
UAE Announces March 1 as Start of Ramadan 2025
Rabat – The UAE has officially set Saturday, March 1 as the first day of Ramadan after the country's Islamic Affairs Ministry confirmed the crescent moon sighting.
Emirates News Agency made the announcement aligning the UAE with Saudi Arabia, and several other countries that have also declared the start of the holy month on the same date.
Ramadan is extremely important for Muslims as it is a period of fasting, prayer, and personal improvement.
Muslims refrain from eating, drinking water, or smoking from dawn till dusk, using the hours to intensify their devotion, faith, and focus on charity and acts of kindness.
Families gather for suhoor (the pre-fasting meal) before the first light of day, ensuring they have the energy to sustain the fast until iftar at sunset.
Non-Muslims in the UAE are to show respect for fasting in public. Restaurants and cafes adjust their opening times, and workplaces opt to minimize working hours to accommodate those fasting through Ramadan.
As the sun sets, communities come together for iftar and break their fast with dates, milk, and water before sharing a variety of traditional dishes.
Notably, the hour is marked by the firing of antique cannons, a tradition that has been an integral part of Ramadan in the UAE and the Arab region for generations.
Mosques are packed with worshippers for Maghrib prayers, followed by Taraweeh, special prayers that are performed exclusively during Ramadan.
Many households and associations prepare meals for those in need to ensure a prevailing generosity spirit that reaches all.
Markets and streets take on a festive atmosphere, with lanterns and decorations adding to the sense of unity and renewal that Ramadan brings each year. Tags: ramadanramadan 2025UAEUAE ramadan

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Morocco World
3 days ago
- Morocco World
Christians Remain World's Largest Religious Group, Islam is Growing Fastest Worldwide
Rabat – A new report by the Pew Research Center detailed changes in the world's religious landscape from 2010 to 2020. While Christianity remains the largest religion globally, Islam is the fastest-growing religious group during this period. The number of Christians worldwide grew by 122 million to reach about 2.3 billion people in 2020. However, Christians did not grow as fast as the world's total population, causing their share of the global population to drop from 30.6% in 2010 to 28.8% in 2020. This decline, the report says, is mainly because many people, especially in Europe and the Americas, are leaving Christianity. For example, Christian populations fell significantly in countries like the United States, Australia, and several European nations. One major factor behind this trend is religious 'disaffiliation,' where people stop identifying with Christianity. This has caused the Christian share to shrink in 41 countries, with declines ranging from 5 to 20 percentage points. Despite this, Christianity is growing in some places, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. This region now has the largest number of Christians in the world, 30.7% of all Christians live there, surpassing Europe. The growth in Africa is largely due to higher birth rates compared to Europe, where Christian numbers are declining. Islam, fastest-growing religion Islam witnessed the largest increase in numbers, growing by 347 million people between 2010 and 2020. This growth is faster than any other religion, and as a result, Muslims now make up 25.6% of the world's population, up 1.8 percentage points from 2010. The main reasons for this rapid growth are natural population increases. 'Increases in the global Muslim population are largely due to Muslims having a relatively young age structure and high fertility rate, two characteristics that result in natural population growth,' reads the report. Only a few countries saw large changes in Muslim populations as a share of their total populations, with some growth in places like Kazakhstan and Lebanon. While Christianity's global share is declining, Islam's share is rising, and together they make up more than half of the world's population. Religiously unaffiliated people, also called 'nones,' are another fast-growing group, especially in countries like the United States and parts of Europe. The report also shows that religious changes are connected to demographic factors such as age, birth rates, and migration patterns. For example, regions like Sub-Saharan Africa and the MENA region are increasing their share of the world's population, which influences the distribution of religious groups. Tags: christianityIslamReligion


