Ramadan is a very special time for Muslims as they commemorate the revelation of their holy book – Quran.
One of the most prominent aspects of Ramadan is the fast, as Muslims practice strict fasting during the day (no eating, drinking or smoking; some very traditional people will not swallow their own spit!). At the su
nset, they break the fast with Iftar (a meal that usually starts with dates and water and continues with feast of various yummy dishes). While it is religious by its nature, Ramadan is also very important socially as families and friends gather to break the fast together and continue socialising till early hours of next day. Most of the people prepare home made meals, however restaurants also offer special Iftar buffets, which are also popular with Muslim and non-Muslims alike.
Needless to say, working normally while fasting is a challenge, so by law, during Ramadan the working hours are shortened by 2 hours. The rule is sporadically enforced, and the most of the companies allow only their Muslim workers to leave early. In general, business is slower during Ramadan (similar to Christmas and the New Year period in the Western world).
Non-Muslims are not expected to fast, however the UAE law forbids ANY drinking, eating and smoking in public during daytime in the month of Ramadan. That effectively means that the cafes and restaurants are closed during day and open only after sun sets. However all the hotels will have at least one restaurant open thoughout the day to cater for non-Muslims. Also most of the smaller restaurants and fast food places are open for take-out or delivery during the day. No alcohol is served during Ramadan (this includes hotels. bars, clubs etc).
This year the Ramadan is expected to start on Aug 22nd and will end around Sept 20th when a 3 day public holiday of Eid starts. Try to enjoy this special time with your Muslim friends!
Ramadan Kareem!
One of those things is proper public transportation. The reason I emphasize proper as some sort of public transportation exists for a while back. Those were mostly buses with irregular service and most importantly very limited and short lines. So to get from Media City (where loads of people work) to Al Qusais (where loads of people live, mostly because of affordable rents) you had to take minimum 3 buses!!! Needless to say, most people choose other methods of transporting themselves from home to work and back (their own cars or taxis if they could afford or alternatively private buses (that drive you directly directly to work in the morning and back home after work ) or car pooling with friends or even strangers ).
pharmacies, laundry, not to mention expected things like flowers and fast food places. And if they happen not to deliver directly, they will courier things to you (e.g. credit cards, cheque books, insurance papers). One of the best examples is that Indian embassy actually delivers your passport back to you once your visa had been issued so you do not have to go there to collect the passport!