Saudi astronomer says Ramadan 2017 begins and ends on a Saturday

Saudi astronomer Doctor Khalid Al-Zaaq said the holy month of Ramadan will begin on Saturday and end on a Saturday, adding that Ramadan will last for 29 days and include 4 Fridays.

Zaaq said via his Twitter account that the last third of Ramadan will have longer fasting hours noting that the longest fasting hours in the kingdom will be in Turaif and the shortest will be in Jazan as there will be around one and a quarter of an hour difference between them.

He added that temperature will be at its highest extreme heat values for 40 days beginning on the eighth day of Ramadan.

According to Zaaq, dawn prayers will be at their earliest time during the second third of Ramadan.

He added that the first people to break their fast in Saudi Arabia are those in south of the Rub' al Khali desert while the last people to break their fast are those in Haql, with around an hour and a half difference.

Ramadan this year and next year are considered to be during summer while in 1440, it will be in spring, he also said, adding that Ramadan this year and for the next 20 years will fall during the academic year.