UAE astronomer confirms Eid al-Fitr dates for 2023

The first day of Eid al-Fitr will fall on April 21, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan and the start of the Islamic month of Shawwal, a UAE-based astronomer confirmed on Monday.

“Ramadan’s full moon will be on Thursday, April 20, 2023, at 8.36 a.m. local time, while the crescent of the moon of Shawwal will be born on Thursday, April 20, 2023 at 8.13 a.m., and will set 22 minutes after sunset,” Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Astronomy Society Ibrahim al-Jarwan was quoted as saying on local media source UAE Barq.

If the government confirms the dates, UAE citizens and residents will get a four-day weekend with both Friday April 21 and Monday April 24 off.

Eid al-Fitr is celebrated by Muslims worldwide as it marks the end of the month-long sunrise-to-sunset fasting period known as Ramadan.