Saudi Arabia, Riyadh –

Saudi Arabia, home to Islam’s holiest shrine, announced on Monday that Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, would begin on Wednesday.

“The Supreme Court has announced that tomorrow is the last day of #Ramadan and Wednesday is the first day of #Eid,” the official Saudi Press Agency said on its X account.

According to the Muslim lunar calendar, the timing of Eid al-Fitr is determined by the appearance of the new moon.

Saudi media reported that the new moon would not be visible on Monday.

The United Arab Emirates and Qatar also announced that Eid al-Fitr, usually celebrated with family gatherings, would begin on Wednesday.

Daytime fasting during Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam.

Devout Muslims do not eat or drink from dawn to dusk and traditionally gather with family and friends in the evening to break the fast.

Ramadan is also a time of prayer, with large numbers of worshipers gathering at mosques, especially at night.

Fasting is widely practiced in Saudi Arabia, home to the Grand Mosque of Mecca and the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina.

Saudis are expected to celebrate the four-day Eid al-Fitr holiday.

Across the Muslim world, this year’s Ramadan celebrations are overshadowed by the war in Gaza. Israel’s military campaign to eradicate Hamas has killed at least 33,207 people, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in Hamas-controlled areas.

The war was triggered by an attack on Israel by Hamas militants on October 7 that killed 1,170 people, mostly civilians, Israeli data shows.

Palestinian militants have also taken more than 250 Israeli and foreign hostages, of which 129 remain in Gaza, 34 of whom the military said were dead.

Mediators have pushed in vain for a ceasefire to take effect before the start of Ramadan.

Ceasefire talks have resumed in Cairo, but a breakthrough has not yet been declared.