RIYADH: The annual fasting month of Ramazan is due to begin Monday in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Yemen, religious authorities in the four Muslim countries said.
The announcement was made on Sunday after the sighting of the crescent moon.
Other Muslim countries in the Middle East and North Africa are also expected to begin observing Ramazan on Monday or on Tuesday.
During Ramazan, Muslims around the world abstain from eating, drinking and smoking from dawn to dusk. They break the fast with a meal known as iftar and before dawn they have a second opportunity to eat and drink during sehar.
Ramazan is sacred to Muslims because the holy Quran was revealed to the Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) during that month.
Ramazan is followed by the Eid al-Fitr festival.