UAE: Moon Sighting Confirms Rabi Al Awwal to Begin on August 25
- Publish date: Sunday، 24 August 2025 Reading time: 1 min read
Residents may get a three-day weekend, pending official holiday announcement.
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The crescent moon marking the beginning of Rabi Al Awwal was not sighted in the UAE on Saturday, August 23, the Emirates Astronomy Centre announced on Sunday.
This means the third month of the Islamic calendar, 1447 AH, will begin on Monday, August 25, as the month of Safar completes 30 days. Consequently, the Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) birthday will fall on Friday, September 5 (12 Rabi Al Awwal), raising the possibility of a three-day weekend for UAE residents, who already enjoy Saturdays and Sundays as part of their weekly break.
However, no official holiday announcement has yet been made by UAE authorities.
The astronomy centre explained that the crescent was not visible across the Arab region on Saturday, even with telescopes or high-powered imaging technology.
Interestingly, this year marks a rare occurrence where Saudi Arabia and the UAE will begin Rabi Al Awwal on different days. While Saudi Arabia declared Sunday, August 24, as the start of the Islamic month, the UAE and several other countries, including Oman, Jordan, and Pakistan, will mark the beginning on Monday, August 25.
In contrast, countries such as Iraq, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, Tunisia, and Palestine joined Saudi Arabia in observing Sunday as the first day of Rabi Al Awwal.
The difference in moon sighting dates underscores the regional variations in Islamic lunar calendar observations.