Ramadan 2026 Moon Sighted, First Ramadan on 18 Feb
Key Takeaways
- The Ramadan 1447 AH crescent was officially sighted in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, February 17, 2026.
- First Taraweeh prayers will be held Tuesday night after Isha.
- The first day of fasting begins Wednesday, February 18, 2026.
The Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia has officially announced the sighting of the Ramadan crescent moon for the year 1447 AH.
The sighting was confirmed on the evening of Tuesday, 29 Sha’ban 1447 AH, corresponding to February 17, 2026, establishing the start of the holy month.
Following this confirmation, the first Taraweeh prayers will be held on Tuesday night, February 17, immediately after the Isha prayer at mosques across the Kingdom, including the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah.
The first day of fasting will commence on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.
The announcement comes despite predictions from major astronomical organizations, including the International Astronomy Center (IAC), which had declared that a sighting on Tuesday evening was astronomically impossible across the Arab and Islamic world.
The IAC had cited that the moon would set before or only 1–3 minutes after the sun across most regions, making it invisible to both the naked eye and telescopes.
The Supreme Court’s confirmation follows the established Islamic practice in the Kingdom of relying on visual sighting by credible witnesses, which takes precedence over astronomical calculations when verified sightings occur.
Witness testimony was received and validated by the court’s moon-sighting committee.
Based on the confirmed start date, Eid al-Fitr marking the end of Ramadan is estimated to fall on either Thursday, March 19, or Friday, March 20, 2026, subject to the sighting of the Shawwal crescent at month’s end.
Muslims in Saudi Arabia and many countries that follow the Kingdom’s announcement will now begin the blessed month of fasting, prayer, and spiritual reflection.
Ramadan this year coincides with the winter season, bringing moderate fasting hours of approximately 13 hours.
