Ramadan Countdown
The timer counts down to the expected first day of Ramadan in Saudi Arabia's official Umm al-Qura calendar. The actual start is confirmed by moon sighting and can differ by a day or two between countries.
Time left until Ramadan
- ––days
- ––hours
- ––minutes
- ––seconds
In short
- 1The dates come from the Umm al-Qura calendar, Saudi Arabia's official Hijri calendar.
- 2Many countries confirm the start by moon sighting, so the first day can differ by a day or two.
- 3The countdown reaches zero at midnight on the first day; the month itself begins at sunset the evening before.
- 4Only dates checked in the official calendar are listed.
Expected start dates
| Year | Date | Weekday |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 | February 8 | Monday |
| 2028 | January 28 | Friday |
The Umm al-Qura calendar is computed in advance from astronomical data and is used for civil purposes in Saudi Arabia. For religious observance, Saudi Arabia and many other countries announce the start of Ramadan after the crescent moon is sighted on the evening of the 29th of Sha'ban; if it is not seen, Sha'ban runs to 30 days and Ramadan starts a day later.
Check your local announcement
The date here is the expected start, not a confirmation. Follow the announcement of your country's religious authority or your local mosque.
- Countries that use their own sighting can start a day after Saudi Arabia.
- Some communities follow an astronomical calendar set in advance instead of a local sighting.
- Prayer and fasting times depend on your location, not on this countdown.
Why the dates move through the year
Each Islamic month begins with a new crescent, so a year of twelve months is about 11 days shorter than the Gregorian year. Ramadan therefore starts about 11 days earlier each year: early February in 2027, late January in 2028. Over about 33 years it passes through every season, which changes the length of the daily fast, since fasting runs from dawn to sunset.
Counting the days
The timer counts to midnight at the start of the date in your own time zone, which keeps it simple for readers everywhere. To count the days to Eid or to any other date once it is announced, use the days between dates calculator. To see the time in Makkah's zone from abroad, the Riyadh clock shows Saudi local time.
Ramadan countdown questions
When does Ramadan start in 2027?
The Umm al-Qura calendar puts 1 Ramadan 1448 on Monday, February 8, 2027. Many countries confirm the start only after the new crescent is seen, so it may begin a day later where you live.
Does Ramadan begin in the evening or the morning?
In the Islamic calendar a day starts at sunset, so the month begins on the evening before the first fast, when the first night prayers are held. The first fast starts at dawn on the date shown.
Why is Ramadan about 11 days earlier every year?
The Islamic calendar has 12 lunar months and about 354 or 355 days, so it runs ahead of the 365-day solar year. Ramadan moves through all seasons over roughly 33 years.
How long does Ramadan last?
29 or 30 days, depending on when the next crescent is seen. Eid al-Fitr is celebrated on the first day of the following month, Shawwal.