Islamic New Year holiday: Saudi Arabia announces first day of Muharram

The Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia on Tuesday announced the first day of Muharram for Islamic year 1445, following sightings of the crescent moon.

The court looked into and verified reports about moon-sighting, which stated: There was no sufficient evidence that the crescent was spotted on the evening of Dhul Hijjah 29 (Monday, July 17), according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

Based on this, the Supreme Court decided that Tuesday (July 18) would be the last day of the month of Dhul Hijjah, the report added.

This means Wednesday, July 19, will be the first day of Muharram, marking the start of the Islamic new year 1445.

Unlike the Gregorian calendar, the Islamic calendar is based on lunar cycles.

Earlier, the Astronomy Centre shared an image of the Muharram crescent that was taken today at 9.48am, UAE time. It was spotted in the skies of Jordan and the UAE.

• UAE holidays: 9-day-long break in 2024; 2 more long weekends in 2023