Ramadan 2023 nears as officials in Saudi Arabia and UAE to start looking for moon tomorrow

Dubai in the United Arab Emirates where officials are to look for the Ramadan new moon crescent on Tuesday, March 21

Religious authorities and worshippers in some parts of the world are to start looking for the Ramadan moon on Tuesday, March 21. Moon-sighting experts in the United Arab Emirates and in Saudi Arabia say they will be trying to sight the first faint crescent of the new moon that determines the start of the holy month.

Green Lane Masjid and Community Centre (GLMCC) in Birmingham – a leading mosque that holds the largest Eid events in Europe at the end of Ramadan each year – is among the organisations to fall in line with Saudi Arabia, home to Islam’s holiest sites. Others in the UK will be looking for the moon locally or following news from the nearest Islamic nation, Morocco.

Astronomers have forecast that the moon will not be visible anywhere in the world on March 21 but will be easily seen the next day, March 22. So if the moon isn’t seen in the Middle East tomorrow, officials would then announce that the current month of Shaban is to continue for one more day and that Ramadan will start on Thursday, March 23.

Because of the significance of Ramadan, officials may go back out to look for the moon on March 22 when it is predicted to be visible to the naked eye. This then provides visual confirmation as well as fulfilling the spiritual experience of seeing the crescent in the skies.

Dubai-based newspaper Khaleej Times says officials in the United Arab Emirates will be looking for the crescent on Tuesday. The country’s moon-sighting committee, led by the Minister of Justice, is set to meet after evening prayers to announce the start of Ramadan 2023.

Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court has also asked people to look for the moon on Tuesday. Scholars and members of the public can report their observations to the nearest court before it decides on the official date. The country’s national calendar drawn up in advance so the Government can plan events and holidays has already predicted Ramadan to start on March 23.

In Pakistan, authorities will instead be waiting to look for the moon on Wednesday, March 22. The Pakistan Meteorological Department says there is a “strong possibility” that the moon for Ramadan 2023 will be sighted on that evening, which would also mean a Thursday start for the holy month.

Islamic months last for 29 or 30 days, depending on when the moon is sighted. Attempts to look for the moon begin on the 29th day of the month.

Dates can vary in different locations, partly because of moon visibility. This is due to its position in the sky as well as weather conditions being clear enough to see it.

Other variations arise in different countries such as the UK where, unlike Islamic nations, there is no national moon-sighting system in place. In this case, people may follow Saudi Arabia, Morocco, or UK sighting news, usually in line with what their local mosque does – which can mean different dates among different communities and congregations, even within the same city or neighbourhood.

Birmingham-based Islamic broadcaster Noor TV also announces dates, based on efforts to sight the moon in UK skies including the West Midlands.