The moon marking the beginning of Ramadan 1446 AH has been sighted in Saudi Arabia, meaning fasting will commence there from Saturday. The United Arab Emirates has also confirmed the sighting, making history by using artificial intelligence (AI) for moon observation for the first time, according to Mint.

At 5:50 PM, "Inside the Haramain" reported that while the sun had set over the eastern regions of Saudi Arabia, the crescent moon was not yet visible. However, observation efforts continued at other monitoring stations, and at 5:57 PM, an official sighting was confirmed.

In a Facebook post, "Inside the Haramain" stated that the crescent moon was seen over Saudi Arabia on Friday, marking the end of Sha'ban after 29 days, with Ramadan beginning the following day, Saturday.

Australia was the first country to announce the start of Ramadan this year, followed by Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority nation.