The moon-sighting to determine the start of Ramadan will take place next Tuesday.

In an announcement, the Department of Judicial Administration (DJA) stated that, as in previous years, arrangements have been made to receive testimony from individuals or groups who sight the new moon marking the beginning of Ramadan.

In Malé City, those who sight the moon are required to present their testimony before a judge at one of the courts in the capital. In the islands, testimony must be given before the magistrate of the respective Magistrate Court. If an island does not have a sitting magistrate, testimony may be submitted before the senior official overseeing the island council secretariat.

The DJA said that when reporting a moon sighting, witnesses must provide key details including the direction in which the moon was seen, its height in the sky, the time of sighting and other relevant information.

To facilitate the process, the Department, Magistrate Courts in the islands, island council secretariats and atoll council offices will remain open from 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday until a decision is reached regarding the sighting of the Ramadan crescent.

The official announcement regarding the start of Ramadan will be made by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs on Tuesday night.