It’s official: Ramadan start date confirmed in the UAE!

The United Arab Emirates has confirmed the official start date of Ramadan in 2026.

Following a meeting of the UAE’s Moon Sighting Committee, the Council of Fatwa has announced that Ramadan will begin on Wednesday February 18. 

The crescent moon of Ramadan was sighted on the evening of Tuesday February 17, meaning the eighth month of the Islamic calendar Shaban draws to a close. 

The moon was spotted despite astronomers saying earlier in February that it would be “impossible” to see the Ramadan crescent from the region on Tuesday February 17. 

The month of fasting is tied to the Islamic Hijri calendar and can only begin once we know whether the month preceding Ramadan is a 29-day or 30-day month. 

Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar and a time when Muslims commit to a daily fast between sunrise and sunset.

ديوان الرئاسة: غداً الأربعاء أول أيام شهر #رمضان المبارك#وام pic.twitter.com/C8oPpgbHiQ

— وكالة أنباء الإمارات (@wamnews) February 17, 2026