
Eid Al Adha 2025: Saudi court calls for crescent moon sighting
The Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia has called upon Muslims across the country to sight the crescent moon of Dhul Hijjah on the evening of Tuesday, 29 Dhu al-Qi'dah 1446 AH (May 27).
In a statement, the entity urged anyone who sights the crescent moon—either with the naked eye or through binoculars—to promptly report to the nearest court and submit their testimony, a
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The court also expressed hope that those capable of moon sighting will join the committees established for this purpose in various regions and participate in this effort, which benefits the Muslim community.
The
Engineer Mohammad Shawkat Odeh, Director of the Abu Dhabi-based centre, stated that moon sighting will be possible with telescopes from parts of Central and Western Asia, as well as most of Africa and Europe. Additionally, it may be visible to the naked eye in large areas of the Americas, according to a WAM report.
Based on these astronomical predictions, Wednesday, May 28 is expected to be the first day of Dhul Hijjah, making Friday, June 6 the likely date for the start of Eid Al Adha in most Islamic countries.
Eid Al Adha is therefore expected to fall on Friday, June 6, with the Day of Arafah observed on Thursday, June 5, according to dates listed on the UAE government's official website.
Residents in the UAE are likely to enjoy a four-day break—comprising June 5 and 6 for Arafah and Eid Al Adha—followed by the regular weekend on June 7 and 8 (Saturday and Sunday).
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Gulf Today
12 hours ago
- Gulf Today
UAE announces new calendar for university academic year 2025-2026
Following the Education, Human Development and Community Development Council's approval, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MoHESR) has announced a new academic calendar structure to be implemented across all public and private higher education institutions (HEIs) for the academic year 2025-2026, reflecting a shared commitment to advancing the national education system. The new structure introduces key changes to end-of-term holidays to create a more flexible and consistent academic calendar across UAE-based HEIs. Aligned with the 'Year of Community' objectives, the structure aims to foster family cohesion and support students through a balanced distribution of study and break periods. Dr Abdulrahman Al Awar, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation and Acting Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, noted that the new academic calendar reflects the Ministry's commitment to creating an integrated university environment that meets student needs, enhances academic life and boosts student performance. Dr Al Awar added: "This step reflects our ongoing efforts to enhance the efficiency of the higher education system by aligning academic policies with community development goals and student needs. The changes mark a qualitative shift toward a more flexible, balanced system that supports students' well-being, community engagement and personal growth.' Under the new structure, the university academic year will start on 25 August 2025, with major holidays aligning with the school calendar. These include a four-week winter break from 8 December 2025 to 4 January 2026, with classes resuming on 5 January 2026, as well as a two-week spring break from 16 to 29 March 2026, with classes resuming on 30 March 2026. The academic year will end on 3 July 2025, offering a clearer and more balanced schedule that supports students' learning and wellbeing. All UAE-based higher education institutions must follow a unified academic year start and end date, with exceptions for international universities aligned with their home calendars. The mandate also allows flexibility in determining the start date of the academic year in line with the requirements of academic programs and specializations at higher education institutions, as well as flexibility in setting the end date of the academic year based on the timing of the summer semesters. While also allowing the flexibility to adjust the holiday dates by up to one week before or after the specified dates, provided the holiday duration remains unchanged. Adoption of the new academic calendar is a strategic move aligned with national efforts to advance higher education by offering a more flexible, high-quality experience that meets students' academic and personal needs. It reflects MoHESR's commitment to fostering an integrated learning environment that empowers students to reach their full potential, prepares them for the future and equips them to contribute to national development with the skills and creativity needed across vital fields. WAM

Economy ME
a day ago
- Economy ME
MBRU scientists publish first Arab Pangenome Reference in major genomic breakthrough
Scientists at the Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU), the academic and research arm of Dubai Health , have achieved a major milestone in global genomic science with the publication of the first Arab Pangenome Reference. Featured in Nature Communications , a leading peer-reviewed journal, the study marks a pivotal advancement in precision medicine and personalized healthcare for Arab populations. The landmark achievement supports the UAE's National Genome Strategy, a 10-year initiative launched in 2023 by the Emirates Genome Council. The strategy aims to transform healthcare in the UAE through cutting-edge genomic research focused on personalized, preventive, and precision medicine. The Arab Pangenome Reference was created using high-quality DNA sequencing from 53 individuals of diverse Arab heritage residing in the UAE. Conducted at MBRU's state-of-the-art Center for Applied and Translational Genomics (CATG), the research identified more than 110 million base pairs of novel DNA sequences. Additionally, it