A colourfully decorated Corniche Street of Abu Dhabi. WAM

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

Friday, April 21, 2023, corresponding to 1st Shawwal, will be the first day of Eid Al Fitr, the UAE Moon-sighting Committee announced in a statement issued after its meeting on Thursday evening.

"Tomorrow, Friday, is the first day of Eid Al Fitr for this year," with Thursday the last day of Ramadan, the official Saudi Press Agency said on its Twitter account citing a royal court statement.

Abdullah Bin Sultan Bin Awad Al Nuaimi, Minister of Justice and Chairman of the Committee, said that the committee, after exhausting the sharia methods of sighting the crescent and making the necessary contacts with neighbouring countries, succeeded in sighting the Shawwal month crescent on Thursday evening, and therefore declares that Thursday, April 20, is the last day of Ramadan 1444, and that Friday, April 21, is the first day of Eid Al Fitr.

The minister and members of the committee extended warm congratulations on the glorious occasion to President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan; His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai; His Highness Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, Their Highnesses Supreme Council Members and Rulers of the Emirates, and the Crown Princes.

They also congratulated the UAE people and Muslims across the world on the auspicious occasion.