Morocco World
6 days ago
- Morocco World
King Mohammed VI Leads Eid Al Adha Prayer in Tetouan
Rabat – King Mohammed VI led the Eid Al Adha prayer today at the Hassan II Mosque in Tetouan. The Eid prayer was broadcast live on radio and television at 11 AM local time. In addition to Morocco, several other countries, including Mauritania, Nigeria, Bangladesh, and Australia, are celebrating the religious holiday today. Other countries like Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Oman, and the UAE observed the religious holiday on Friday. In celebration of Eid Al Adha, King Mohammed VI has granted a royal pardon to 1,526 prisoners and individuals who had been sentenced but are not currently in custody. Five of them were individuals convicted in cases related to extremism and terrorism The royal pardon included various forms of relief, including reducing prison sentences, commuting death sentences to life imprisonment, and remitting fines. The royal pardon comes as part of the monarch's tradition of granting clemency on religious and national occasions. Eid Al Adha, also known as the 'Festival of Sacrifice,' is one of the two major Islamic holidays. It commemorates the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son in obedience to God's command. Muslims traditionally observe this festival by slaughtering livestock, usually sheep, goats, or cows, and distributing the meat among family, friends, and those in need. Morocco is observing Eid Al Adha this year without the customary animal sacrifice. This decision, announced by King Mohammed VI in February, marks the first such occurrence in nearly three decades. The country has experienced seven consecutive years of drought, leading to a sharp reduction in livestock numbers since 2016. Rainfall in 2025 was 53% below the average of the last 30 years, which severely impacted pasture availability and livestock feed. Tags: Eid Al AdhaEid prayerKing Mohammed VI


Morocco World
06-06-2025
- Morocco World
Mohamed Tops List of Most Common Surnames in Ceuta
Doha – Mohamed has secured the top position as the most common surname in Ceuta, according to data released by the Spanish National Statistics Institute (INE) for 2024. According to local media, a total of 7,750 residents of the Spanish North African enclave carry Mohamed as their first surname, while 7,479 have it as their second surname. Additionally, 1,731 people in Ceuta have the double surname combination of Mohamed Mohamed. Ahmed ranks as the second most frequent surname in Ceuta with 3,097 residents carrying it as their first surname and 2,880 as their second. The Spanish surname García takes third place with 2,217 and 2,059 people having it as first and second surnames respectively. The list of top ten surnames in the enclave continues with Abdeselam, Sánchez, González, Rodríguez, López, Pérez, and Fernández. Completing the top fifteen are Martín, Ruiz, Jiménez, Gómez, and Abdelkader. The 7-square-mile territory on Morocco's northern coast remains under Spanish control—a holdover from centuries-old colonial expansion. Despite this, the enclave's geographic, cultural, and demographic realities point unmistakably toward its Moroccan character. What makes this distinction clear is that the trend in Ceuta diverges significantly. In mainland Spain, García, Rodríguez, and González reign as the most common surnames nationwide. The INE reports that 26.3% of Spaniards have one of the top twenty most frequent surnames as their first surname. The dominance of the name Muhammad extends beyond Ceuta to other parts of the world. In December 2024, Muhammad became the most popular first name for baby boys in England and Wales for the first time, according to the country's Office for National Statistics (ONS). Read also: Spanish Media: Trump May Recognize Ceuta, Melilla as Moroccan Territory The Arabic name displaced Noah, which fell to second place in the UK rankings. There were 4,661 babies named Muhammad born across England and Wales in 2023, up from 4,177 in 2022. Alternative spellings of the name also appeared in the top 100, with Mohammed ranking 28th with 1,601 babies and Mohammad placing 68th with 835. Muhammad was the most popular boys' name in four out of nine regions in England and ranked 63rd in Wales. Meanwhile, in Northern Ireland and Scotland, Noah and Luca respectively claimed the top spots for boys' names in 2023. The name's growing prevalence is an indication of demographic changes across Europe, with projections from the Pew Research Center suggesting that by 2050, Muslims will represent 20% of Germany's population, 18% in France, and 17% in Britain. France currently has the highest proportion of Muslims among major European countries, with a June 2023 study by the French Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies showing that 10% of French people identify as Muslim, though some estimates place this figure as high as 15%. Tags: ceutaMohamedmuhammad