Maldives will celebrate Eid al-Fitr on Friday, after authorities confirmed that the new moon was not sighted.
Moon sighting decision
The Ministry of Islamic Affairs announced that Thursday will be the 30th and final day of Ramadan. The decision was made after a moon sighting meeting held on Wednesday night, where it was confirmed that no country had reported seeing the Shawwal moon.
Because the moon was not sighted, Ramadan will complete 30 days this year.
Eid date confirmed
Eid al-Fitr will be observed on Friday, 20 March, as stated by the ministry. The date also matches the official national calendar.
Similar decision in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia has also announced the same timeline. It confirmed that Thursday will be the last day of Ramadan and Eid will be celebrated on Friday, after the Shawwal moon was not seen on Wednesday night.
This means several countries are marking Eid on the same day this year.
