UAE moon-sighting committee to meet on 17 February

The meeting will be chaired by Sheikh Abdullah bin Sheikh Al Mahfoudh bin Bayyah, Chairman of the UAE Council for Fatwa, with Dr Omar Habtoor Al Darei, Vice Chairman of the council, in attendance.

Unified institutional approach

The council stated that the meeting falls within its responsibilities to observe and announce the sighting of lunar months, aiming to unify the reference authority in this matter and to reinforce an organised institutional approach to confirming the start of lunar months, while enhancing public confidence in the procedures and results.

Reports and testimonies to be reviewed

The committee will begin its work after Maghrib prayer, reviewing reports from field observation teams, results from approved observatories across the country, and any testimonies received from different regions, in accordance with Sharia guidelines and approved procedures.

Public invited to participate

The council also invited members of the public to observe the crescent on Tuesday evening and to submit their testimonies via the dedicated electronic link announced on its official channels, thereby encouraging community participation in the traditional moon-sighting practice.

The council confirmed that the official announcement of the start of Ramadan will be made through authorised channels once the committee concludes its deliberations.