Hijri New Year: UAE astronomers spot Muharram crescent in Abu Dhabi

The crescent of the month of Muharram, marking the beginning of the Hijri year 1447 AH, was sighted on Wednesday, June 25 in Saudi Arabia.

The UAE's Astronomy Center shared an image of the crescent on Thursday morning, as captured during the daytime from Abu Dhabi. The image was captured by the Al-Khatm Astronomical Observatory affiliated with the International Astronomy Center.

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The imaging time was June 26, 2025, at 8:45am UAE time. The moon was 12 degrees away from the sun and its age was 17 hours.

Muharram 1, is the first day of the first month of the Islamic calendar, which is also known as Hijri New Year.

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The month of Dhul Hijjah has lasted for 29 days, Haramain Info confirmed on its social media platform.

Private sector employees in the UAE will get Friday, June 27, as a paid holiday for Islamic New Year, marking the beginning of the Hijri year 1447 AH.

Some employees who get Saturday as a weekend along with Sunday will enjoy a long weekend from June 27 to June 29, making it a 3-day weekend for them. Regular working hours are expected to resume on Monday, June 30.

The Hijri New Year holiday follows the long break residents enjoyed during the Eid Al Adha holidays at the beginning of June.

UAE leaders — President Sheikh Mohamed and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed — wished people on the occasion of Hijri New Year 1447, while paying for lasting peace in the region.

Bahni Bandyopadhyay

bahni@khaleejtimes.com