Eid al‑Fitr dates set

Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court formally urged Muslims to look for the Shawwal crescent on the evening of March 18 and instructed anyone who sees it to report sightings to the nearest court for documentation. (spa.gov.sa) The UAE’s Shawwal Moon‑Sighting Committee, convened under the UAE Council for Fatwa and chaired by Sheikh Abdullah bin Bayyah in Abu Dhabi, reviewed observatory data and public reports after Maghrib on March 18. (wam.ae) A UAE government digital portal and hotline were opened so residents could submit crescent sightings to the Council for Fatwa and the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department. (economymiddleeast.com) Pakistan’s Central Ruet‑e‑Hilal Committee, led by Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad, said during its March 19 meeting that it received no credible eyewitness testimonies from zonal committees. (geo.tv) India’s Markazi Chand Committee in Lucknow declared that the Shawwal crescent was not sighted in its jurisdictions, noting that Friday would be the 30th day of Ramadan where the committee spoke. (msn.com / turn0search12) Meteorologists and Pakistan’s SUPARCO reported the new moon was about 12 hours old at sunset — a younger age that experts said makes naked‑eye visibility unlikely in many locations. (pakobserver.net; techjuice.pk) Bangladesh’s National Moon Sighting Committee and state news agency BSS reported the Shawwal crescent was not seen, a finding published by The Daily Star. (thedailystar.net) Governments followed with administrative steps: the UAE published an official Eid holiday schedule for public and private sectors, and Pakistani authorities indicated the Cabinet Division would issue formal federal holiday notifications. (msn.com; pakistannewsdesk.com)