Ramadan 2012

The Holy Month of Ramadan

With the sighting of the crescent of the new moon, the Holy Month of Ramadan is expected to start on the 20 July 2012. The Duration of Ramadan is a maximum of 30 days.

The Holy Month of Ramadan is when Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset.  Eating, drinking and smoking in public areas during daylight hours is strictly prohibited with exceptions permitted only for small children and expecting mothers. No food or beverages will be served in any open restaurants during daylight hours.

All Arabian Adventures’ featured hotels in Dubai make concessions for their clients with at least one restaurant open during the day for resident guests. Alcohol will however not be served in restaurants during this time and is served in restaurants and bars after sunset for non-Muslims. In each hotel, only one bar is permitted to serve alcohol to guests between 8.00pm to 2.00am. Live entertainment, loud music and dancing are prohibited during this period.

Other emirates and countries may not have alcohol available at all during Ramadan and if alcohol is served at the hotels, there will be only 1 bar offering a limited service during the evening, screened off from public view. No alcohol is served at all times in the emirate of Sharjah - even outside of Ramadan. Ramadan restrictions vary from area to area with greater restrictions being found outside of Dubai.  Not all hotels have the same restrictions in place with regards to the service of alcohol and food. The above information therefore should be treated as a guide only.

Sunset marks the start of ‘Iftar’, which is the breaking of the fast. This begins with a traditional meal of dates, dry fruits and fresh juices, followed by a lavish feast of grilled meats, flavoured rice and other typical Arab fare including sweetmeats.

Most businesses and shops are open only for a few hours in the morning and re-open after sunset until well after midnight, making shopping during Ramadan even more interesting!

A more conservative dress code should be adhered to during the month of Ramadan, especially when travelling outside of the hotels and resorts. Swim wear and such items as strapless tops and sleeveless dresses should not be worn in public places. Likewise full length trousers and short sleeve shirts should be worn rather than shorts and vest style tops.

Please be informed of the changes in the scheduled excursions during the holy month of Ramadan as shown below

 Note that the Dubai city tour will operate as per the below schedule irrespective of the ‘Ramadan commencement date’ which will be announced later based on the sighting of the moon.

Tours affected due to the holy month of Ramadan