Iftar is a daily celebration during Ramadan. Iftar or Fatoor means to break fast, therefore referring to the evening meal with which Muslims end their daily Ramadan fast, at sunset for approximately a month. The celebration starts with their evening prayer when the sun sets.
The first time I visited Dubai was during Christmas. I loved it so much I immediately decided to plan another visit. I was ecstatic for my second visit, especially because this time it was for much longer and a different time of the year. I wanted to experience Dubai at its hottest weather and during Ramadan celebrations.
Whilst doing my pre-trip research, I found it amazing how many people suggest avoid going during this time of year as life in Dubai is kind of at a standstill. However, I decided to bite the bullet and now I can share my experience with you all. Having thoroughly enjoyed my stay at a Jumeirah hotel before, choosing my hotel was a no-brainer. For my second visit, I decided to stay at the Jumeirah Mina A Salam Hotel. Hands down, one of my most marvellous experiences. The staff is so nice and helpful. The hotel itself is modelled on an Arabian palace, and the rooms were just fabulous.
What is Ramadan?
You might all be asking by now - what exactly is Ramadan? So, I'll briefly explain that first. Ramadan is a whole month during which Muslims commemorate the revelation of the Holy Qur’an. Ramadan falls a few days earlier each year as it takes place according to the Islamic calendar, which is based on lunar months.
Muslims abstain from any food, drinks and cigarettes during daylight hours. In fact, they have two daily meals during this month; Sahour (before sunrise) and then Iftar (after sunset).
A 3-day celebration public holiday called Eid Al Fitr marks the end of Ramadan. This is a huge celebration for Muslims and one of the major festivals.
Experiencing Ramadan
Researching beforehand, I had a better idea of what to expect. However, I was still a little sceptic as to what it could be like. Now that I've been through it, I can say without a doubt that it's a cultural experience not to be missed. By the end of the week, I was very pleasantly surprised at how the city manages to support, respect and integrate all the different religions and beliefs in one city.
Having landed in Dubai in the evening, life was exactly the same as it was the first time I was there. However, I was curious if it would change during the day when the majority of people (appr. 75%) in Dubai were fasting.
The next morning, the hotel life was still the same - Ramadan didn't make it beyond the lobby. However, going to the Madinat Souk, I saw restaurants and cafés covering the front of their shop with curtains so non-Muslims could still eat without being disrespectful to those fasting.
Apart from that, I didn’t see any major differences from the first time I was there, except for the Christmas decorations!
Attending an Iftar celebration
Attending an Iftar was a different experience but somewhat similar to festivities I’ve attended with my family during feasts like Christmas or Easter. What’s different during Iftar is that Ramadan is a daily celebration spanning across a whole month.
After attended three Iftar feasts, right away I can honestly say that each one of them was an amazing experience. The variety of food served was impressive, and all typically Arabian. The three places I attended Iftar were:
- Arboretum at Jumeirah al Qasr
- Desert adventure with Platinum Heritage
- Khaymat al Bahar at Jumeirah Al Qasr
Iftar would start with prayer. Then the fast is broken by having a few sips of water and eating some dates, which are full of natural sugars. Sugar travels quicker than any other nutrient to the liver, giving the person energy. Consuming dates also quenches some of the person’s hunger so there’s no excessive eating in a short period of time, thus avoiding indigestion.
In my opinion, Iftar dinners are all about the appetisers and salads. After not having eaten all day, one would be craving a few different flavours. So, I guess Iftar provides the perfect choice!
I was very happy with this setup, as, whenever attending buffet dinners, I’m always more of an appetisers kind of girl rather than the main course. I normally indulge in the lovely starters and that’s what I did during these celebrations. The dishes I enjoyed the most were the Arabic salads.
The Fattoush salad was probably my favourite one. It’s a simple salad of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, radish, watercress and mint. Then, topped with a dressing of garlic cloves, lemon juice, olive oil and salt and finished off with some sumac (dried powdered fruits) and toasted pita bread pieces on top.
My second favourite is the Tabbouleh. It has parsley, scallions (similar to spring onions), mint, tomatoes, bulgur and a dressing of lemon juice, olive oil and salt.
All the salads were very tasty and make you want to eat your greens. Apart from salads, there’s a variety of dips to choose from. My all-time favourite dip is hummus, a chickpeas dip. However, I discovered a new one on this trip; the Mutabbal dip. An eggplant and tahini based dip topped with pomegranate seeds.
As for the mains section, there are tonnes of chicken, beef and fish dishes with several different rice flavoured with different spices and vegetables. The main attraction is always lamb, cooked for around 24 hours. I’m not the biggest fan of lamb but I can assure you, this lamb was amazing and it fell off the bone.
A few typical Iftar drinks served are the Orangina, Tamer Hindi (Tamarind juice), Vimto, Jallab, Mint lemonade and Kharoub (Carob juice).
Something else looking attractive is the sweets section. During Iftar, there’s been a lot of typical Middle Eastern sweets. I had an overload of dates and different pastries filled with almonds and pistachios and rose water.
Arabian food is by far some of the most delicious food I've ever tasted. I've taken tonnes of pictures and found it really hard to decide what to leave out - apart from tasting amazing, it's incredibly well presented. One perfect example is the memorable afternoon tea at Al Fayrooz Lounge at the Jumeirah Mina Al Qasr. Everything was so delicious and they gave us so much food. Highly recommended and the service is impeccable!
Peoples' generosity is impressive In Dubai. One evening, coming back in a taxi from Deira, the old part of the city, we stopped at some lights. A lady approached our taxi and gave the driver some boxes. He handed me one and I thought she was selling something. But, to my surprise, the driver turned around and said it contains an Iftar (a meal to break the fast).
He was telling me that every day hundreds of volunteers stand on roads giving out these boxes all free of charge to drivers and their passengers when the sun is coming down so drivers don’t cause accidents when rushing to get to their Iftar.
In this box, there was a hand wipe, a bottle of water, some dates and a muffin. I thought this was such a great thing to do, especially because the city is trying to keep its people as safe as possible.
This was a trip of a lifetime and I would highly recommend all of you that aren't sure about visiting during Ramadan to explore this culture and taste the abundance of food that you can find during Ramadan. I hope I'll get the chance to visit Dubai again as apart from being an amazing place to see, the food is the best I've tasted. I would love to hear about any experiences you would like to share about Dubai and Ramadan and where else I could go next time I visit.
