Eidul Fitr 2026 being celebrated in Saudi Arabia, UAE and other Middle East countries

2026-03-20 - 05:40

RIYADH: Eidul Fitr 2026 is being celebrated today across Saudi Arabia, UAE and several countries in the Middle East with religious devotion and traditional fervour. Eidul Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan, is determined by the sighting of the crescent moon according to the Muslim lunar calendar. Observing the Ramadan fast is one of the five pillars of Islam. Observant Muslims are also encouraged to donate to the poor. The largest congregations were held at Masjid al-Haram in Mecca and Al-Masjid an-Nabawi in Medina, where millions of Muslims offered Eidul Fitr prayers and prayed for peace and stability across the Muslim world. King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, extended Eid greetings to Muslims worldwide, reaffirming his commitment to promoting global peace and stability. Eidul Fitr celebrations are also underway in UAE, Palestine, Turkey, Lebanon, Yemen, Oman, Qatar and Iraq. In Australia, Eid is also being observed today. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited a mosque in Sydney, where he joined worshippers and extended greetings. However, he also faced questions from attendees regarding Australia’s stance on the Gaza conflict. Meanwhile, Muslim communities in the United States and Singapore are celebrating Eid today, while in the United Kingdom, observances are split, with some marking the festival today and others tomorrow. In contrast, Afghanistan marked Eid a day earlier, while countries including Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Malaysia are expected to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr on 21 March following the absence of moon sightings.