Eid Al-Adha Moon Sighted In Saudi Arabia, Festival To Be Observed In Middle East On June 6

The dates of Eid al-Adha, one of the two biggest festivals celebrated by Muslims globally, was announced in Saudi Arabia based on the sighting of the new moon. The festival will be observed in the Middle East on Friday, June 6.

09:15 PM (IST) - New moon sighted in Saudi Arabia: The crescent, marking the start of the Islamic month of Dhul Hijjah, has been sighted in Saudi Arabia. Accordingly, Eid al-Adha will be celebrated in the region on Friday, June 6. In India, as per the precedent, the festival is celebrated a day after the Middle East. Hence, the likely Eid date in India is Saturday, June 7. An official announcement from the local religious bodies is expected on Wednesday.

With the sighting of crescent, the Hajj dates have also been confirmed. The pilgrimage rituals will be performed from June 4-9.

8:46 PM (IST) - Skies clear, Saudi Arabia likely to sight moon shortly: The Haramain Info, one of the official accounts of the religious authorities of Saudi Arabia, showed that skies are clear in Sudayr -- one of the earliest places in the Kingdom to see sunset. This indicates that the moon is expected to be sighted shortly.

8:00 PM (IST) - Less than one hour remains for sunset in Sudayr: The moon sighting committee officials have gathered in Saudi Arabia's Sudair to look for the crescent, which will determine the date of Eid-al-Adha, also known as Eid-ul-Dhuha or Bakra Eid. The announcement is expected at around the local sunset time.

7:40 PM (IST) - KSA authorities to attempt moon sighting shortly: The authorities in Saudi Arabia will attempt to sight the new moon shortly. The sunset is still a couple of hours away in the region.

5:50 PM (IST) - Preparations underway for Eid moon sighting in Saudi Arabia: The official moon sighting authorities in various parts of Saudi Arabia have stationed their officials to monitor the skies as the sunset draws closer to sight the crescent moon. An official announcement is expected this evening.

Eid-al-Adha, also referred to as Eid-ul-Zuha, Bakra Eid, Bakrid or Qurban Bayarami, is observed on the 10th date of the Islamic month of Dhul Hijjah. If the crescent moon is sighted in Saudi Arabia and rest of the Middle East on Tuesday evening, then the festival will be observed on Friday, June 6, 2025 in the region.

If the crescent remains unseen, then Eid al-Adha will be observed on Saturday, June 7 in that part of the world.

In India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and rest of the Indian subcontinent, the lunar cycle is a day late as compared the Middle East and most other parts of the world.

The attempt to sight the crescent moon in Indian subcontinent region will made on Wednesday, and if it is sighted, then Eid al-Adha will be celebrated in this region on Saturday, June 7. If the moon remains unseen, then Eid will be celebrated on Sunday, June 8.

During the period around Eid al-Adha, Hajj—the most crucial pilgrimage for practicing Muslims— is also performed in Saudi Arabia. The Hajj rituals start from 8th Dhul Hijjah and end on 13th Dhul Hijjah.

If the moon is sighted in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday evening, then the Hajj dates will be confirmed as June 4 to June 9. In case of the crescent not being sighted, the Hajj will be performed from June 5 to June 10.

A total of 1.75 lakh Indian Muslim pilgrims will be in Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj. The bulk of the pilgrims have already departed, and the last batch of flights from India will depart this week.