Saudi Arabia announced on Friday that the holy month of Ramadan will commence on Saturday, March 1, after the Ramadan crescent moon was sighted in the Kingdom. With the confirmation, more than 1.8 billion Muslims across the world will begin fasting from sunrise to sunset each day.

Muslims across India eagerly await the Ramadan 2025 moon sighting. If the crescent is spotted on Feb 28, fasting begins on March 1; otherwise, on March 2. The Bangsamoro Grand Mufti announced that the crescent moon was not sighted and that the start of Ramadan fasting will be on Sunday,

Saudi Arabia has officially announced that Ramadan will begin on Saturday, March 1, with the sighting of the crescent moon. Muslims throughout the Kingdom and beyond will fast from dawn to dusk, devoting the month to spiritual development,

Ramadan is not uniformly observed globally — the start date can vary by country or even be different mosque to mosque in the same city for a variety of reasons. But it all starts with a sighting of the crescent moon.

As Muslim adherents throughout the world look forward to Ramadan 2025, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has set the date for the crescent moon sighting.

Sighting the moon phase is important. Here's when the crescent moon is likely to be sighted in India and Saudi Arabia.

Muslims prepare for Ramadan, a month of fasting, prayer, and reflection, starting at sunset Friday and ending March 30. Follow Newsweek's live blog.

The UAE has announced the start of Ramadan on Saturday, Mar. 1, after sighting the moon on Friday evening, Feb. 28. Read More: Abu Dhabi's Flying Taxi Launch Is Just Months Away The news was shared after Muslims in the country were asked to spot the moon.

The moon sighting before Ramadan is a practice that is a traditional and essential aspect of the Islamic faith as it determines the commencement of the month of fasting from dawn