Saudi Arabia, home to Islam’s holiest sites, has announced that the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of the Ramadan fasting period, will begin on Sunday.
“The Supreme Court has decided that tomorrow, Sunday, March 30, 2025, is the first day of Eid al-Fitr,” the Royal Court said in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency on X.
The United Arab Emirates and Qatar also confirmed that Eid would begin on Sunday, while Syria, Jordan, Libya, Oman and Shia-majority Iran declared Monday as the first day of the holiday.
The timing of Eid al-Fitr is based on the sighting of the crescent moon, in accordance with the Islamic lunar calendar.
However, this year’s announcement has prompted scepticism among some astronomers and Muslim moon-sighting groups.
“It will be scientifically impossible to see the moon anywhere in the Middle East on Saturday. It will be too small and too thin to be seen on the horizon,” Imad Ahmed, founder of the UK-based New Crescent Society, told The New Arab.
Ahmed clarified a widespread misconception, explaining that Islamic months begin not with the moon’s new phase but with the visible waxing crescent, which follows.
A partial solar eclipse is expected on Saturday in much of North Africa, he added, does not impact moon visibility, as the moon will still be in its invisible new phase.
The Muslim lunar calendar allows months to be either 29 or 30 days, depending on sightings. Eid al-Fitr marks the start of Shawwal, the 10th month.
In the UK, some Muslim communities follow Saudi announcements out of convenience, though others increasingly turn to countries like Morocco or advocate for independent local moon-sighting.
Ahmed urged British Muslims to stop relying on overseas declarations and take responsibility for determining religious dates based on local observation.
Meanwhile, this year’s Ramadan and Eid celebrations have been overshadowed by the war in Gaza, where Israel’s ongoing military campaign, described by many as genocide, has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians.
