Eid confusion clears: Saudi declares dates

A Saudi government committee meeting on Monday night for moon-sighting announced that Thursday is Arafat Day and Eid Al Adha will start on Friday after it could not sight the moon.

Since the moon was not sighted, Tuesday is the last day of the Islamic month of Dhul Qidah and Wednesday will be the first day of Dhul Hijjah month.

“There was no evidence the moon was sighted…hence Thursday is Arafat Day and Eid Al Adha will start on Friday,” Sabq newspaper said, quoting committee sources.

In Egypt, newspapers reported that Al Azhar Mosque, the country’s top Islamic authority, announced that Eid would start on Friday.

More than two million Muslims are expected to converge on Saudi Arabia from many countries to perform the annual Haj (pilgrimage) next week.

Earlier this morning, there was a lot of confusion among UAE residents over Eid dates and about their holidays. Government sector employees in the UAE are now likely to begin their Eid break on Thursday October 25, until Sunday, October 28. Public sector employees will return to work on Monday, October 29.

Yesterday, rumours started floating among UAE residents as a media outlet reported that Saudi Arabia had announced Wednesday as Arafat Day, and Thursday, October 25, as the first day of Eid Al Adha.

Earlier, Dr Ahmed Abdul Aziz Al Haddad, Mufti, Managing Director, Fatwa Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities, Dubai, said the first day of Eid Al Adha for the year 1433 Hijri and 2012 AD would likely be Friday, October 26, which corresponds to the 10th of Al Hijah.

Dr Haddad wished the Rulers of the UAE and Muslims across the world on the occasion of Eid Al Adha

Ice cream awaits Moslem pilgrims in Saudi

Moslem pilgrims converging on Saudi Arabia next week for their annual Haj season will be treated for free ice cream as a “cooling" welcome by a local company.

More than one million ice cream cones will be distributed to the pilgrims on arrival and through the four-day Haj rituals in Makkah and nearby Madina.

A group calling itself “the Haj Gift Socity” said it had set up many centres to receive pilgrims to help them until the end of the Haj, which is scheduled for October 25.

“We will hand out more than one million ice cream cones to the pilgrims…we are making this gesture under the title ‘cool down...

pilgrim,” its director Mansour al Amer said, quoted by the Arabic language daily Alriyadh.

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