The Islamic holiday of Eid Al Fitr, the first lengthy holiday of 2025, was scheduled to provide UAE citizens up to five days off.
Depending on whether the crescent moon was sighted, the break was anticipated to last four or five days, with the holiday falling on a weekend.
Astronomical calculations indicated that a five-day holiday was likely. The fasting month came to an end on the first of Shawwal, the Islamic calendar month after Ramadan, with Eid Al Fitr. Islamic Hijri months lasted either 29 or 30 days, depending on when the Moon was seen.
In order to find the crescent, the UAE’s Moon-sighting committee was scheduled to convene on Saturday, March 29, during Ramadan 29. The holy month would conclude after 29 days if the Moon was visible, and the Eid holiday would take place from Sunday, March 30, to Tuesday, April 1. This would make for a four-day getaway when added to the previous Saturday weekend.
Ramadan would last 30 days if the Moon could not be seen on March 29. In addition to the three days set aside for Eid, the 30th of Ramadan was also designated as a holiday this year. As a result, the vacation would last five days, from Sunday, March 30 (Ramadan 30) until Wednesday, April 2.
The spokeswoman for the Dubai Astronomy Group stated that the holy month was anticipated to span 30 days. “Our calculations suggest that the holy month will likely conclude after 30 days,” he said, indicating that locals may anticipate the five-day vacation.
The Moon-sighting committee was scheduled to meet on March 29 to finalize the official dates of the holiday.
Residents were also urged to participate in the custom of viewing the moon by the Dubai Astronomy Group. After sunset, locals were encouraged to “look towards the western horizon to attempt to sight the new crescent Moon” and were given the option to improve their search using binoculars or telescopes.