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The holy month of Ramadan will begin on Thursday, May 17, it was announced today.

The announcement was made after the Saudi moon-sighting committee met on Tuesday evening and were not able to sight the Ramadan crescent, Al Arabiya reported.

The UAE government has reduced working hours for the public and private sector for the holy month of Ramadan.
According to the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources, working hours for the public sector employees will be from 9am until 2pm across the UAE, whereas working hours for the private sector have been shortened by two hours.

Although Ramadan is always on the same day of the Islamic calendar, the date on the Gregorian calendar varies from year to year, since the Gregorian calendar is a solar calendar and the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar. This difference means Ramadan moves ahead in the Gregorian calendar by 10-11 days every year.

Earlier today, the Australian National Imams Council has declared that the holy month of Ramadan will begin on Thursday, May 17. In a post on their verified Facebook page, the council said Taraweeh prayers will be held on Wednesday, May 16.

Parking during Iftar across paid zones in Dubai will be free. The paid parking zones in Dubai will be operational from 8am to 6pm and from 8pm to 12am during Ramadan, it was announced on Tuesday. At Tecom, the tariff will apply from 8am to 6pm, while in the multi-level parking lots, the fees will be applicable 24/7 (read detailed report).

Announcing the timings of various services during the holy month, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) said from Saturday to Wednesday, the Metro service will be operational on both the lines from 5am to 12am. On Thursdays, the service will be from 5am to 1am (the next day); and Fridays from 10am to 1am.

Metro link bus stations at Rashidiya, Mall of the Emirates, Ibn Battuta, Burj Khalifa, Abu Hail, and Etisalat will be in service from 5am to 12.20am.