The Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia has officially confirmed the sighting of the Ramadan crescent moon for the year 1447 AH.
According to the announcement, the moon was sighted on the evening of Tuesday, 29 Sha’ban 1447 AH, corresponding to February 17, 2026, marking the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan.
Following the confirmation, the first Taraweeh prayers will be offered on Tuesday night, February 17, after the Isha prayer in mosques across the Kingdom, including Masjid al-Haram in Makkah and Al-Masjid an-Nabawi in Madinah.
The announcement was made despite earlier predictions by leading astronomical bodies, including the International Astronomy Center, which had stated that the moon sighting on Tuesday evening would be astronomically impossible across the Arab and Islamic world.
The first fast of Ramadan will be observed on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.
With the confirmed commencement of Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr — which marks the conclusion of the holy month — is expected to be observed on either Thursday, March 19, or Friday, March 20, 2026, depending on the sighting of the Shawwal crescent moon at the end of the month.
Muslims in Saudi Arabia, along with many other countries that follow the Kingdom’s moon sighting announcement, will now begin the sacred month devoted to fasting, prayer, and spiritual reflection.
This year, Ramadan falls during the winter season, resulting in relatively moderate fasting durations of around 13 hours.