Millions of residents across the UAE are awaiting official confirmation of the Eid Al Fitr 2026 date, one of the most significant religious and public holidays in the country, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan.The Sharjah Academy for Astronomy, Space Sciences and Technology, represented by the Sharjah Astronomical Observatory, has now released its early prediction for when the festival is expected to begin.According to the academy, the first day of Eid Al Fitr in the UAE is likely to fall on March 20.Calculations revealed that Ramadan 1447 AH will complete 30 days, making Friday the first day of Shawwal and the start of Eid Al Fitr in the UAE.
Moon sighting timeline
On Wednesday, March 18, the 29th day of Ramadan and the traditional night for moon sighting, the crescent will not be visible as the moon will set before sunset in the western skies. Thus, astronomers explained that the country will be observing Ramadan on that evening, meaning Thursday, March 19 will be the date completing the holy month. The observatory shared that the new moon will occur over Sharjah at 4:24 am UAE time on March 19, 2026.
By the time of the sunset, the crescent moon will be about 14 hours and 6 minutes old with an angular separation from the sun of 6.5 degrees, an altitude of six degrees above the western horizon and a visibility window of around 29 minutes after sunset.
Moon sighting will be difficult
According to the observatory, the viewing conditions for the moon in the UAE will be “critical” or unfavourable. It added that spotting the crescent locally would be extremely difficult even with the help of telescopes. The sight might only be captured using advanced techniques such as image stacking and sighting it with the naked eye in the UAE would not be possible. Some Arab and Islamic countries further west could enjoy the possibility of seeing the crescent as geographical and astronomical conditions may be more favourable. Based on these calculations, the academy concluded that Friday, March 20, will likely mark the beginning of Shawwal and the first day of Eid Al Fitr in the UAE and most Islamic countries.
