Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court has called on Muslims across the Kingdom to look for the crescent moon that marks the start of Dhul Hijjah on the evening of Sunday, May 17, 2026. Anyone who sees it with the naked eye or through binoculars was urged to go to the nearest court, register their testimony and contact the nearest center if they need help getting there.
The court said Sunday, May 17, 2026, is the official date for sighting the Dhul Hijjah crescent, in line with Supreme Court ruling No. 206/H dated 29/10/1447H. That ruling had already set Saturday, April 18, 2026, as the completion of Shawwal and Sunday, April 19, 2026, as the first day of Dhul Qadah, placing May 17 at the end of that month by the court’s calendar determination.
The appeal matters because the beginning of Dhul Hijjah sets the timetable for the annual Hajj pilgrimage and Eid Al-Adha celebrations across the Islamic world. By naming Sunday evening as the sighting date, the court is effectively opening the door to the process that will determine when the month begins and when the most important dates in the Islamic calendar will fall this year.
The announcement also drew on two calendar references that explain the timing. The court described May 17 as the 29th of Dhul Qadah according to its own calendar determination, while also saying it was the 30th according to Umm Al-Qura calendar calculations. The court encouraged people capable of moon sighting to join regional moon-sighting committees, turning the announcement into both a public call and a practical instruction for observers across the Kingdom.
The only remaining step is the testimony that will come in after sunset on Sunday. If the crescent is confirmed, the calendar for Hajj and Eid Al-Adha will move with it; if it is not, the month will continue under the court’s established calculations.
