Saudi Arabia’s widely used Umm al-Qura calendar has set Wednesday (February 18, 2026), as the first day of Ramadan. The date follows the official Saudi civil calendar system.
However, several astronomers in the United Arab Emirates have said the new moon cannot be sighted on Tuesday, 17 February. They say this makes a Wednesday start scientifically unlikely if based on physical moon sighting.
The Sharjah Academy for Astronomy, Space Sciences and Technology said that sighting the crescent on Tuesday is scientifically impossible. Mohammed Odeh, director of the International Astronomical Center, expressed the same view.
Imad Ahmed, director of the New Moon Sighting Committee in the United Kingdom, also commented on the issue. He said, “On 17 February, it will not be possible to sight the moon anywhere in the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and Europe.”
Despite such statements, Saudi authorities often follow the Umm al-Qura calendar to determine Islamic dates. In previous years, the kingdom has announced the start of Ramadan based on this calendar, even when some astronomers disagreed.
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Reports in recent years, including coverage by Middle East Eye, have highlighted allegations that Saudi Arabia sometimes declares Ramadan and Eid dates according to its calendar rather than confirmed moon sightings. Similar concerns were raised last year.
This year, observers expect possible differences between Saudi Arabia and the UAE on the start of Ramadan 2026. Final confirmation will depend on official announcements from religious authorities in each country.
For Bangladesh and India, the decision in Saudi Arabia is closely watched. Many Muslims follow Saudi announcements, while others rely on local moon sighting committees. Any difference in dates may affect when fasting begins in different countries.
Religious authorities in each nation are expected to issue formal announcements after the moon sighting process on 17 February.
