Ramadan preparations color streets across the Muslim world. (Reuters)

WORLD CAPITALS — Millions of Muslims across the globe will observe the holy month of Ramadan on Saturday, September 24, while others will start the annual fast a day later.

Religious authorities in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates announced Friday, September 23, that moon sighting has been confirmed and that Ramadan would start on Saturday.

Libya, Sudan, Palestine, Yemen, Nigeria and Afghanistan also declared Friday as the last day of Sha`ban and Saturday as the beginning of Ramadan.

Sunnis in both Lebanon and Iraq will start fasting on Saturday, according to the Sunni religious authorities in both countries.

In Europe, Muslims in Britain, Denmark, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Bosnia and Russia will fast Saturday.

The Islamic Society of North America decided to follow the Fiqh Council of North America, an independent body comprised of qualified scholars in North America, in determining the start of Ramadan.

According to the calculation criteria adopted by the Fiqh Council of North America, the first day of Ramadan will be Saturday.

During Ramadan, adult Muslims, save the sick and those traveling, abstain during daylight hours from food, drink, smoking and sex.

Day Later

Like every year, millions of Muslims in other countries will start the fasting a day later.

Egypt's Mufti Ali Gomaa said Sunday will be the beginning of the holy fasting month.

Authorities in Algeria, Jordan, Oman, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey and Malaysia also said the first day of Ramadan will fall Sunday.

Lebanese Shiites will start fasting Sunday, confirmed Shiite religious authority Mohamed Hussein Fadlallah.

First day of Ramadan in Kosova will be on Sunday, announced the Islamic Council of Kosova.

The same applies in Macedonia and Albania.

Muslim minorities in France, Germany and Ukraine will start fasting on Sunday.

Turkish Muslim communities in the Netherlands and Belgium said Ramadan will begin on Sunday.

Sunday will also be the beginning of Ramadan also in Singapore, Albania, Kosovo, Romania, Macedonia and Trinidad and Tobago.

The European Council for Fatwa and Research has said that the first day of the holy fasting month of Ramadan will fall on Sunday, September 24, based on astronomical calculations.

Moon sighting has always been a controversial issue among Muslim countries, and even scholars seem at odds over the issue.

One group says that Muslims everywhere should abide by the lunar calendar of Saudi Arabia.

A second, however, believes that the authority in charge of ascertaining the sighting of the moon in a given country (such as Egypt's Dar al-Iftaa [House of Fatwa]) announces the sighting of the new moon, then Muslims in the country should all abide by this.