Ramadan is a Muslim religious observance that takes place during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.
This year, Ramadan is due to fall in September starting on or around Tuesday 2 September and will last for one month. The exact timing of Ramadan will be announced around 24-48 hours beforehand, after the sighting of the moon.
We have outlined below a list of guidelines that aim to assist westerners living in or moving to the UAE region:
• No eating or drinking in public. This includes chewing gum and also includes whilst you are in your car.
• No smoking in public.
• Dress appropriately. It is expected that women cover up more during Ramadan and should therefore avoid wearing sleeveless tops/short skirts etc.
• Working hours for Muslims and those who are fasting are reduced from 9am to 3pm.
• If you are driving near a mosque you should not have music playing loudly, especially during the hours of prayer.
• Most bars will continue to operate during Ramadan, however live music is not permitted and you may find that some clubs will be closed for the entire month.
• Parties at home with music and alcohol are frowned upon during Ramadan therefore extra caution should be taken if you are entertaining.
• Food outlets in major business centres such as the Dubai International Finance Centre (DIFC) will be open however they will be screened off from view allowing you to eat/drink behind the screens.
• Business centres such as DIFC will announce what procedures should be followed for eating/drinking in the business centre before Ramadan commences.
• Food outlets in shopping malls will be closed during the day.
• It is important to know that a higher percentage of accidents occur on the roads during Ramadan as drivers are anxious to get home to be with their families and break the fast.
Ramadan is an excellent time for you to truly experience the culture of the Middle East. It is a great time for you to try an Iftar buffet, which is the meal served at sundown when the fast is broken. Most of the large hotels will have Iftar tents set up for the month and there will also be one located in the DIFC.
