Ramadan entertainment is no longer the purview of television stars.
Some of the region’s biggest social media personalities and content creators have gotten into the Ramadan spirit through exclusive content to celebrate the holy month.
From lifestyle, comedies, health and cooking shows to specialised hashtags, stars and social media platforms have launched campaigns celebrating the virtues of Ramadan, while having some good natured fun along the way.
Here's a look at what’s on offer.
Comedies and cooking shows on YouTube
The small screen is not the only the place you can watch the latest comedy series. YouTube is home to fresh content featuring the next generation of comedic actors.
Egyptian dentist turned popular YouTuber Hadeel Marei stars in Mosalsal Kabasa, a scripted series playing a hapless call centre operator looking for fame.
Aiding her hijinks are best friends, played by Saudi social media stars Amy Roko and Noura Majed.
Iraqi fashionista Noor Stars takes the lead role in The Friends, a series produced in the style of a faux reality show and follows the adventures and conversations of five teens (including fellow YouTubers Banen Stars, Rand Dalati and Saqr) stuck at home.
From the latest beauty tips to Arabic slang, The Friends is full of witty insights into Arab youth culture today.
And for those amateur chefs looking to nail that iftar dish, check out Atyab Tabkha's channel, which is hosting two Ramadan cooking shows.
In Not So Clueless Anymore, aspiring chef Shatha will cook up simple Levant recipes, while We're Going Outside is for the more advanced cooks as chef Hassan whips up regional meals and deserts amid luscious outdoor greenery.
Subscribe to the relevant channels for notifications on all new episodes.
Quizzes and talk shows on TikTok
TikTok has rolled out a number of hashtags and live events focusing on various aspects of Ramadan, from the spiritual to the delectable.
For a bit of culinary trivia, click on #guessthedish. With more than 60 million views received in April, the hashtag quizzes you to name the meal in the photo within three seconds.
For tender moments of gratitude, head to #ramadanCheck to share and read reflections on what makes the holy month poignant.
And if you are looking for style tips for that iftar and suhoor outing, #ramadanstyle gathers the TikTok community as they share modest fashion choices suitable for the occasion.
TikTok will also host a number of star-studded live streams.
On Wednesday and Saturday at 5pm UAE time, click on #CookwithTheStars to see Egyptian actors Amir Karara, Hend Sabry, Nelly Karim and Hana Shiha create their favourite Ramadan treats.
While Ramadaniat Live Cooking will have star TikTok creators inviting us to their kitchens as they prepare iftar for their families. Check out the app's Discovery page for the broadcast schedule.
And for some late night entertainment, there's the talk show Aghla Min Al Dahab, that broadcasts nightly at 2am UAE time, for casual interviews with Arab celebrities and social media stars.
Ramadan camera effects, greeting and lectures on Facebook and Instagram
Both platforms, owned by Facebook, engaged popular Muslim creators to produce content for the holy month. Under the joint campaign #MonthofGood, Muslim personalities from the worlds of culture and finance share advice on maximising both spiritual and work opportunities during Ramadan.
Facebook Watch will also air lifestyle segments by Emirati personality Khalid Al Ameri and popular culinary channels The Food Rangers and Foodies and Spices will be a good stop to learn great Ramadan Levant recipes.
There is also the Live Suhoor Talks series with conversations on fasting, mental health and well-being.
Instagram has also brought back a series of filters for the season.
They include the popular AR Ramadan Lantern camera effects, which comes with Ramadan Kareem greetings in English, Arabic, Bahasa, Turkish and Farsi.
The platform also teamed with Bahraini artist Hala AlAbbasi for three seasonal stickers.
The first is an image of a mosque with crescent hanging above, the second is of tea and dates and the last visual is a crescent floating amid the stars.
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Read more:
28 of the best Ramadan TV shows to watch in the UAE
Ramadan 2021: The best playlists from Anghami, Spotify, Deezer and Apple Music
Ramadan 2021: 15 global celebrities who observe the holy month
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
Women’s World T20, Asia Qualifier
UAE results
Beat China by 16 runs
Lost to Thailand by 10 wickets
Beat Nepal by five runs
Beat Hong Kong by eight wickets
Beat Malaysia by 34 runs
Standings (P, W, l, NR, points)
1. Thailand 5 4 0 1 9
2. UAE 5 4 1 0 8
3. Nepal 5 2 1 2 6
4. Hong Kong 5 2 2 1 5
5. Malaysia 5 1 4 0 2
6. China 5 0 5 0 0
Final
Thailand v UAE, Monday, 7am
The 12 breakaway clubs
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
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Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
EPL's youngest
- Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
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HAJJAN
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The five pillars of Islam
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
CHELSEA SQUAD
Arrizabalaga, Bettinelli, Rudiger, Christensen, Silva, Chalobah, Sarr, Azpilicueta, James, Kenedy, Alonso, Jorginho, Kante, Kovacic, Saul, Barkley, Ziyech, Pulisic, Mount, Hudson-Odoi, Werner, Havertz, Lukaku.
Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
