May 17 is being touted as the most likely date for the Holy Month to start.
Ramadan looks set to begin in just 10 days, according to multiple reports.
Back in March, the Sharjah Centre for Astronomy and Space Sciences stated on social media that the Holy Month is most likely to start on Thursday May 17.
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And, in a move that further confirms the touted date, Oman’s Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs this week revealed that May 17 would mark the beginning of Ramadan in the Gulf country.
The first day of Eid Al Fitr – which marks the end of the Holy Month – is expected to fall on Friday June 15.
The dates for the Emirates, however, will be officially confirmed by the UAE’s moon-sighting committee nearer the time.
The fasting period is expected to last 13 hours and 25 minutes at the beginning of the month, according to Ibrahim Al Jarwan, deputy director general of the Sharjah Center for Space and Astronomy.
The length of fasting will reach 15 hours by the end of Ramadan, he added, according to Gulf Business. Since this year’s Ramadan begins before the summer solstice, the fasting period will get longer as the month goes on.
That hasn’t happened for 18 years, The National reported.
Eid Al Adha would probably begin on August 22, The National said. Earlier reports had Ramadan starting two days earlier, on May 15.
Ramadan always last for 29 or 30 days every year, during which private sector workers are entitled to work two hours less per day.
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We will, of course, keep you updated with all the confirmed dates as they’re released by the UAE government.
But in the meantime, here are the rest of the key dates and public holidays to know for 2018…
Images: Getty
