On Friday, June 7, the crescent moon marking the beginning of Dhul Hijjah 1445 was captured from Abu Dhabi. The UAE’s Astronomy Centre shared an image of the faint crescent, taken by the Al-Khatim Astronomical Observatory at 10 am UAE time (6 am GMT), through a social media post.
Residents in the UAE will enjoy a public holiday for Arafah day, followed by three days off for Eid Al Adha, according to the government’s holiday schedule.
Islamic countries observe the start of Dhul Hijjah and the celebration of Eid Al Adha based on local moon sightings. The crescent moon was sighted in Saudi Arabia on Thursday, June 6, confirming the beginning of Dhul Hijjah on Friday. “Friday is the beginning of the month of Dhul Hijjah, and the standing at Arafat will be on Saturday, June 15, 2024,” the Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia announced.
In contrast, Oman did not sight the crescent moon on Thursday evening, leading to the first day of Eid Al Adha being observed on Monday, June 17, in the country.