Morocco breaks Arab consensus on Ramadan start date

Shafaq News/ Morocco announced that Sunday, March 2, will mark the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, diverging from the rest of the Arab world, which declared Saturday as the first day of the holy month.

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Syria, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain, Jordan, Palestine, and Iraq’s Sunni Endowment all confirmed that Ramadan would begin on Saturday following the sighting of the crescent moon.

Morocco’s Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs explained that after conducting moon sighting observations across the kingdom on Friday, in coordination with religious officials and military observation units, no sightings were reported. As a result, Sha’ban (the month before Ramadan) will complete its 30-day cycle, delaying Ramadan for 1446 Hijri to Sunday.