Eid Crescent Across the Arab World and Canada

By Tahani Elghazaly
Published March 19, 2026

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Attention across the Arab world and Canada is turning to the Shawwal crescent, as official decisions and pending local announcements shape the expected start of Eid al-Fitr. As of Wednesday, March 18, 2026, the clearest indication points to Friday, March 20, as the most likely first day of Eid in several Arab countries and across many Muslim communities in Canada, though some authorities are still waiting for local moon-sighting confirmation.

Saudi Arabia officially announced that Thursday, March 19, will complete Ramadan, making Friday, March 20, the first day of Eid al-Fitr after the crescent was not confirmed. The UAE issued the same decision, saying its moon-sighting committee did not confirm the Shawwal crescent on Wednesday evening, which means Thursday is the final day of Ramadan and Friday marks Eid.

In Egypt, the official decision is still pending. Dar al-Ifta’s published Hijri date shows that Wednesday, March 18, corresponds to 28 Ramadan 1447 AH, which means the official Shawwal sighting will take place on Thursday evening, March 19, before the country announces the first day of Eid.

Canada, meanwhile, does not operate under a single national Eid announcement. The Fiqh Council of North America has already set Friday, March 20, 2026, as the first day of Shawwal based on its accepted calculation method, while the Central Hilal Committee called for moon sighting on Thursday evening, March 19. The Muslim Association of Canada had already begun Ramadan this year using the criteria adopted by the Fiqh Council, which makes Friday the most likely Eid date for many communities, even as some mosques and local groups wait for their own final confirmation.

The split reflects a familiar annual pattern: some institutions rely on pre-announced astronomical criteria, while others wait for local religious verification before declaring Eid. Even so, the balance of official indications now points to Friday, March 20, as the strongest expected Eid date across much of the Arab world and among a broad segment of Muslims in Canada.