Ramadan will begin on Monday, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE announced, with the Muslim holy fasting month taking place against a backdrop of devastating war in Gaza.

Saudi Arabia, which is home to Islam's holiest sites, said through its official SPA news agency on Sunday that the Supreme Court had announced "Monday, March 11, 2024, the beginning of the blessed month of Ramadan for this year".

The United Arab Emirates and Qatar also announced the start date for Ramadan through their own official news outlets after the sighting of the crescent moon. 

Earlier, Iran had set the beginning of Ramadan for Tuesday after its "Estehlal" or moon observation office said it had not been possible to observe "the crescent of Ramadan".