More than a billion Muslims will begin fasting during daylight hours when Ramadan begins next week.
The holy month starts about two weeks earlier each year and, for half the world, it will this year move away from the longer, hotter days of summer towards the shorter, cooler winter.
Ramadan will begin on or about March 11, with fasting hours varying across different countries. The range for this year is expected to be between 12 hours and more than 17 hours.
So, which countries, especially in the Arab and Muslim world, will have the most daylight hours and which nations will have the shortest fast?
Shortest Ramadan fast in 2024
This year, Muslims in Chile will face the shortest fasting hours during Ramadan with an average of 12 hours and 44 minutes.
Being in the southern hemisphere, New Zealand, Argentina and South Africa are also looking at a shorter fasting period, between 12 and 13 hours a day during the month.
Longest Ramadan fast in 2024
Muslims in Finland, Greenland and Iceland will have the longest fasting hours this year.
They are expected to endure an average of 17 hours a day of fasting during the holy month.
How can you fast for Ramadan when it never gets dark?
While there is no place expecting a midnight sun this Ramadan, Muslims in countries with exceptionally long daytimes during the holy month cannot actually adhere to a fast of more than 20 hours.
Fasting in countries further from the equator tends to be longer, as the duration of daylight varies depending on the season.
So, what do they do?
In countries where the sunset and sunrise are less than three hours apart, fatwas have been declared to allow residents to follow the schedule of other cities. Many, for example, will follow the fasting times of Makkah in Saudi Arabia.
This year, Saudi Arabia and much of the Middle East will be fasting for about 13.5 hours to 14 hours a day.
Tunisians will experience the longest fast day of Ramadan at 14 hours and 29 minutes.
Shortest to longest fasting times for Ramadan in the Arab world
Tunisia: Shortest day – 13 hours and 17 minutes, longest day – 14 hours and 29 minutes
Algeria: Shortest day – 13 hours and 14 minutes, longest day – 14 hours and 27 minutes
Libya: Shortest day – 13 hours and 18 minutes, longest day – 14 hours and 20 minutes
Morocco: Shortest day – 13 hours and 12 minutes, longest day – 14 hours and 12 minutes
Egypt: Shortest day – 13 hours and 17 minutes, longest day – 14 hours and 34 minutes
Iraq: Shortest day – 13 hours and 13 minutes, longest day – 14 hours and 18 minutes
Bahrain: Shortest day – 13 hours and 13 minutes, longest day – 14 hours
UAE: Shortest day – 13 hours and 12 minutes, longest day – 13 hours and 57 minutes
Saudi Arabia: Shortest day – 13 hours and 13 minutes, longest day – 13 hours and 56 minutes
Oman: Shortest day – 13 hours and 13 minutes, longest day – 13 hours and 54 minutes
Kuwait: Shortest day – 13 hours and 14 minutes, longest day – 14 hours and 8 minutes
Lebanon: Shortest day – 13 hours and 12 minutes, longest day - 14 hours and 17 minutes
Jordan: Shortest day – 13 hours and 12 minutes, longest day – 14 hours and 15 minutes
Palestine: Shortest day – 13 hours and 10 minutes, longest day – 14 hours and 11 minutes
Syria: Shortest day – 13 hours and 13 minutes, longest day – 14 hours and 19 minutes
Qatar: Shortest day – 13 hours and 13 minutes, longest day – 13 hours and 59 minutes
Mauritania: Shortest day – 13 hours and 10 minutes, longest day – 13 hours and 42 minutes
Sudan: Shortest day – 13 hours and 16 minutes, longest day – 13 hours and 43 minutes
Yemen: Shortest day – 13 hours and 13 minutes, longest day – 13 hours and 39 minutes
Somalia: Shortest day – 13 hours and 15 minutes, longest day – 13 hours and 18 minutes
Djibouti: Shortest day – 13 hours and 11 minutes, longest day – 13 hours and 31 minutes
Comoros: Shortest day – 13 hours and 18 minutes, longest day – 13 hours and 23 minutes
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
South Africa v India schedule
Tests: 1st Test Jan 5-9, Cape Town; 2nd Test Jan 13-17, Centurion; 3rd Test Jan 24-28, Johannesburg
ODIs: 1st ODI Feb 1, Durban; 2nd ODI Feb 4, Centurion; 3rd ODI Feb 7, Cape Town; 4th ODI Feb 10, Johannesburg; 5th ODI Feb 13, Port Elizabeth; 6th ODI Feb 16, Centurion
T20Is: 1st T20I Feb 18, Johannesburg; 2nd T20I Feb 21, Centurion; 3rd T20I Feb 24, Cape Town
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The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The advice provided in our columns does not constitute legal advice and is provided for information only. Readers are encouraged to seek independent legal advice.
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Favourite car: Ferrari
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Best movie: Avatar
Academic qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in media production from the Higher Colleges of Technology and diploma in production from the New York Film Academy
Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
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The language of diplomacy in 1853
Treaty of Peace in Perpetuity Agreed Upon by the Chiefs of the Arabian Coast on Behalf of Themselves, Their Heirs and Successors Under the Mediation of the Resident of the Persian Gulf, 1853
(This treaty gave the region the name “Trucial States”.)
We, whose seals are hereunto affixed, Sheikh Sultan bin Suggar, Chief of Rassool-Kheimah, Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon, Chief of Aboo Dhebbee, Sheikh Saeed bin Buyte, Chief of Debay, Sheikh Hamid bin Rashed, Chief of Ejman, Sheikh Abdoola bin Rashed, Chief of Umm-ool-Keiweyn, having experienced for a series of years the benefits and advantages resulting from a maritime truce contracted amongst ourselves under the mediation of the Resident in the Persian Gulf and renewed from time to time up to the present period, and being fully impressed, therefore, with a sense of evil consequence formerly arising, from the prosecution of our feuds at sea, whereby our subjects and dependants were prevented from carrying on the pearl fishery in security, and were exposed to interruption and molestation when passing on their lawful occasions, accordingly, we, as aforesaid have determined, for ourselves, our heirs and successors, to conclude together a lasting and inviolable peace from this time forth in perpetuity.
Taken from Britain and Saudi Arabia, 1925-1939: the Imperial Oasis, by Clive Leatherdale
Gifts exchanged
- King Charles - replica of President Eisenhower Sword
- Queen Camilla - Tiffany & Co vintage 18-carat gold, diamond and ruby flower brooch
- Donald Trump - hand-bound leather book with Declaration of Independence
- Melania Trump - personalised Anya Hindmarch handbag
HOW TO WATCH
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FIRST TEST SCORES
England 458
South Africa 361 & 119 (36.4 overs)
England won by 211 runs and lead series 1-0
Player of the match: Moeen Ali (England)
