Ramadan starts today

Today is being observed as the first day of the holy month of Ramadan.

Senior religious councils in Saudi Arabia, said the moon's crescent was not sighted after nightfall on Saturday, and so Sunday would be the last day of the month preceding Ramadan.

It is during this month that Muslims fast. It is called the Fast of Ramadan and lasts the entire month. Ramadan is a time when Muslims concentrate on their faith and spend less time on the concerns of their everyday lives. It is a time of worship and contemplation.

During the Fast of Ramadan strict restraints are placed on the daily lives of Muslims. Unlike in other Muslim countries, in Saudi Arabia, even the non-Muslims are obliged to observe fasting from sunrise to sunset. They are not allowed to eat or drink during the daylight hours. Smoking and sexual relations are also forbidden during fasting.

Working hours are reduced mostly for Muslims in private companies here in Saudi Arabia. They start behind 2 hours than non-Muslims. However Government offices had a uniform hours – 9am to 2pm for all their staff.

City roads are eerily quite as the time for breaking fast (sunset) approaches. On the flipside, traffic rushes to life again in the wee hours of the night, as residents flock to restaurants and shopping malls, which stay open late.