uncovered nearly 9 million small genetic variations and over 235,000 large structural differences unique to Arab populations — none of which had been previously reported in global DNA references. Read: Sheikh Hamdan awards golden visas to nurses with 15+ years of service at Dubai Health Leadership insights Professor Alawi Alsheikh-Ali , director general, Dubai Health Authority (DHA), and co-author of the study, said: 'This achievement strengthens the UAE's position in genomic science. By building a reference that reflects the genetic diversity of Arab populations, we are enabling more precise and equitable healthcare. It's a foundational step towards realising the goals of our National Genome Strategy and ensuring that future medical innovations are shaped by data from our own communities.' Dr. Hanan Al Suwaidi, acting Provost of MBRU, and co-author of the study said: 'The capabilities of the CATG lab were central to the success of this project. From genetic sequencing to advanced bioinformatics, every stage of the research was completed in-house. This level of integration gave us full control over quality and timelines, reflecting Dubai Health's commitment to building world-class infrastructure and fostering national scientific leaders.' Dr. Mohammed Uddin, director of CATG and associate professor of Genetics at MBRU, and senior author of the study, said: 'This pangenome reference marks a major advancement in our understanding of Arab genomic diversity. It serves as a critical resource for both research discovery and clinical genome diagnostics, with lasting impact for future generations across the region.' Professor Alawi Alsheikh-Ali, director general, Dubai Health Authority (DHA) Addressing gaps in global genomic databases Historically, global genomic databases have significantly underrepresented Arab populations, limiting the accuracy of genetic risk assessment and treatment strategies for these communities. The Arab Pangenome Reference fills a critical gap by introducing high-resolution genomic data from a population long absent in international references. One particularly notable finding from the study was the discovery of the duplicated gene TAF11L5, which is highly enriched among Arab individuals but missing in existing global genomic references. Researchers believe this gene could influence the regulation of other genes and may hold important insights into disease risk and variations in treatment response. Enabling precision healthcare in the Arab World The Arab Pangenome Reference provides a foundational tool for national and regional precision medicine initiatives. It enables the development of population-specific biomarkers, disease risk models, and targeted therapies — advancing the region's ability to deliver more accurate, personalized healthcare solutions. Alongside the genomic map, the research team also introduced a new bioinformatics tool called PanScan. Designed to support more complex analysis of human pangenomes, PanScan helps researchers detect gene duplications, novel DNA variants, and complex genomic structures. Though not the main focus of the study, the tool has been made freely available on GitHub, offering global researchers access to further investigate human genomic diversity. The strategy aims to transform healthcare in the UAE through cutting-edge genomic research focused on personalized, preventive, and precision medicine A strategic step toward global representation Genomic research has progressed rapidly in recent decades, but much of the foundational data has come from a limited range of populations, creating blind spots in medical understanding. The Arab Pangenome Reference contributes to a growing international effort to correct this imbalance and promote global inclusivity in genomic science. The initiative also reflects Dubai Health's long-term commitment to research and innovation through MBRU. By investing in foundational studies such as this, Dubai Health is ensuring that Arab populations are actively represented in the future of genomics and precision healthcare. This groundbreaking research not only elevates the UAE's position in global genomic science but also lays the groundwork for more equitable, effective, and personalized healthcare systems across the Arab World.

The National
a day ago
- The National
Settlers in ancient Abu Dhabi forced to abandon island home due to climate change, archaeologists reveal
Excavations on an Abu Dhabi island have revealed that Neolithic people were forced to abandon a cluster of stone buildings when the environment turned arid more than 8,000 years ago – only for the site to be reoccupied centuries later to support fishing activities. The work on Ghagha Island off the far west coast of the UAE also revealed unexpected cultural links between the emirate's Neolithic island communities. Dr Kevin Lidour, a research archaeologist in the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT), said that when the site was discovered as a mound in November 2023, expectations of what it might contain were not high. 'At that time the site was not expected to be really substantial; it was just a low mound visible on the landscape of the island. Obviously human made,' Dr Lidour said. 'We were not expecting necessarily to have a very ancient site at the beginning.' New insight into the past Named GHG0088, the site was excavated by three archaeologists and two assistants over a three-week period early last year. The findings have recently been published in PLOS One, a peer-reviewed academic journal. Despite appearing modest, it has, Dr Lidour said, 'significantly refined our understanding of the early Neolithic period in the Arabian Gulf, particularly in the UAE'. Dating back 8,400 years, it has the second set of stone-built structures discovered on Ghagha Island, highlighting the importance of Abu Dhabi's islands as Neolithic settlements. The island's first-described set of stone buildings, at the neighbouring site of GHG0014, revealed by the DCT in 2022, are thought to be houses and, being 8,500 years old, are the Gulf region's earliest known stone architecture. 