Riyadh/Dubai: The Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia and the concerned authorities in the UAE and other Arab state have urged Muslims across the region to look for the Shawwal crescent soon after the Magreb prayers today on Thursday to determine Eid Al-Fitr.
"Anyone who sights the crescent on the 29th of Ramadan should register the testimony with the nearest court or report it to a competent authority", the top court of Saudi Arabia said in a statement.
The Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia has appointed several committees in all the regions of the Kingdom to receive reports of sighting the crescent.
Similar appeals have also been issued by the authorities in the other Arab states.
Minister of Justice UAE Sultan bin Saeed Al Badi issued the decision to set up a moon-sighting committee chaired by him to confirm the start of the month of Shawwal, and marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
The Committee will hold a meeting after Maghreb prayer on Thursday, 29th of Ramadan, corresponding to July 16th, at the Judiciary Department in Abu Dhabi.
The decision called on all the Sharia courts across the UAE to look out for the crescent moon and inform the committee.
If the crescent is not sighted anywhere in the region on Thursday, Eid will be celebrated on Saturday, after completing 30 days of fasting.
Muslims in the Middle East, Europe and the US will be anxiously waiting for the announcement of Eid Al Fitr as majority of the Western countries follow Saudi Arabia’s Islamic Hijri calendar.