Riyadh, MINA – The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has officially announced that 1 Ramadan 1447 Hijriah (H) fell on Wednesday, 18 February 2026, marking the beginning of the holy month of fasting for Muslims who follow the Saudi lunar calendar.
The announcement follows the nation’s traditional practice of observing the crescent moon (hilal), which determines the start of Ramadan based on visual sighting and religious deliberation.
Saudi authorities initiated preparations for the Ramadan hilal sighting on the evening of Tuesday, 17 February 2026, which corresponded to 29 Shaʿban 1447 H. The process involves educated observers and official committees reporting sightings of the new crescent moon immediately after sunset, as stipulated by Islamic tradition.
The practice of crescent sighting, known in Arabic as rukyatul hilal, remains a cornerstone for determining the start of months in the Islamic lunar calendar.
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The early announcement from Saudi Arabia now influences Muslim communities worldwide, especially in regions that follow the Umm al-Qura or Saudi Islamic calendar. Many local Muslim authorities track such developments closely to harmonize Ramadan commencement with Saudi practice or to conduct their own moon sighting activities.
The start of Ramadan holds profound religious significance, as it ushers in a month of fasting (sawm), intensified prayer, increased charity, and heightened spiritual reflection. Fasting during Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, observed by millions globally through abstention from food and drink from dawn to sunset.
The Islamic calendar is based on lunar cycles, where each month begins with the sighting of the new crescent moon. A lunar year is approximately 10–11 days shorter than the solar Gregorian year, meaning Ramadan moves earlier each year in the civil calendar.
Different Muslim-majority countries sometimes observe the start of Ramadan on different days due to varying methods of moon sighting and adoption of local or global calendars. []
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