As the cannon fires at sunset near Qasr Al Hosn, a deep echo ripples across Abu Dhabi’s skyline. For a moment, the city stills. Then, with the maghrib call to prayer, thousands of fasts are broken in unison – for some with water and dates.
This is the first Ramadan I have spent in the UAE, and over the past few weeks I have found comfort and calm during these dusk hours. It is also the first time I have attended an iftar and suhoor.
“Oh Allah, we thank you for the blessings you have given us. May we always be grateful and generous in sharing with others” read the dua for gratitude printed beautifully on a sheet of crisp white card that the host of my first iftar had kindly printed for non-Arabic speaking guests. A small gesture with great impact that to me signalled inclusivity, kindness, compassion, and community – allowing an outsider to be welcomed into tradition.
Before moving to the UAE, I spent more than 15 years living and working as a journalist in Singapore. It is a multicultural society, where about 15 per cent of the population is Muslim, but it is not common for non-Muslims to be invited for iftar.
The Chinese Lunar New Year, from my experience, would be the equivalent. Networking lunches with corporate contacts, colleagues, friends and family are booked throughout the two-week period; oranges are exchanged and yusheng, a customary prosperity salad, is tossed to welcome abundance in the year ahead.
Attending my first iftar, I had no idea what to wear or do. A friend from Singapore now living in Abu Dhabi kindly lent me the most beautiful abaya and told me to “relax”. Later, I prepared to attend my first suhoor at 10pm. Hosted at Park Hyatt on Saadiyat island, the outdoor venue glowed, live music played and, despite it being a corporate invitation, conversation flowed and new connections were made. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect – the invitation had stated “until 11.30pm”, but at midnight I was one of the first to retire for the evening.
Over the past two weeks I’ve experienced corporate iftars, company events and more intimate iftars with friends. The venues have varied from outdoor buffets, to hotel restaurants, to more personal settings. From this experience, I understand that the act of breaking fast in the capital is not just about food – it is a powerful expression of national togetherness.
This year, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque has provided more than 35,000 iftar meals daily during Ramadan, distributing them free of charge. Through collaborations, a further 45,000 iftar meals are being distributed daily. That is 80,000 meals a day.
Beyond this, throughout Ramadan, my inbox has been inundated with press releases about similar enterprises being rolled out across the country.
For example, the International Charity Organisation launched a series of initiatives to support 60,000 orphans in the UAE and abroad during Ramadan. And, in Sharjah, the emirate is aiming to distribute 900,000 iftar meals throughout the holy month for its Iftar Saem-Fasting Meal initiative.
These aren’t just acts of benevolence. They’re rituals of belonging. The UAE, home to more than 200 nationalities, has become a tapestry of cultures, stitched together with mutual respect and shared tradition.
The iftar table reflects this beautifully – an experience I wanted to share with my young children. As we attended an iftar as a family, we enjoyed Emirati machboos, Indian samosas, Moroccan harira, Filipino lumpia and Levantine fattoush, served side by side.
When I planned this piece, I envisioned it would be a review of the different iftars and suhoors I had attended. And, while the setting changed from night to night, from majlis tents to high-rise apartments, a greater realisation manifested that, regardless of venue, the intention remains the same: to gather, to share, to give thanks.
In this fast-changing world, such values are a beacon. The UAE reminds us that community is not just something we inherit, it’s something we actively create, one iftar at a time.
Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
Penguin Press
MATCH INFO
Burnley 1 (Brady 89')
Manchester City 4 (Jesus 24', 50', Rodri 68', Mahrez 87')
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
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
The five pillars of Islam
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
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Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE DETAILS
Director: Milan Jhaveri
Producer: Emmay Entertainment and T-Series
Cast: John Abraham, Manoj Bajpayee
Rating: 2/5
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%3Cp%3E%0D%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E6-cylinder%2C%204.8-litre%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E5-speed%20automatic%20and%20manual%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E280%20brake%20horsepower%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E451Nm%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efrom%20Dh153%2C00%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
The BIO:
He became the first Emirati to climb Mount Everest in 2011, from the south section in Nepal
He ascended Mount Everest the next year from the more treacherous north Tibetan side
By 2015, he had completed the Explorers Grand Slam
Last year, he conquered K2, the world’s second-highest mountain located on the Pakistan-Chinese border
He carries dried camel meat, dried dates and a wheat mixture for the final summit push
His new goal is to climb 14 peaks that are more than 8,000 metres above sea level
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
The five pillars of Islam
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Race card:
6.30pm: Maiden; Dh165,000; 2,000m
7.05pm: Handicap; Dh165,000; 2,200m
7.40pm: Conditions; Dh240,000; 1,600m
8.15pm: Handicap; Dh190,000; 2,000m
8.50pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed; Dh265,000; 1,200m
9.25pm: Handicap; Dh170,000; 1,600m
10pm: Handicap; Dh190,000; 1,400m
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
The years Ramadan fell in May
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
