The moon passes between the sun and the earth during an annular solar eclipse in Madinat Zayed, Abu Dhabi. Reuters

Skywatchers from UAE, Saudi Arabia and Oman to India and Singapore were treated to a rare "ring of fire" solar eclipse on Thursday.

Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, also took to his twitter account and shared a stunning video of the solar eclipse.

People took solar eclipse glasses for the impressive sight at a number of viewing centres.

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Annular eclipses occur when the Moon is not close enough to the Earth to completely obscure the Sun, leaving a thin ring of the solar disc visible.

Men use a pair of eclipse glasses to try and take a picture of a rare "ring of fire" solar eclipse. AFP

While these types of eclipses occur every year or two, they are only visible from a narrow band of Earth each time and it can be decades before the same pattern is repeated.

Depending on weather conditions, this year's astronomical phenomenon was set to be visible from the Middle East across southern India and Southeast Asia before ending over the northern Pacific.

Hundreds of amateur astronomers, photographers and set up by Singapore's harbour for what some described as a "once in a lifetime" event.

Children uses eclipse glasses to watch a rare “ring of fire” solar eclipse. AFP

"The next one will happen in about 40 years I think," said Jason Teng, 37, who took the day off work to photograph the eclipse.

The amateur astronomer used a special solar filter on his telescope as there is no safe period to observe an annular solar eclipse.

Alexander Alin 45, a geophysicist from Germany, travels around the world following eclipses.

"It's only two minutes, but it's so intense that you talk about it with your friends, family for the next month," Alin said.

Event timing was: 6am to 9am
Location: Al Thuraya Astronomy Centre, Mushrif Park – Dubai