Ramadan is considered an auspicious period to travel to Mecca to perform the year-round umrah pilgrimage, which Saudi authorities suspended due to COVID-19, leaving the usually packed area around the sacred Kaaba empty. (AFP Photo)

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia, home to Islam's holiest shrines, has announced that the holy fasting month of Ramadan will start on Friday, as Muslims worldwide face unprecedented restrictions to counter COVID-19.