Saudi Supreme Court Calls Dhul Hijjah 2026 Crescent Sighting
Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court called on Muslims across the Kingdom to sight the dhul hijjah 2026 crescent on the evening of Sunday, May 17, 2026. The sighting will determine when Dhul Hijjah begins, which in turn sets the timing for Hajj and Eid Al-Adha across the Islamic world.
The court asked anyone who sees the crescent with the naked eye or through binoculars to report to the nearest court and register testimony. It also told people who sight the crescent to contact the nearest center for help reaching the court.
Saudi Arabia’s No. 206/H ruling
The announcement followed Supreme Court ruling No. 206/H dated 29/10/1447H. That ruling declared Saturday, April 18, 2026, the completion of Shawwal and Sunday, April 19, 2026, the first day of Dhul Qadah.
On the court’s calendar determination, Sunday, May 17, 2026, falls on the 29th of Dhul Qadah. Under Umm Al-Qura calendar calculations, the same date is the 30th. The court’s call for moon-sighting now sets the next step in the religious calendar that leads into Dhul Hijjah.
Moon-sighting committees in the Kingdom
The Supreme Court also encouraged people capable of moon sighting to join regional moon-sighting committees. That instruction turns the date into a public task, not only a court notice, and gives Muslims across Saudi Arabia a direct role in reporting what they see on Sunday evening.
For readers in the Kingdom, the practical step is simple: look for the crescent after sunset on May 17 and, if it is seen, move quickly to the nearest court or contact the nearest center for assistance. The testimony will feed the official process that decides whether Dhul Hijjah starts at the end of that day or after the court’s review.
Hajj and Eid Al-Adha timing
The friction in this calendar moment is between the court’s sighting call and the calendar calculation already marking the same date as the 30th according to Umm Al-Qura calculations. The ruling does not wait for the month to begin automatically; it asks for direct sighting and testimony first.
That means the decisive public action comes on Sunday evening, May 17, 2026, with courts and moon-sighting committees handling reports from those who see the crescent. The result will set the start of Dhul Hijjah, and with it the dates for Hajj and Eid Al-Adha.
