The Moon Sighting Committee in the UAE has announced that Thursday, 23 March, will be marked as the first day of the Holy Month of Ramadan.
On Tuesday, 21 March, the committee held a meeting after the Maghreb prayer at the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department to determine the start of Ramadan.
As the crescent moon was not spotted, Wednesday, 22 March, is the 30th day of Sha'ban, making Thursday, 23 March, 1 Ramadan.