Overview
- Pakistan Meteorological Department says the new moon is born on Feb. 17 at 5:01pm PST, with a fair to strong chance of crescent visibility on Feb. 18.
- Oman has officially confirmed Thursday, Feb. 19, as the first day of Ramadan following its committee’s assessment that an earlier sighting is not possible.
- The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, chaired by Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad, will convene in Peshawar on Feb. 18 as zonal committees meet in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi and Quetta.
- UAE authorities have set reduced working hours for public and private sectors during Ramadan and announced distance learning on Fridays for public school students.
- A split start across countries remains possible due to calculation-based calendars such as Saudi Arabia’s Umm al-Qura versus local visual sighting, with visibility experts pointing to clear sighting prospects on Feb. 18.