'Both sites point to year-round habitation by fishing communities who used stone and shell tools but also produced plaster vessels – a distinctive cultural feature of Abu Dhabi's Neolithic period,' Dr Lidour said. What makes the more recently excavated GHG0088 site particularly noteworthy, Dr Lidour said, is a human grave located within a smaller chamber. This mirrors burial practices on Marawah Island, which lies further east off the Abu Dhabi coast, indicating cultural continuity between Abu Dhabi's islands during the Neolithic period. The newly revealed site on Ghagha Island showed evidence of several phases of occupation, something not seen at other locations, allowing archaeologists to build up a detailed picture of how Neolithic life evolved. Also known as the New Stone Age, the Neolithic lasted from about 6500 BC to 3300 BC in the UAE and surrounding areas and, in other locations, saw the development of farming and herding as a settled lifestyle developed. The people who created the stone buildings at GHG0088 and lived there first were a fishing community with a sedentary lifestyle and there is evidence of wider domestic activity on the site. Possibly only a single family lived at the site. Winds of change Early in the Neolithic, about 8,200 years ago, a severe cooling episode in the Northern Hemisphere caused various changes to weather patterns and ecosystems in other areas, including on Ghagha Island. Strong winds brought large amounts of sand into the stone structure, Dr Lidour said, there was less rainfall, and fewer plants and animals were available to eat. One of the study's authors, Dr Remy Crassard, of the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), said that the changes were reflected in the archaeological record, with thick sand deposits separating the two Neolithic phases of occupation, possibly indicating desertification. 'It's likely that changing coastal conditions – perhaps a drop in sea level or the desiccation of nearby lagoons – made the site temporarily uninhabitable,' he said. 'The abandonment lasted roughly 300 to 400 years. When people returned, the environment had shifted, and so had their way of life.' Beginning at around 5800 BC to 5400 BC, the second phase of occupation involved people living on top of a sand and stone mound formed from the collapse of the previous buildings, some stones from which were used to consolidate the mound. The people did not build stone walls, but probably used a mix of stone and plant fibres to create structures resembling the barasti or arish-style palm frond constructions traditional to the Gulf region. Communities from the same period on Marawah Island built more elaborate structures. During this second phase of occupation, communities lived from fishing, Dr Lidour said, with the site seemingly used as a 'logistic' station to support this. 'Maritime culture flourished, with marine shells used for adornment and items exchanged over long distances,' he added. Among the items exchanged were shells used as beads, including those from a species called Engina mendicaria, which is not found in the Arabian Gulf and instead lives in the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea at least 500km away. 'In prehistoric times, human populations were already highly mobile, particularly hunter-gatherer groups,' Dr Lidour said. 'Interactions between groups targeting similar resources were likely frequent, providing opportunities for various exchanges, including objects of prestige. 'These items could have held intrinsic or social value, reflecting the complex trade networks and cultural interactions.' Shells were collected from the shore and knapped – struck so that a piece breaks off to leave a sharp edge – and used for purposes such as cleaning animal skins, cutting plant fibres and preparing fish, which had probably been speared in shallow waters around the island. The artefacts on Ghagha Island from the second occupation have similarities to those from Marawah Island from the same time, Dr Lidour said, so by the sixth millennium BC 'a unified regional Neolithic culture' had emerged locally. As well as shells, stone arrowheads were discovered. In the 15th century, about 7,000 years after the second phase of occupation of GHG0088 ended, a third phase began during what is termed the Middle Islamic period. This probably involved another fishing community and was probably 'very brief', similar to the second phase of occupation, Dr Lidour said. 'A community of fishermen appears to have reoccupied the site and its surroundings,' he added. 'We have scatters of shells and Islamic pottery all across the coastal plateau. It was likely a single or multi-event, [possibly] seasonal occupation, focused on fishing and collecting sea snails.' These people may have been the ancestors of traditional tribes of the coastal Al Dhafra region, which forms the western part of Abu Dhabi emirate. There were probably, Dr Lidour said, only several visits over a few years during the 15th century. With excavation work at GHG0088 concluded, the site has been 'backfilled' to protect it, said another of the paper's authors, Noura Hamad Al Hameli, head of DCT's archaeological research unit for Al Dhafra and Abu Dhabi. Archaeologists have excavated another Ghagha Island site, GHG0063, which although it did not have stone buildings, contained artefacts similar to those found elsewhere on the island. Details of this site are set to be revealed soon. The latest results add to previously discovered archaeological finds in Abu Dhabi emirate, including 300,000-year-old stone tools from the Jebel Hafit area, an ancient monastery on Sir Bani Yas Island, a 3,000-year-old falaj irrigation system in Al Ain and, from about the same time and also in Al Ain, a fortress.