Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and several other countries will observe Eid al-Fitr on Friday, March 20, after the Shawwal crescent moon was not sighted.

Authorities in Saudi Arabia confirmed that a moon-sighting meeting held on Wednesday evening received no verified reports of the crescent from across the country. The Saudi Supreme Court subsequently announced that Ramazan will complete 30 days.

Officials said dust and cloud cover in some areas affected visibility, making moon sighting difficult.

The UAE’s moon-sighting committee also confirmed that the crescent was not seen, declaring Thursday as the final fast of Ramazan and Eid al-Fitr to fall on Friday.

Other countries, including Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Turkiye, Singapore and Australia, have issued similar announcements, marking March 20 as the first day of Shawwal 1447 AH.

In Turkiye, the date had already been determined through astronomical calculations, while Singapore’s Islamic Religious Council confirmed completion of 30 days of fasting.

With the announcements, millions of Muslims across these countries will conclude Ramazan and celebrate Eid al-Fitr with prayers and festivities at the start of Shawwal.