Eid Al Fitr 2023: UAE Residents Anticipate Extended Weekend of Festivities and Celebrations after Conclusion of Ramadan

In a matter of fewer than three weeks, the Eid Al Fitr festivities will arrive, signaling the conclusion of Ramadan, a sacred month where Muslims worldwide observe fasting from sunrise to sunset. UAE residents are in for an extended weekend of revelries and celebrations.

The lunar calendar will determine whether Ramadan, which commenced on March 23rd this year, will last for 29 or 30 days.

While astronomical estimations are commonly used to predict dates, moon-sighting committees in the UAE have the final say in determining the precise start and end dates of the holy month of Ramadan.

Even though an official confirmation is still necessary, predicting the start and length of Ramadan can help people plan short breaks. Ibrahim Al Jarwan, who is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Astronomy Society (EAS) and a member of the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences, successfully predicted that Ramadan would commence on March 23rd this year and last for 29 days.

Al Jarwan suggests that there’s a strong chance of Eid Al Fitr occurring on Friday, April 21st. The public holidays on the Islamic Hijri calendar are slated for four days, starting from the 29th day of Ramadan to the 3rd day of Shawwal 1444.

This means that the corresponding dates on the Gregorian calendar will be from April 21st (29th day of Ramadan) to April 24th (3rd day of Shawwal), creating an opportunity for residents to savor an extended weekend. Nonetheless, it’s important to note that the moon-sighting committee has the authority to confirm the exact dates.