KSA: The Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia has officially announced the sighting of the Ramazan crescent moon for the year 1447 AH. This sighting was confirmed on the evening of Tuesday, 29 Sha’ban 1447 AH, which corresponds to February 17, 2026, marking the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan.
As a result of this confirmation, the first Taraweeh prayers will take place on Tuesday night, February 17, immediately following the Isha prayer at mosques throughout the Kingdom, including the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah. The first day of fasting will commence on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.
This announcement comes despite predictions from major astronomical organisations, including the International Astronomical Centre (IAC), which had stated that a sighting on Tuesday evening was astronomically impossible across the Arab and Islamic world.
