Working hours for public sector employees in the UAE will be 9am to 2pm during Ramadan, according to a statement issued by Hussain Al Hammadi, Minister of Education and Chairman of the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources.

Private sector companies are not required to follow the same timings but are expected to reduce working hours for employees.

The circular was issued as per Cabinet Decision No 13 of 2012 in implementation of Federal Law No 11 of 2008 and its amendments.

School hours will also be reduced across the country as Ramadan overlaps with the last days of the academic calendar.

The Minister of Justice has appointed a moon-sighting commission for Ramadan, to be chaired by Sultan Al Badi. The committee will meet after Maghrib prayer on Tuesday, 29 Sha’aban, at the Judiciary Department to detect the crescent moon. The decision called on all Sharia courts nationwide to look for the crescent moon and inform the other committees when it is discovered.

Ramadan is likely to begin on June 18, the Sharjah Planetarium predicted.

The start of the holy month for the Hijri year 1436 is likely to fall on Thursday, June 18, according to astronomical calculations of the planetarium.