Saudi Arabia has now declared when Eid al-Fitr will be celebrated in 2026, as there was no sight of the Shawwal moon.
Reports indicate that there was no sighting of the Shawwal moon on March 18, which means that Ramadan will last for the full 30 days in Saudi Arabia. As such, officials in Saudi Arabia have stated that Eid al-Fitr will be celebrated on March 20, 2026.
Why Eid-Ul-Fitr 2026 Got Delayed
The announcement came after the traditional moon sighting procedure was used by religious committees and moon watchers throughout the Kingdom to look for the new moon that would mark the beginning of Shawwal and the end of Ramadan. As the crescent moon was not seen, it was decided to keep with the complete 30 days of fasting and to then celebrate Eid al-Fitr.
All of this was already one of two possibilities; if the crescent was seen on March 18, then Eid would have been celebrated one day sooner (on March 19) than when it is now scheduled to be celebrated. Since the crescent was not seen, Eid has changed by 24 hours from March 19 to March 20.
With the schedule for Eid now set, people across Saudi Arabia can begin preparing for Eid al-Fitr. Eid al-Fitr is commonly referred to as the “festival of breaking fast” and celebrates the end of a month-long period of fasting, praying, and self-reflection known as Ramadan. This holiday begins with a special prayer service at a mosque and is usually celebrated with family and friends by way of a gathering followed by a meal and providing for and/or donating to the less fortunate.
What It Means for India
Other countries will also feel the effects of this decision by Saudi Arabia and will therefore seek to coordinate with the Kingdom. The majority of Gulf nations will observe the same dates as the Kingdom, while India will also be celebrating Eid a day later than the rest of the Muslim world. The reason for this is due to India’s own local moon sighting practices. Therefore, depending on local confirmation in India, Indian Muslims will also likely be practicing Eid on March 21.
The actual day of Eid is highly ranked in the Islamic calendar as well as being an integral part of its’ culture; thus making it nearly impossible to create a calendar for when Eid will occur until the crescent moon is actually seen. For this reason, the date has to be determined through actual sighting; therefore, it cannot be determined beforehand and will continually change depending on actual observance.
Now that the Eid date has been confirmed, Saudi Arabia is going to enjoy time with their family and friends while celebrating the end of Ramadan with prayer and community spirit.
Khalid Qasid is a media enthusiast with a strong interest in documentary filmmaking. He holds a Master’s degree in Convergent Journalism from AJK MCRC. He has also written extensively on esports at Sportsdunia. Currently, he covers world and general news at NewsX Digital.
