The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, home of the holiest shrines in Islam in Makkah and Medina, has announced that the fasting month of Ramadan will start on Thursday.
The kingdom`s supreme court ruled on Tuesday evening that the Islamic calendar month of Shaban, which precedes Ramadan, will end on Wednesday, meaning Ramadan will begin the following day, the official Saudi Press Agency reported.
Authorities earlier on Tuesday called on residents to try to spot the crescent moon that marks the start of Ramadan, but it was not visible, state media said.
The official Crescent Sighting Committee in neighbouring Qatar also announced that Thursday "is the first day of the blessed month of Ramadan", the official Qatar News Agency said on Twitter.
The daytime fasting month of Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam.
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