UAE calls for moon sighting ahead of Eid Al Adha on Tuesday May 27
The UAE Council for Fatwa called on the population of Dubai and the other emirates to watch out for the crescent moon of Dhu Al Hijjah on the evening of Tuesday May 27.
Moon sightings signify the start of Eid Al Adha and, once it has been spotted by the moon sighting committee, the 12th and final month of the Hijri calendar can officially begin.
The UAE Council for Fatwa is responsible for the UAE Moon Sighting Committee, which helps determine when public holidays tied to the lunar calendar begin.
The Moon Sighting Committee has confirmed that it will meet on the evening of Tuesday May 27 to determine the start date of Dhu Al Hijjah.
During the meeting at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, the committee will review scientific data, precise reports from relevant agencies and institutions regarding astronomical calculations for the birth of the crescent, the occurrence of conjunction, and the feasibility of sighting the moon.
This includes analysing the results from various national observatories equipped with the latest advanced technologies and smart instruments after sunset on Tuesday.
A statement from the UAE Council for Fatwa has encouraged the public to sight the crescent too on Tuesday evening.
The statement said: 'The UAE Council for Fatwa has urged specialists, experts, traditional moon-sighters, and members of the public — both citizens and residents — to observe the crescent of the month of Dhu Al Hijjah 1446 AH after sunset on Tuesday, 29 Dhu Al Qadah, corresponding to May 27 2025.'
Eid Al Adha 2025: What happens if the Dhu Al Hijjah crescent is seen
If the crescent is spotted in the evening, it will then lead to the start of the next Hijri month the following day.
The Islamic calendar is based on the cycles of the moon, unlike the Gregorian calendar, which is based on the sun.
You might also like: The best places to spot the moon crescent in Dubai
The latest predictions indicated that the current Hijri month, Dhu Al Qadah, will be a 29-day month in the UAE and that Dhu Al Hijjah will begin on Wednesday May 28.
As a result, Arafat Day will begin the UAE public holiday on Thursday June 5 before Eid Al Adha begins on Friday June 6. The holiday would then continue onto Saturday June 7 and Sunday June 8. This would give us a four-day long weekend.
But if Dhu Al Qadah is a 30-day month, then that would mean the public holiday dates move by one day on the calendar.
Arafat Day would instead begin on Friday June 5 before Eid Al Adha gets underway on Saturday June 6. The holiday would then continue onto Sunday June 8 and Monday June 9, which would also give us a four-day long weekend.
Each month in the Islamic calendar is either 29 or 30 days and can change every year.
If a month is 30 days long, it's because the crescent moon has not been sighted on the 28th day of the month. Reasons the crescent couldn't be sighted include moon sighting not being possible due to heavy cloud formations obscuring the view.
The call to spot the Dhu Al Hijjah crescent comes after Saudi Arabia issued a similar call to residents.
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