Preparing for Ramadan 2025 in the UAE? There have been some updates on that front – with astronomers confirming Shaaban dates per moon sightings.
The Hijri month of Shaaban will likely start on Friday, January 31 as per astronomical calculations, the UAE Astronomy Centre posted on X.
Shaaban is the month that precedes the holy fasting month of Ramadan, which allows us to assume the start dates for Ramadan 2025.
This significant date aligns with predictions by UAE astronomer Ibrahim Al Jarwan, who noted in the post that the moon will be ‘born’ on Friday 28 February 2025 at 7.33pm UAE time.
“Wednesday, January 29, 2025, will correspond to the 29th of Rajab, 1446 AH, in many Muslim countries. On this day, the sighting of the crescent moon for Shaaban will be impossible from all regions of the Islamic world due to the moon setting before or at the same time as the sunset,” said Mohammad Shawkat Odeh, director of the centre.
Furthermore, we know that on Thursday, January 30, the crescent will be visible to the naked eye in all Muslim countries, South Europe, Africa and the US.
This means that in countries where Thursday is Rajab 29, January 31 will still be the first day of the fasting month.
These countries include Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Bangladesh, Morocco, Mauritania, Cameroon, Albania.
Timing changes during Ramadan 2025
This leaves residents of Abu Dhabi a month to start planning for the holy month. That aside, there have been some updates on changes in working hours, parking timings and even Salik prices during Ramadan 2025 in the UAE.
And while we await further confirmation, we’ve rounded up some amazing Iftar offers in Abu Dhabi for you to lock in those early bird discounts as well!
Watch this space for more!