You can feel Ramadan in the UAE almost before it starts. Supermarkets fill up with dates and laban, offices send round their shorter working hours, and everyone starts asking whose house the first iftar will be at. Once it begins, afternoons go quiet, the roads get busy just before sunset and the evenings carry on much later than usual.
For Muslims, it’s a month of fasting and prayer. For everyone living here, it’s a change of rhythm for the month. If it’s your first Ramadan in the country, you don’t need a rulebook, just a sense of what the month means to the people around you.
What Is Ramadan?
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and Muslims believe it’s the month in which the Quran was first revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). That’s why it’s known as the month of the Quran, not just the month of fasting. Many people read more of it during these weeks, and some aim to finish the whole book before Eid.
Because the Islamic calendar follows the moon, Ramadan starts about 10 to 11 days earlier each year and lasts 29 or 30 days. The start is confirmed in the UAE after the crescent moon is sighted, so treat any predicted dates as estimates when you’re booking leave or travel.
Why Do Muslims Fast?
Fasting in Ramadan, known as Sawm, is one of the five pillars of Islam. From dawn to sunset, Muslims who are fasting don’t eat or drink, and they also try harder to avoid arguing, gossiping and losing their temper.
Fasting teaches self-discipline and gratitude, and it’s a daily reminder of what life is like for people who go without all year. For a lot of people, the hard part isn’t skipping lunch.
Who Doesn’t Have to Fast?
Islam doesn’t expect everyone to fast in every situation. Young children don’t have to, and neither do people who are ill or travelling. Older people who can’t manage it are excused too, as are pregnant or breastfeeding women when fasting could affect their health or the baby’s. Anyone unsure about their own situation should speak to a doctor or someone with religious knowledge.
This is worth remembering at work and in social settings too. If you see a Muslim colleague eating during the day, there may well be a reason you don’t know about, and it’s not something to comment on.
A Day in Ramadan
Suhoor
Suhoor is the meal eaten before dawn, just before the fast begins. There’s no set menu. Some families sit down to eggs, bread and yoghurt, others eat last night’s leftovers, and plenty of people just have oats and a lot of water. The idea is to eat something that gets you through the day without leaving you thirsty by mid-morning.
Iftar
Iftar breaks the fast at sunset, traditionally with dates and water, and many families pray Maghrib before sitting down to the main meal. In Emirati homes that might mean harees, thareed or machboos, but tables across the UAE look very different. A family from Cairo, one from Karachi and one from Abu Dhabi can all be breaking the same fast over completely different dinners. If you’d rather not cook, have a look at our picks for the best iftar restaurants in the UAE, or the food delivery apps that come in handy on busy evenings.
Taraweeh & Night Prayers
After Isha, the last prayer of the day, many Muslims go to the mosque for Taraweeh, the extra night prayers held during Ramadan. Mosques get noticeably busier in the evenings, and even more so towards the end of the month.
The Last Ten Nights & Laylat Al Qadr
The last ten nights of Ramadan carry the most weight. Laylat Al Qadr, the Night of Decree or Night of Power, falls within them, and Muslims believe it’s the night the revelation of the Quran began. Nobody knows the exact date, so many people spend more time praying and reading the Quran across all ten nights, especially the odd-numbered ones. Many communities place special emphasis on the 27th night, though the exact date isn’t known for certain.
Charity & Giving
Ramadan is when a lot of people do most of their giving for the year. Zakat is the obligatory charity for Muslims who meet certain conditions, while Sadaqah covers any voluntary giving, from donating money to making sure someone gets a meal. You’ll see iftar tents, meal boxes handed out on the roads at sunset and food drives all over the country.
If you want to donate or raise money, go through an authorised charity. Fundraising is regulated in the UAE, and collecting donations informally isn’t allowed. Giving doesn’t have to be about money, either. Sending a plate to a neighbour counts, and so does inviting a colleague to iftar when their family is back home.
Ramadan Traditions in the UAE
Hagg Al Laila
In the middle of Sha’ban, the month before Ramadan, Emirati children put on traditional clothes and go from house to house singing, collecting sweets and nuts in cloth bags. At first glance it looks a bit like trick-or-treating, but it’s an old Gulf tradition about generosity and neighbours, and a lovely way for kids to get excited about the month ahead.
The Iftar Cannon
Every evening at sunset, cannons are fired at set locations across the UAE to mark iftar. Nobody needs a cannon to tell the time anymore, but families still turn up to watch, and kids tend to remember it long after Ramadan is over.
