On Thursday, astronomers in the UAE observed the Shaaban crescent, confirming that the new Islamic month will begin on Friday, January 31. Shaaban comes just before the holy month of Ramadan. The International Astronomy Centre (IAC) announced the sighting of the crescent, marking the start of Shaaban 1446 AH (Hijri year).

The observatory team also noted that the moon’s distance from the sun was 10.5 degrees.

Shaaban, the eighth month of the Islamic calendar, marks a time for Muslims worldwide to prepare for the upcoming holy month of Ramadan, during which they will fast from dawn to dusk.

Islamic months typically last 29 or 30 days, depending on the sighting of the crescent moon. On the 29th day of Shaaban, official moon-sighting committees will meet to confirm the start of Ramadan. If the crescent is sighted that day, the holy month will begin the following day.

Ramadan is anticipated to begin on March 1 this year, although this is subject to the moon-sighting.

The first day of Shaaban is set to begin on January 31 in several countries, according to the IAC. These include:

• UAE
• Oman
• Saudi Arabia
• Qatar
• Bahrain
• Kuwait
• Iraq
• Jordan
• Palestine
• Syria
• Lebanon
• Egypt
• Sudan
• Tunisia
• Libya
• Algeria
• Indonesia
• Malaysia

The same start date is also expected in Iran, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Morocco, and Mauritania.