Overview
- Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court confirmed the crescent sighting and set Wednesday, February 18, 2026, as the first day of fasting, with the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar announcing the same.
- National committees in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Turkey, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore and Oman reported no sighting and declared Thursday, February 19, as the start of Ramadan.
- Astronomers, including the HM Nautical Almanac Office and New Crescent Society’s Imad Ahmed, questioned the feasibility of a February 17 sighting, with some calling it astronomically impossible in much of the region.
- Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Iran scheduled moonsighting on Wednesday, with first fasts expected to follow local decisions that could place the start on February 19 in many areas.
- In the UK, many communities plan to follow Morocco or local observation, and London’s Royal Observatory Greenwich will stream a live moonsighting on February 18 at 5:30 p.m. to guide viewers.