UAE announces Eid Al Fitr 2022 and Shawwal 1 start date

Moon-sighting committee did not see new crescent moon on Saturday

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

Eid Al Fitr will begin on Monday in the UAE, the moon-sighting committee announced on Saturday.

The committee – a group of astronomers, court officials and advisers from the country's Islamic authority – said it was not possible to see the new crescent moon, which indicates the start of the next Islamic month.

This means Ramadan will last for 30 days this year and the first day of Eid, Shawwal 1, will fall on Monday.

The holy month lasts for either 29 or 30 days, depending on when the crescent moon is seen, because the Islamic calendar is based on the lunar cycle.

Government workers will have a week-long holiday during Eid Al Fitr, while private sector workers will have a holiday from Saturday, April 30, until Wednesday, May 4.

Protocols for celebrating Eid Al Fitr were announced by the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority on Wednesday evening.

Dr Taher Al Ameri, the authority's spokesman, urged the public to "celebrate this blessed period in health and safety with loved ones, as well as to protect the most vulnerable categories from [coronavirus] infection".

“The protocols include the need to have an active green pass on the Al Hosn app and adhere to relevant precautionary measures,” he said.

The updated protocols also include a requirement for worshippers at Eid prayers to wear face masks at all times and maintain physical distancing.

Prayers must not exceed 20 minutes and the gates of mosques should be opened after dawn prayers.

The authority said the public should give Eid presents through electronic means and people should try to limit celebrations to immediate family members and friends.