Ramadan starts Saturday in most Arab nations, few to fast Sunday

ISTANBUL

Most Arab countries celebrated the first day of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan on Saturday, while a few nations will mark the holy month a day later.

Authorities in Saudi Arabia said in a statement cited by the state news agency SPA that Saturday marks the first day of the fasting month.

A similar announcement was made by authorities in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Yemen, Tunisia, Algeria and Mauritania.

Muslims in Egypt, Palestine, Lebanon, Sudan, Libya, Syria, Somalia and Djibouti also celebrated the first day of the dawn-to-dusk fasting month of Saturday.

Meanwhile, authorities in Oman, Morocco and Jordan announced that the fasting month of Ramadan will start on Sunday.

Muslims in the month of Ramadan fast from sunrise to sunset in fulfillment of one of Islam's five main pillars.

*Writing by Ibrahim Mukhtar in Ankara