Eid-ul-Fitr 2026: Saudi Arabia to Celebrate On March 20 As Moon Not Sighted; UAE Observes on March 19

Saudi Arabia will celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr on Friday, March 20. The Shawwal crescent moon was not sighted on Wednesday evening, meaning Ramadan will run its full 30 days before giving way to the festival.

Eleven observers had gathered at the Hawtat Sudair Observatory in Riyadh on March 18 to track the crescent. None of them spotted it. Authorities confirmed no sighting from anywhere in the country, Gulf News reported.

UAE sights the moon, Eid on March 19

The UAE had better luck. The crescent was photographed from Abu Dhabi by the Khatm Astronomical Observatory, affiliated with the International Astronomy Center, confirming that Eid falls on Thursday, March 19 for the Gulf country.

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When will India celebrate Eid?

India is still waiting. The final call depends on local moon sightings, which typically happen on the evening before Eid is declared. Traditionally, India follows Saudi Arabia by a day but visibility conditions can shift that.

If the crescent is seen in India on the evening of March 19, Eid will be on March 20. If not, Ramadan completes its 30-day run on March 20, and Eid moves to Saturday, March 21.

Eid-ul-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan, the month when Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. Because the Islamic calendar is lunar, the date changes every year.