Overview
- Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court and moon‑sighting committees in the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar declared the crescent, beginning fasting on Wednesday, Feb. 18.
- Authorities in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Turkey and Oman set Thursday, Feb. 19 after non‑sightings; India and Bangladesh also confirmed Thursday starts following local reports.
- UK moonsighting groups, including the New Crescent Society, reported seeing the crescent on Wednesday night, leading many mosques to announce the first fast for Thursday.
- Pakistan’s Central Ruet‑e‑Hilal Committee met on Feb. 18, with SUPARCO forecasting visibility that evening and indicating a likely Thursday start pending the official ruling.
- Astronomers and moonsighting experts questioned the Saudi reports, saying the crescent was not observable on Feb. 17 across much of Asia, Africa or Europe.