Eid Al Fitr could fall on Saturday, April 22, according to the International Astronomy Centre. However, the exact date will only be confirmed based on the moon sighting.
“The countries of the Islamic world will investigate the crescent of the month of Shawwal (Eid al Fitr 1444 AH) on Thursday, April 20, 2023 AD. Seeing the crescent on Thursday is not possible with the naked eye from anywhere in the Arab and Islamic world,” the International Astronomy Centre said via a Twitter post.
“Seeing the crescent on Thursday is not possible with a telescope in most countries of the Arab and Islamic world, with the exception of parts of West Africa starting from Libya, but vision remains very difficult and requires an accurate telescope, a professional observer and exceptional weather conditions, and the combination of these factors is rare, and therefore it is not expected to see the crescent, even using a telescope, from anywhere in the Arab world, unless the aforementioned conditions are available.
The centre also clarified in another Twitter post that these predicted dates for Eid Al Fitr are based on “astronomical information.”
The International Astronomy Centre also said that “the original article contained many details showing the conditions of sighting the crescent in various countries of the world, and based on it, the beginning of the month can be determined by the concerned authorities.”
“Note that the criteria adopted for the beginning of the month in the Islamic world are multiple, and the sighting of the crescent may depend on non-local places,” the centre said adding that the crescent can be seen in “some international cities,” as per their statement.
Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCC) like UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait have already announced Eid Al Fitr holidays for the public and private sector.
Both public and private sector employees in the UAE will see a four-day weekend, starting on Thursday, April 20 until Sunday, April 23.
Saudi Arabia also announced a four-day weekend for Eid Al Fitr.
On Sunday, Qatar declared a 11-day holiday for employees, starting from April 19, in line with 28 Ramadan 1444 AH, until April 27. Employees will return to work on Sunday, April 30, 2023.
Oman and Kuwait will observe a five-day weekend, beginning April 20 and April 21, respectively. Employees in Oman will return to work on Tuesday, April 25, whereas employees in Kuwait will resume work on Wednesday, April 26.
