Ramadan moon-sighting: Oman, India, Pakistan, many other Islamic countries to announce start of holy month today

Muscat: More than 14 Islamic countries will investigate the crescent of the month of Ramadan this evening, including the Sultanate of Oman, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

The International Astronomy Centre announced that over 14 Islamic countries will investigate the crescent of the month of Ramadan today, to announce the beginning of the holy month on Thursday, March 23, or Friday, March 24.

The Centre added that the countries that will investigate the crescent today include: Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, India, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, the Sultanate of Oman, Jordan, Algeria, Morocco, and Mauritania.

Additionally, the Centre said that, so far, 17 countries, namely: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, Somalia, Iraq, Kuwait, Yemen, Turkey, Tunisia, Djibouti, Syria, Palestine, Qatar, Lebanon, Libya and Egypt, have announced Thursday, March 23, as the start of the holy month of Ramadan.