Ramadan

The sacred month of Islam marks the highest spiritual moment of the year in the United Arab Emirates

In the moment in which one comes to plan a stay in the United Arab Emirates, as in any other country which has a Muslim majority, it is a good idea to take account of the dates for the beginning and the end of Ramadan (which vary each year given that they depend on the phases of the Moon). During the sacred month of Ramadan, Muslims neither eat nor drink during the hours of daylight (therefore from dawn to dusk), thus concentrating their meals in the hours of darkness. Consequently, dinner often assumes considerable dimensions, as does the breakfast consumed before the sun rises.

Visitors are requested not to eat or drink in public places during daytime hours and, in effect, most restaurants are closed during the day, yet, in respect of religious liberty, hotels generally serve meals to their guests (usually in their rooms or in smaller internal rooms which are not visible from the exterior). Furthermore, the sale of alcoholic beverages is prohibited, although they are served in some of the Emirates after dusk.

In spite of these limitations, there are undoubted advantages in choosing to stay during this special period. One can, in effect, benefit from particularly discounted fares applied specifically to increase visitor numbers during the holy period. It is also worth underlining that, if during the daylight hours the atmosphere is very tranquil and silent, the streets liven up noticeably once the sun has gone down and acquire particular fascination and vitality. It is in just this special period that many musical and cinematographic shows take place.

Ramadan is, in effect, the most important period of the year in the Muslim religion and it represents one of the cornerstones of this faith. In as much that the sacrifice is demanding (complete fasting during daylight hours and sexual abstinence) one finds is the measure of the extent to which it encapsulates the deep meaning of the faith.

Ramadan 2009 is from 21 August to 19 September.