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Last crescent of Ramadan 2026 sighted in UAE skies
The UAE moon-sighting committee will observe the Shawwal crescent in the evening, which will determine the first day of Eid Al Fitr
- PUBLISHED: Wed 18 Mar 2026, 1:37 PM UPDATED: Wed 18 Mar 2026, 5:01 PM
[Editor's note: Follow the Khaleej Times live blog as UAE's moon-sighting committee look for the crescent marking end of Ramadan]
The last crescent marking the end of Ramadan was photographed from Abu Dhabi on March 18, the International Astronomy Center said. The sighting does not represent the Eid moon.
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The end-of-month crescent for Ramadan 1447 AH was captured during daylight hours by the Al Khatm Astronomical Observatory.
The image was taken at 1pm UAE time on Wednesday, March 18, with the Moon positioned 9.2 degrees away from the Sun.
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Astronomers said the Moon’s age at the time was minus 15 hours and 23 minutes, which means it was captured before the new moon had formed.
This phase marks the last visible trace of Ramadan's moon before it disappears. The new crescent, which signals the start of Shawwal and Eid Al Fitr, can only be seen after this point, depending on visibility conditions and official sightings.
The UAE will search the night sky for the Shawwal crescent this evening (Wednesday, March 18). If spotted, Eid Al Fitr 2026 is on Thursday, March 19. If not spotted, the festival is on Friday, March 20.
As Associate Editor, Sahim Salim helps tell the UAE story like no one else does — and leads a team of reporters that asks the questions to get news and headlines that matter.
