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Eid Al Fitr 2026: Egypt reveals likely dates ahead of Moon sighting
In Cairo, the Shawwal crescent is expected to be visible for 35 minutes after sunset on the sighting day, March 19
- PUBLISHED: Tue 17 Mar 2026, 12:19 PM UPDATED: Tue 17 Mar 2026, 12:27 PM
Egypt announced it would most likely be celebrating Eid Al Fitr on Friday, March 20, according to calculations by its astronomy centre.
The National Astronomical and Geophysical Sciences Research centre stated that the Shawwal crescent, marking the end of Ramadan and start of the month of Shawwal, is expected to be visible on March 19, 2026, corresponding to the 29th of Ramadan, 1447 AH, in the Hijri calendar.
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The centre further revealed the crescent will remain visible in the sky over Makkah for 30 minutes, and in Cairo for 35 minutes after sunset on the sighting day.
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In the rest of Egypt, it will remain visible for periods ranging between 30 and 37 minutes. In other Arab and Islamic capitals and cities, the crescent remains visible after sunset for periods ranging between 11 and 44 minutes, it added.
Months in the Islamic calendar last for 29 or 30 days, with the moon sighting determining the start of a new month. Eid Al Fitr marks the conclusion of the holy month of fasting and is widely celebrated across the country with family gatherings, prayers, and cultural traditions.
In the UAE, the moon-sighting committee is scheduled to meet on March 18, the 29th day of Ramadan, to look for the crescent that marks the start of Shawwal. If the moon is sighted on the evening of March 18, Ramadan will conclude on that day, and Eid festivities will begin on the 19th.
If the moon is not sighted, Ramadan will be completed as 30 days, meaning fasting will continue on March 19, and Eid Al Fitr will begin on March 20. This process follows the Islamic lunar calendar, in which the start of each month is determined by the sighting of the new crescent moon.
The UAE-based International Astronomy Centre (IAC) has predicted that sighting the Shawwal crescent on March 18 is impossible, meaning the holy month of Ramadan will be 30 days. As per the astronomical calculations, the first day of Eid Al Fitr in the UAE will be on March 20, and in some other countries.
Meanwhile in Qatar, the Qatar Calendar House revealed that according to astronomical calculations, the first day of Shawwal 1447 will be Friday, March 20, 2026.
Pakistan on the other hand is likely to celebrate Eid Al Fitr on Saturday, March 21, as the Shawwal moon is unlikely to be sighted on Thursday, according to the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco).
