Friday has been officially declared as the day of Eid al-Fitr in the Maldives.

In the official statement regarding the sighting of the moon for the month of Shawwal, the Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dr. Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed, announced that no credible evidence was found of the new moon being sighted in any part of the Maldives after sunset on Wednesday, March 18, 2026 (29th Ramadan 1447 AH), according to established Shari'ah principles.

The statement further noted that reliable astronomical calculations confirmed the moon would not be above the horizon in any region of the Maldives this evening. Additionally, as no official reports were received from any other Islamic nation regarding a moon sighting for Shawwal 1447, it was determined that tomorrow (Thursday) will be the 30th day of Ramadan. Consequently, Friday, March 20, has been officially declared as the day of Eid al-Fitr.

In addition to the Maldives, Saudi Arabia has also determined that the first day of Eid will fall on Friday.