The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is preparing for the sighting of the moon, which marks the beginning of Ramadan. According to the state news agency Wam, the moon will be searched for on Tuesday, March 21, with the month expected to begin on either March 22 or March 23, depending on whether the moon is sighted.
Astronomical calculations indicate that the month will likely begin on Thursday, March 23, but the official date will be confirmed once the crescent is seen. UAE officials are keeping a close eye on the situation and have advised residents to look for the crescent tomorrow evening.
Many Muslims in the UAE have been preparing for the holy month by stocking up on food, planning their schedules, and making arrangements for prayer and charity. Mosques across the country are expected to host special programmes and events to mark the occasion.
Airfares Between UAE and Saudi Arabia Skyrocket
Airfares on the UAE-Saudi Arabia route have begun to rise in anticipation of Ramadan, which is set to begin on March 23 in the UAE and March 22 in Saudi Arabia. Airfares will rise even more in the run-up to and during the Eid-ul-Fitr holidays.
Air Arabia, based in Sharjah, is currently selling tickets to Jeddah for AED 1,336 and Madinah for AED 1,536. In January and February of this year, Jeddah’s airfare was around AED 800-900, and Madinah’s was around AED 1,100.
Emirates, based in Dubai, charges more for tickets than Air Arabia. Its flight to Jeddah costs AED 2,385 and its flight to Madinah costs AED 2,125. According to travel agents and Umrah operators in the UAE, this increase can be attributed to increased pilgrim travel demand since Saudi Arabia lifted coronavirus-related restrictions.
Niyas Adiraja, Operations Manager at Smart Travels, predicted that airfares would rise further in June due to the Hajj season, which is the busiest travel season in Saudi Arabia.
