To outsiders, the industrial district of Mussaffah can seem like a lost city of impenetrable byways and near identical warehouses, a short drive from the island of Abu Dhabi but in another world.
It is as far from the glitz and glam of the capital's shopping malls and five-star hotels as it is possible to imagine.
But while iftar may not be a lavish buffet in a luxury tent, at sunset the residents and workers of Mussaffah still look forward to breaking the fast.
Many of those who toil here do so in the open air and without the benefit of air-conditioned offices, in energy-sapping humidity and temperatures that regularly hit the mid 40s. But while such conditions may test their resolve and their faith, it makes the first sip of water or mouthful of food all the sweeter.
Many of Mussaffah's population of about 150,000 come from poor countries such as Bangladesh and Pakistan. Few earn more than a thousand or so dirhams a month, much of it sent home to support families they see perhaps once every two years.
In this environment, the local mosques become central to the community, nourishing not just the spirit but the appetites of men whose hunger is sharpened by nearly 15 hours without food or water.
Yet their faith does not waiver and in Mussaffah, the true spirit of Ramadan is to be found.
jlangton@thenational.ae
It's Monty Python's Crashing Rocket Circus
To the theme tune of the famous zany British comedy TV show, SpaceX has shown exactly what can go wrong when you try to land a rocket.
The two minute video posted on YouTube is a compilation of crashes and explosion as the company, created by billionaire Elon Musk, refined the technique of reusable space flight.
SpaceX is able to land its rockets on land once they have completed the first stage of their mission, and is able to resuse them multiple times - a first for space flight.
But as the video, How Not to Land an Orbital Rocket Booster, demonstrates, it was a case if you fail, try and try again.
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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