Gulf News, Dubai:

As preparations intensify across the Middle East and North Africa for the holy Hajj and Eid-ul-Azha, efforts to sight the moon marking the beginning of Dhul-Hijjah have gained momentum. The International Astronomy Center has announced that an image of the Dhul-Hijjah crescent moon has already been captured in the United Arab Emirates.

The International Astronomy Center said that a photograph of the Dhul-Hijjah 1447 Hijri crescent was taken in broad daylight from the Khatam Astronomical Observatory in Abu Dhabi on Sunday (17 May). The image, captured at 9:20am local time, showed the moon to be approximately nine hours old and 7.8 degrees away from the sun. Based on this observation, Eid-ul-Azha in the UAE is expected to be celebrated on Wednesday (27 May).

Following this announcement, moon-sighting activities have intensified across the region. The sighting of the Dhul-Hijjah moon is considered particularly important as it determines the date of Eid-ul-Azha, one of the most significant festivals in the Islamic calendar.

Meanwhile, Turkey and Tunisia have officially announced the date for the holy festival of Eid-ul-Azha, confirming that the celebration will be observed on 27 May in both countries.

Besides, Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court has called on Muslims across the country to sight the Dhul-Hijjah moon. In a statement issued Friday, the court requested anyone who spots the crescent—either with the naked eye or through binoculars—to report their testimony to the nearest court.