Eid Al Fitr 2023: Here are the countries that have announced Saturday as first day of festival

Anticipation for the first day of Eid Al Fitr is rapidly mounting in the UAE, as the moon-sighting committee is all set to convene tonight (April 20) to decide when the fasting month of Ramadan will end, and the Islamic month of Shawwal will begin.

Islamic months last either 29 or 30 days, depending on when the Moon is sighted. If the Moon is spotted tonight, Thursday, the holy month of Ramadan will have lasted for 29 days. Eid will be on Friday, and residents will get a four-day break to celebrate.

Muslims in the UAE and around the world have been urged to sight the crescent moon on Thursday evening (April 20), which corresponds with Ramadan 29 (1444 AH) in the Islamic calendar.

Countries around the world are keeping a close eye out for the Shawwal crescent, and those who have not spotted it on Thursday have already announced Saturday, April 22 as the first day of Eid Al Fitr.

Here are all the countries that have announced Saturday as the first day of the Islamic festival so far:

1. Australia

Saturday, April 22, will be the first day of Eid Al Fitr in Australia. According to a statement by the Australian Fatwa Council, the decision is based on astronomical calculations that indicate that the crescent moon will not be visible on Thursday evening.

2. Brunei

The sovereign state of Brunei has announced Saturday as the first day of Eid Al Fitr. The state will mark April 22 as the first day of the Islamic festival because the sighting of the crescent moon of Shawwal has not been proven in the country.

A group of 25 astronomy experts from 13 Arab countries have jointly declared that the crescent moon in the month of Shawwal cannot be seen today (April 20, Thursday) with the naked eye in the Arab and Islamic regions.

3. Indonesia

The Shawwal crescent was not spotted on April 20 from Indonesia, making Saturday, April 22, the first day of Eid in the country.

4. Iran

Iran has announced that Saturday, April 22, is the first day of Eid al-Fitr, as the sighting of the crescent has not been confirmed.

5. Japan

Eid Al Fitr will fall on Saturday, April 22, in Japan, on account of the moon not being sighted on Thursday

6. Libya

Libya has announced that Saturday, April 22, is the first day of Eid al-Fitr, because the sighting of the crescent has not been confirmed.

7. Malaysia

Eid Al Fitr will be celebrated on Saturday, April 22 in Malaysia, as the crescent moon was not spotted on Thursday, April 20.

8. Morocco

The Kingdom of Morocco announced that Saturday, April 22, is the day of Eid Al Fitr, because the sighting of the crescent was not proven, after an attempt was made to investigate it by more than 200 investigation committees.

9. Oman

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