Family Iftars & Late Evenings
In the first week, families usually settle who’s hosting which iftar. Grandparents, cousins and kids pile into one home, and in many families the hosting moves around through the month. After iftar, people visit relatives or sit in the majlis until late, and malls stay busy well past their usual hours.
Ramadan Etiquette for Non-Muslims
You don’t have to be Muslim to take part in Ramadan here, and nobody expects you to fast. Most of it comes down to small things, like where you eat and when you book meetings.
Eating & Drinking in Public
Non-Muslims can eat and drink during the day, and restaurants and food courts stay open, with some places offering screened-off dining areas during fasting hours. Use your judgement at work, though. A glass of water at your desk is fine, but eating a full takeaway right next to a fasting colleague isn’t very thoughtful.
What to Wear
There’s no special Ramadan dress code for everyday life, but modest clothing is a sensible choice in public, especially at Ramadan events. Mosques have their own rules. At the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, women need loose clothing to the ankles, sleeves to the wrists and a headscarf, and men need their legs covered, according to the mosque’s visitor guidelines. For outfit ideas, see our guide to Ramadan and Eid outfits in the UAE. If you’re planning a mosque visit, take a look at our list of mosques to visit during Ramadan.
At Work
Working hours in the private sector are cut by two hours a day during Ramadan under UAE labour law. It applies to Muslim and non-Muslim employees alike, with no cut in pay, according to the UAE government’s Ramadan page. Government offices announce their own timings each year. It also helps to avoid booking a long meeting just before iftar, when everyone’s trying to get home.
If You’re Invited to Iftar
Say yes if you can, because it’s one of the easiest ways to understand the month. Ask what time to arrive, try not to turn up after everyone has already broken the fast and follow your host’s lead. You don’t need to bring much, and a box of dates or sweets is plenty. However hungry you are, wait for the call to prayer before you start eating.
Ramadan Greetings
You’ll hear “Ramadan Kareem” and “Ramadan Mubarak” everywhere, and both wish the other person a blessed Ramadan. Don’t worry about getting the pronunciation perfect, since people appreciate the effort.
Restaurants, Malls & Getting Around
The UAE doesn’t shut down during the day in Ramadan. Restaurants, malls, supermarkets and attractions stay open, though some change their hours, so check before you go. Iftar tables at popular restaurants book up quickly, especially at weekends.
The roads get busy in the hour before sunset as everyone heads home, and taxis and ride-hailing cars can be hard to find right at iftar, when many drivers are stopping to break their own fast. If you’ve got an iftar booking, set off early rather than aiming to arrive on the dot.
Ramadan With Children
Young children aren’t required to fast, though some families let older kids try a half-day fast as they get used to it. Schools usually shorten their hours during the month. At home, kids learn about Ramadan by joining in, whether that’s laying the iftar table or staying up a bit later because the cousins are still over.
Ramadan Shopping & Offers
Ramadan is a big shopping month, from groceries and dates to home decor and Eid gifts. A sale only saves you money if it’s on something you were going to buy anyway, so start with your list. For ideas, our posts on Ramadan home decoration and Ramadan and Eid gifts are worth a browse, and the Ramadan offers page lists current codes and deals across UAE stores.
When Ramadan Ends: Eid Al Fitr
Ramadan ends when the new moon of Shawwal is sighted, and Eid Al Fitr begins. The last few days pull in two directions at once, with people making the most of the final nights of worship while also sorting out Eid clothes, gifts and family plans. Kids, meanwhile, mostly want to know how many sleeps are left until Eid.
Ramadan UAE FAQs
It starts once the crescent moon is sighted and confirmed. The Gregorian date moves about 10 to 11 days earlier each year.
No. Non-Muslims aren’t required to fast, and restaurants and food courts stay open during the day.
Young children, people who are ill and travellers don’t have to fast. Older people who can’t manage it, and pregnant or breastfeeding women whose health could be affected, may be exempt too. Individual situations are best discussed with a doctor or a religious scholar.
Yes. Private-sector working hours are cut by two hours a day for Muslim and non-Muslim employees, without a cut in pay. Government offices announce their own hours.
Modest clothing is a sensible choice in public. Mosques have stricter rules, so check the visitor guidelines before you go.
“Ramadan Kareem” or “Ramadan Mubarak”. Both are widely used and wish the person a blessed Ramadan.
