As Muslims across the world look to the skies for sighting the Shawwal moon, authorities in Afghanistan, Niger and Mali announced that Eid al-Fitr will be observed on today (Thursday, March 19, 2026), following confirmation of the crescent.
Several countries, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Turkey, and Australia, have confirmed Friday, March 20, as the first day of Eid Al Fitr 1447 AH. The decision, made after the Shawwal crescent was not seen on Wednesday in these areas, means that Eid will be celebrated after 30 days of Ramadan.
Several countries have officially confirmed the date for Eid al-Fitr, while others are still awaiting moon-sighting results to determine the end of Ramadan.
Authorities in Afghanistan, Niger and Mali announced that Eid al-Fitr will be observed on Thursday, March 19, 2026, following confirmation of the Shawwal crescent.
A large number of countries have declared Friday, March 20, 2026, as the first day of Eid after completing 30 days of Ramadan or confirming the moon sighting.
These include Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Turkey, Maldives, Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen and Iraq.
In Africa, Sudan, Djibouti, Somalia, Uganda, Nigeria, Chad, Gambia, Guinea, Benin, Senegal and Cameroon have also confirmed Friday for Eid celebrations.
Meanwhile, Singapore has confirmed that Saturday, March 21, 2026, will be the first day of Eid Al Fitr.
Several countries have yet to make an official announcement, including Pakistan, Gabon, Togo, Côte d'Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau and Suriname.
Authorities in several countries will attempt to sight the Shawwal crescent on Thursday evening to determine whether Eid falls on Friday or Saturday.
These include Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Iran, Oman, Jordan, Syria, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Mauritania, along with several countries in Central Asia and Africa.
Final confirmations in these countries will depend on official announcements by national moon-sighting committees.–Gulf News