RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has announced that Eidul Fitr would be celebrated on Friday, according to a statement published by state media.

“The Supreme Court has decided that tomorrow, Thursday, is the completion of the 30th day of the month of Ramazan, and that Friday is the day of the Blessed Eidul Fitr,” the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday. Across the Muslim world, Ramazan festivities this year were overshadowed by the ongoing war in the Middle East, triggered by the US and Israel’s attack on Iran.

The Gulf region has been pummelled with repeated strikes by Iran in a retaliatory blitz, with airports, residential areas, energy installations and military bases targeted with ballistic missiles and drones.

Last week, the Pakistan Space and Upper Atm­o­sphere Research Comm­i­s­s­ion (Suparco) forecast that Eidul Fitr was expected to fall on March 21 as the cha­nces of sighting the Shawwal moon on March 19 were low.

However, it said that the final decision would be made by the Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee. Earlier, the Pakistan Meteorological Depart­ment also predicted that Ramazan was likely to last 30 days this year as the Shawwal moon was unlikely to be visible on March 19.

Published in Dawn, March 19th, 2026