Eid-al-Fitr 2023 is expected to be commemorated with a four-day weekend in the UAE.
The religious holiday marks the beginning of the Islamic month Shawwal and the first day after the month-long fasting and prayer during Ramadan.
In 2023, Ramadan is most likely to fall on Thursday March 23.
If this is the case, the 30-day annual fast will end on Friday April 21, with Eid-al-Fitr falling on the same day.
This would lead to an expected four-day weekend in the UAE, which would fall on April 20, 21, 22 and 23.
Confirmed dates for Ramadan and Eid-al-Fitr will only be announced in Dubai according to relevant moon sightings, but it doesn’t hurt to plan ahead.
The exact date of Ramadan’s beginning is determined by religious scholars under the cover of night.
They must observe certain sightings related to the appearance and cycle of the moon – so the specific dates can vary, albeit typically only by a day or two at most.
The March 23 estimate for Ramadan comes from predictions made by the International Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences in the UAE.
If it does turn out to be wrong, it is unlikely to be more than a day or two out – so it should provide enough time to forward-plan your diaries in advance.
And, of course, if the March 23 date is out at all then it will change when Eid-al-Fitr falls.
Next in line after Eid-al-Fitr comes Arafat Day, the second day of the week-long Hajj pilgrimage, set to take place on June 27.
