماكن مدافعها “الثابتة والرّحال” خلال شهر رمضان

التفاصيل: https://t.co/9pmfrtvRnd

⁧#نتواصل_ونحمي_نبتكر_ونبني⁩
⁧#أمنكم_سعادتنا⁩ pic.twitter.com/XV4JkYV0sf

— Dubai Policeشرطة دبي (@DubaiPoliceHQ) March 20, 2023

The cannons, known as midfa al iftar, are typically fired at sunset to signal the end of the day’s fasting. Historians say the custom has its roots in the 10^th century in Egypt where cannons were fired to let people know it was time to break their fast (iftar).

Read: Sheikh Mohammed launches 1 billion meals endowment campaign

In Dubai, it dates back to the 1960s when there were no speaker systems to announce that it was time to break the day fast. The sound echoes across the city from various locations including Burj Khalifa and the Eid prayer grounds in Al Mankhool and Al Baraha.

Cannons have also been sighted at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Qasr Al Hosn, Mother of the Nation Park and Formula One car park in the Al Shahama area in Abu Dhabi.

Ramadan is a month widely observed by Muslims around the world as one of fasting, prayer and reflection.