Overview
- Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court and the UAE’s moon‑sighting committee confirmed the crescent, declaring Wednesday, February 18, the first day of fasting, a date also adopted by Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Yemen and Afghanistan.
- Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Turkey, Japan, the Philippines and Oman reported no sighting and set Thursday, February 19, as the start of Ramadan.
- Pakistan’s Central Ruet‑e‑Hilal Committee meets today in Peshawar, with SUPARCO forecasting visibility this evening that would point to a Thursday start; India and Bangladesh are also convening to decide locally.
- Astronomers and national offices, including experts in the UK as well as the Sharjah and Omani authorities, said the crescent was not observable on February 17, contradicting the Saudi announcement.
- In the UK, the Royal Observatory Greenwich plans a February 18 livestream to support local moonsighting, as communities choose between Saudi, Moroccan or local determinations, meaning many will begin fasting on February 19.