Ramadan is due to begin on Monday in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE and Yemen, religious authorities in the four Muslim countries said.
The announcement was made on Sunday after the sighting of the crescent moon.
Other Muslim countries in the Middle East and North Africa are expected to begin observing Ramadan on Monday or Tuesday.
In Pakistan, the central and zonal Ruet-e-Hilal committees will convene on Monday to sight the crescent. During Ramadan, Muslims abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and having sex from dawn to dusk. They break the fast with a meal known as iftar and before dawn they have a second opportunity to eat and drink during sehr.
