Oman has announced the starting date of the holy month of Ramadan using scientific data. This comes days ahead of the crescent moon sighting that is set to take place in many places of the world on Tuesday, February 17 after Maghrib prayer.

The moon will set on Tuesday, corresponding to Shaban 29, 1447, before or at sunset in all governorates of the Sultanate of Oman, which makes the sighting of the crescent moon on this day astronomically impossible, according to the Gulf country's Main Committee for Moon Sighting.

The Committee added that, in accordance with the established principle of not accepting reports that contradict observable reality and scientific certainty when astronomical facts confirm the impossibility of sighting, it announces that Wednesday; February 18, 2026, will be the last day of the Hijri month of Shaban, and Thursday; February 19, 2026 will be the first day of the holy month of Ramadan.

In the UAE, the Sharjah Academy for Astronomy, Space Sciences and Technology (SAASST) at the University of Sharjah has issued a precise forecast for sighting the Ramadan crescent this year. The team from SAASST confirmed that spotting the crescent moon on February 17 would not be possible even with sophisticated telescopes — not just in Sharjah and the UAE, but across most of the Islamic world, which means that Ramadan will start on February 19. (Khaleej Times)