Saudi to mark Eid al-Fitr on Friday: state media

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia announced that the Eid al-Fitr holiday marking the end of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan will begin on Friday, according to a statement published by state media.

"The Supreme Court has decided that tomorrow, Thursday, is the completion of the 30th day of the month of Ramadan, and that Friday is the day of the Blessed Eid al-Fitr," the Saudi Press Agency reported.

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The timing of the holiday, which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, is determined by the sighting of the crescent moon, in accordance with the Muslim lunar calendar.

Observing the Ramadan fast is one of the five pillars of Islam, requiring believers to abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours.

Observant Muslims are also encouraged to donate to the poor.

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Fasting is widely practised in Saudi Arabia, home of the Grand Mosque in Mecca and the Prophet's Mosque in Medina.

Across the Muslim world, Ramadan festivities this year were overshadowed by the ongoing war in the Middle East, triggered by the US and Israel's attack on Iran.

The Gulf region has been pummelled with repeated strikes by Iran in a retaliatory blitz, with airports, residential areas, energy installations and military bases targeted with ballistic missiles and drones.