Deep in the Saudi Arabian desert, a group of robed men are peering into the sky, trying to spot the crescent moon that signifies the start of Ramadan.

Their work is significant: an official sighting of the moon begins a month of fasting and prayer for millions of Muslims in Saudi Arabia, the home of Islam's holiest sites, and beyond.

"I feel a great responsibility, before God above all... and I seek success because the matter is related to the fasting of all Muslims," said Abdullah al-Khudairi, director of the Majmaah University Astronomical Observatory.

After much squinting, and using a large yellow triangle and protractor to work out where the moon will appear, the anxiety lifts: the moon is sighted, just after sunset.

"The........

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