A Ramadan Umrah is planned months ahead on dates that are only confirmed on the eve. The most reliable guide to how that plays out is the season that has just ended. This page goes back over Ramadan 1447, which fell in February and March 20261, using only facts we could source, and says what each one changes for next Ramadan. It makes no forecast.
When did last Ramadan start in Saudi Arabia and in Morocco?
On two different days. Saudi Arabia's Supreme Court set 1 Ramadan 1447 on Wednesday 18 February 2026, contrary to astronomical forecasts1. In Morocco, Ramadan began on Thursday 19 February 2026, the day after the ministry's sighting of the crescent moon2.
| Saudi Arabia | Morocco | |
|---|---|---|
| Who decided | the Supreme Court1 | the Habous ministry, after the crescent sighting2 |
| 1 Ramadan 1447 | Wednesday 18 February 20261 | Thursday 19 February 20262 |
| Gap | — | Morocco 1 day later2 |
What it means next time. Two separate things can move. The Saudi date can differ from the calculated calendar, and Morocco can differ from Saudi Arabia. In 2026, Morocco began Ramadan 1 day after Saudi Arabia; the same gap in 2027 is not confirmed2.
For next Ramadan, the Umm al-Qura calendar puts 1 Ramadan 1448 on Monday 8 February 2027 (estimate, subject to moon sighting)10. Treat it the way last year suggests: good enough to book on, with a day of slack either side. The full comparison of the two countries is on our Ramadan dates page.
Morocco's own date will again be announced by the Habous ministry on the evening of 29 Shaban, after reports from its regional delegates and the Royal Armed Forces units taking part in the sighting11.
What did Morocco's Ramadan clock change?
It moved local time twice around the month. According to the Digital Transition Ministry, Morocco returned to legal time (GMT) on Sunday 15 February 2026 at 3:00, putting clocks back 60 minutes, then went back to GMT+1 on Sunday 22 March 2026 at 2:0014. The ministry's communique was dated 2 February 202614.
In other words, the clocks changed a few days before the first day of fasting, and the communique came out less than two weeks before the change. For anyone flying out of Morocco around those dates, the clock moved by an hour, which mattered for an early-morning departure or a ride to the airport.
What it means next time. That lesson is now history. Morocco returned permanently to GMT (UTC+0) on Sunday 20 September 2026, and the 2018 decree behind the Ramadan switch was repealed3. No clock change is planned for next Ramadan: a departure time from Morocco means the same thing on the day you book and on the day you fly. One check survives the reform: make sure an older phone, watch or alarm clock at home shows the new time.
Was demand concentrated at the end of the month?
On the ground in Saudi Arabia, yes, at least on the railway. During the last 10 days of Ramadan 2026, Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) raised Haramain train daily trips to more than 140, according to TradeArabia, citing SPA16.
That figure counts trips, not passengers, and it covers everyone using the line, not only pilgrims from Morocco. It does not tell us how full the trains were. What it does show is where the operator expected the pressure to be: in the last part of the month, not in the first.
What it means next time. If your trip includes the last nights of Ramadan, the journeys between Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah are part of the plan, not an afterthought. Our sister site's guide to the Haramain train and transfers explains how that leg works.
What do the first-quarter figures say?
They give the scale of the season, not a Moroccan figure. According to Siasat, citing GASTAT, 15,233,767 people performed Umrah in the first quarter of 2026, including 5,769,271 who came from abroad17.
Three cautions before anyone quotes these numbers as "Ramadan figures":
- The quarter is not the month. Ramadan 1447 fell inside that quarter, but the quarter also covers weeks before and after it1. The source gives no figure for Ramadan alone.
- Most of the total is not international. The figure from abroad is the smaller part of the total, according to Siasat, citing GASTAT17. The rest performed Umrah from inside the Kingdom.
- There is no breakdown by nationality in the figures we have, so nothing here says how many came from Morocco.
What it means next time. The scale is large, and the international share alone runs into the millions. Expect a busy month whatever part of it you choose. The Moroccan figures that do exist, each with its source and its limits, are gathered on our Ramadan Umrah statistics page.
What does all this mean for next Ramadan?
Put together, last season points to a simple way of working:
In order
- Book on the calculated calendar, but build in a day of slack at the start and at the end of the month.
- Expect Morocco and Saudi Arabia to announce separately, and tell any parent who travels that their first day of fasting may differ from the family's at home.
- Read every departure time from Morocco as GMT: there is no Ramadan clock change to wait for any more.
- If you want the last nights in Makkah, plan the ground travel inside Saudi Arabia as carefully as the flight.
- Fix your dates against the season's official calendar, which is set out on our season dates table.
Which calendar to follow for your own fast when you travel between two countries is a religious question. This site does not answer it: ask a trusted imam or scholar before you leave.
Not announced yet
- Whether the Saudi announcement will match the calculated date this time: last year it did not1.
- Whether Morocco will again start a day later: not confirmed for 20272.
- How many Moroccans performed Umrah last Ramadan: we found no published figure.
- Railway capacity for next Ramadan: the operator has not announced it.
What should you do next?
Start from the part of the month you want to spend in Makkah, then check how your arrival date sits against the season calendar. If you would like someone to go through your dates with you, the button below opens a conversation with the agency that publishes this site.