Hundreds of millions of Muslims around the world are preparing to fast for the holy month of Ramadan after Saudi astronomers sighted the new moon on Tuesday evening.
During Ramadan, Muslims abstain from food and water from sunrise until sunset, breaking their fast with an iftar meal afterwards.
The month represents a time of increased worship, religious reflection and charity, but it is also a time for families and communities to come together to break their fast, culminating in the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Fitr.
However, countries differ on the exact start date, with some expecting Ramadan to begin on Wednesday and others on Thursday.
Saudis announce new moon
Ramadan begins after the sighting of the crescent moon.
After Saudi astronomers sighted the new moon on Tuesday, the royal court announced that the first day of Ramadan would fall on Wednesday — a decision that tends to be followed in other majority-Muslim countries.
Saudi Arabia's Gulf neighbors Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates also announced that Ramadan would start on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, religious authorities in some countries including Jordan, Oman, Syria and Turkey said Ramadan would instead begin on Thursday.
Some astronomers say moon not yet visible
Saudi religious authorities continue to rely on direct visual sighting, a practice that has been followed since the time of the Prophet Mohammed.
After evening prayers, teams of observers scattered around the country in areas with low-light pollution filed reports to the Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia, which then announced the start of Ramadan.
But advances in modern astronomy have increased the accuracy with the moon can be observed.
Some have argued that the crescent moon would not be visible on Tuesday.
For example, the Sharjah Academy for Astronomy, Space Sciences and Technology in the UAE as well as Oman's Main Committee for Moon Sighting both said the moon would not be visible until Wednesday night, and that Ramadan should therefore begin on Thursday.
"On Tuesday 17 February 2026, the crescent moon is astronomically impossible to see, whether by high powered telescopes or by the unaided eye anywhere in the Middle East — indeed, in the whole of Asia, Africa, or Europe," Imad Ahmed, founder and director of the New Crescent Society told Middle East Eye.
Saudi authorities have in previous years also declared the start of Ramadan despite other astronomers claiming that moon sightings were impossible.
