Overview
- Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court and the UAE’s official committee confirmed the crescent on Feb 17, setting the first fast for Wednesday, Feb 18, with Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar also starting the same day.
- Authorities in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Turkey, Singapore, Japan, the Philippines and Oman announced no sighting on Feb 17 and will begin fasting on Thursday, Feb 19.
- India and Bangladesh reported local crescent sightings on Feb 18 and declared Thursday, Feb 19, as the first day of Ramadan.
- Pakistan’s Ruet‑e‑Hilal Committee convened on Feb 18, with SUPARCO forecasting visibility that evening and projecting Thursday, Feb 19, as the start.
- Astronomers and observatories, including the Sharjah Academy and the New Crescent Society, said the crescent was not observable on Feb 17, while many communities in the UK, Europe and North America looked for the moon on Feb 18 and planned to start Thursday.