Marking the end of the month of Ramadan for Muslims, Eid Al Fitr is a celebration that begins when the new crescent Moon is visible.
It is accompanied by a paid holiday for public and private sector workers in the UAE.
Emirates Astronomical Society previously forecasted April 10 as the date when Eid Al Fitr will start this year, which was confirmed by the UAE's moon-sighting committee on Tuesday.
“The Shawwal crescent Moon will coincide with the total solar eclipse occurring on April 8 at 10.22pm in the UAE,” Ibrahim Al Jarwan, the society's chairman, told The National.
He said the crescent would not be visible until April 9 – the 30th day of Ramadan – meaning Eid Al Fitr would begin on April 10.
Is Eid Al Fitr's date confirmed?
Like Ramadan, Eid Al Fitr’s start date was confirmed by the UAE’s Moon-sighting committee on Tuesday evening.
It is made up of astronomers, court officials and advisers from the Emirates' Islamic authority.
They look for the new crescent Moon, which means that Shawwal, the 10th month of the Islamic calendar, can begin.
Abdullah bin Sultan bin Awad Al Nuaimi, Minister of Justice and Chairman of the Moon-sighting Committee, said on Tuesday that after exhausting the sharia methods of sighting the moon, the Shawwal month crescent moon was not visible, meaning Tuesday would be the last day of Ramadan and Wednesday would be the first day of Eid Al Fitr.
In Saudi Arabia, Eid Al Fitr holidays for the public and private sector were already confirmed.
The Kingdom's Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development said employees across the country would get four working days off from April 8 before returning to work on April 14.
What is Eid Al Fitr?
Eid Al Fitr marks the end of Ramadan.
It is a celebratory occasion marked by morning prayers, family get-togethers, the giving of gifts, as well as charitable donations.
A public holiday accompanies Eid Al Fitr, with many people taking time off work to travel abroad or take short trips in the region.
How long is the Eid Al Fitr public holiday?
According to the Islamic calendar, the holiday will run from Ramadan 29 to Shawwal 3.
Ramadan 29 corresponds with April 8 on the Gregorian calendar, meaning this is set to be the first day of the public holiday.
As the holy month extended to 30 days this year, holidays for the public and private sector will both run from April 8 to April 12.
Watch: Last year's Eid Al Fitr fireworks
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Retirement funds heavily invested in equities at a risky time
Pension funds in growing economies in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East have a sharply higher percentage of assets parked in stocks, just at a time when trade tensions threaten to derail markets.
Retirement money managers in 14 geographies now allocate 40 per cent of their assets to equities, an 8 percentage-point climb over the past five years, according to a Mercer survey released last week that canvassed government, corporate and mandatory pension funds with almost $5 trillion in assets under management. That compares with about 25 per cent for pension funds in Europe.
The escalating trade spat between the US and China has heightened fears that stocks are ripe for a downturn. With tensions mounting and outcomes driven more by politics than economics, the S&P 500 Index will be on course for a “full-scale bear market” without Federal Reserve interest-rate cuts, Citigroup’s global macro strategy team said earlier this week.
The increased allocation to equities by growth-market pension funds has come at the expense of fixed-income investments, which declined 11 percentage points over the five years, according to the survey.
Hong Kong funds have the highest exposure to equities at 66 per cent, although that’s been relatively stable over the period. Japan’s equity allocation jumped 13 percentage points while South Korea’s increased 8 percentage points.
The money managers are also directing a higher portion of their funds to assets outside of their home countries. On average, foreign stocks now account for 49 per cent of respondents’ equity investments, 4 percentage points higher than five years ago, while foreign fixed-income exposure climbed 7 percentage points to 23 per cent. Funds in Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan are among those seeking greater diversification in stocks and fixed income.
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Lexus LX700h specs
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
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The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
DMZ facts
- The DMZ was created as a buffer after the 1950-53 Korean War.
- It runs 248 kilometers across the Korean Peninsula and is 4km wide.
- The zone is jointly overseen by the US-led United Nations Command and North Korea.
- It is littered with an estimated 2 million mines, tank traps, razor wire fences and guard posts.
- Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un met at a building in Panmunjom, where an armistice was signed to stop the Korean War.
- Panmunjom is 52km north of the Korean capital Seoul and 147km south of Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital.
- Former US president Bill Clinton visited Panmunjom in 1993, while Ronald Reagan visited the DMZ in 1983, George W. Bush in 2002 and Barack Obama visited a nearby military camp in 2012.
- Mr Trump planned to visit in November 2017, but heavy fog that prevented his helicopter from landing.
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Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
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