I'm sitting in the middle of a bustling food court enjoying my last lunch in public before the holy month of Ramadan begins tomorrow. In less than 24 hours time, this food court and others like it in the Middle East will be closed during the daytime.
This may sound like a month of doom and gloom for non-Muslims and Westerners like me living in the Middle East. But, it's not all negative, far from it. Ramadan is often misinterpreted when viewed from abroad. Urban myths and tales of drastic restrictions give it a skewed image. Many people would be surprised that it's actually a festive and truly different month for people whether Muslim or not.
The first noticeable difference is that everyone's schedule changes. Work hours are reduced so that employees can leave home several hours earlier in order to rest, spend time with their family and attend or Iftar (dinner served after sunset when the daily fast ends - delayed by 2 min for Burj Khalifa skyscraper residents).
Iftar's are big business these days. Most companies, social clubs, groups of friends and neighbours will regularly organise Iftar dinners. Hotels and restaurants make up for the loss of business during daylight hours by hosting Iftars and decorating their venues for the occasion and creating special festive menus. Certain people even hire air-conditioned tents to put in their gardens/streets (see picture) to host large lavish Iftar parties. Iftars are a bit like a work Christmas party where the mood is joyous; people are more relaxed, friendly and caring.
Shops and shopping malls also benefit from Ramadan. They are eerily quiet during the daytime with certain shops closed, no music being played and rarely a person in sight. But after sunset, they are bursting to the seams with activity and often close at 1-2am. These retail outlets make the most of the festive period by decorating their stores with hanging stars and lanterns (for the Eid break) and offering special Ramadan promotions ranging from food platters to party supplies and more recently large flat screen TVís and Apple Ipadís.
The media also sees a surge in audience with newspapers facing their highest month of readership in countries such as Saudi Arabia. TV viewing figures also peak dramatically in countries like: Qatar, the UAE, Egypt and Lebanon. Famous Arabic soap operas will broadcast episodes specifically written for Ramadan which are even more dramatic, passionate and addictive than during the rest of the year. Many other businesses and industries do very well during Ramadan.
One would think many Muslims would find Ramadan hard especially fasting, but many I spoke to actually enjoy the challenge and rewards. I remember speaking to a former colleague who was so excited when Ramadan was officially announced that he immediately sent an email to the office congratulating and wishing everyone 'Ramadan Kareem' (Happy Ramadan). Another colleague I spoke to, told me she was happy to change her daily routine, fast and to spend more time enjoying life than the usual rat race. She did say that fasting will be tougher this year as the outside temperatures average 45c in most parts of the Gulf during the day and that the daylight hours are longer at the start of this yearís Ramadan. The trend will continue as Ramadan starts 10 days earlier every year, inching ever closer to the summer solstice.
Many Gulf nationals, take their holidays before Ramadan and return often from a month-long break in cooler places like London or the Swiss Alps just in time for the start of Ramadan. 'I canít miss all the social events, seeing old colleagues, friends and family and relaxing' my bank manager told me. One can also witness a sense of community and a temporary breakdown of class/race as people are more respectful towards each other in these normally class/race divided countries. The majority of Mosques hoist tents in their car parks which will serve free Iftar and Suhoor (prior to sunrise) meals often to south Asian labourers. Many public places will have donation boxes and stands to encourage people to donate money to good causes.
The holy month will end when the Eid holiday is announced which coincides when the new moon appears 30 days or so after the start of Ramadan. This is another festive occasion a bit like Christmas day where people exchange gifts and other celebrations occur before life goes back to normal for another 11 months until the next Ramadan begins.
This may sound like a month of doom and gloom for non-Muslims and Westerners like me living in the Middle East. But, it's not all negative, far from it. Ramadan is often misinterpreted when viewed from abroad. Urban myths and tales of drastic restrictions give it a skewed image. Many people would be surprised that it's actually a festive and truly different month for people whether Muslim or not.
Iftar's are big business these days. Most companies, social clubs, groups of friends and neighbours will regularly organise Iftar dinners. Hotels and restaurants make up for the loss of business during daylight hours by hosting Iftars and decorating their venues for the occasion and creating special festive menus. Certain people even hire air-conditioned tents to put in their gardens/streets (see picture) to host large lavish Iftar parties. Iftars are a bit like a work Christmas party where the mood is joyous; people are more relaxed, friendly and caring.
Shops and shopping malls also benefit from Ramadan. They are eerily quiet during the daytime with certain shops closed, no music being played and rarely a person in sight. But after sunset, they are bursting to the seams with activity and often close at 1-2am. These retail outlets make the most of the festive period by decorating their stores with hanging stars and lanterns (for the Eid break) and offering special Ramadan promotions ranging from food platters to party supplies and more recently large flat screen TVís and Apple Ipadís.
The media also sees a surge in audience with newspapers facing their highest month of readership in countries such as Saudi Arabia. TV viewing figures also peak dramatically in countries like: Qatar, the UAE, Egypt and Lebanon. Famous Arabic soap operas will broadcast episodes specifically written for Ramadan which are even more dramatic, passionate and addictive than during the rest of the year. Many other businesses and industries do very well during Ramadan.
One would think many Muslims would find Ramadan hard especially fasting, but many I spoke to actually enjoy the challenge and rewards. I remember speaking to a former colleague who was so excited when Ramadan was officially announced that he immediately sent an email to the office congratulating and wishing everyone 'Ramadan Kareem' (Happy Ramadan). Another colleague I spoke to, told me she was happy to change her daily routine, fast and to spend more time enjoying life than the usual rat race. She did say that fasting will be tougher this year as the outside temperatures average 45c in most parts of the Gulf during the day and that the daylight hours are longer at the start of this yearís Ramadan. The trend will continue as Ramadan starts 10 days earlier every year, inching ever closer to the summer solstice. 
Many Gulf nationals, take their holidays before Ramadan and return often from a month-long break in cooler places like London or the Swiss Alps just in time for the start of Ramadan. 'I canít miss all the social events, seeing old colleagues, friends and family and relaxing' my bank manager told me. One can also witness a sense of community and a temporary breakdown of class/race as people are more respectful towards each other in these normally class/race divided countries. The majority of Mosques hoist tents in their car parks which will serve free Iftar and Suhoor (prior to sunrise) meals often to south Asian labourers. Many public places will have donation boxes and stands to encourage people to donate money to good causes. The holy month will end when the Eid holiday is announced which coincides when the new moon appears 30 days or so after the start of Ramadan. This is another festive occasion a bit like Christmas day where people exchange gifts and other celebrations occur before life goes back to normal for another 11 months until the next Ramadan begins.
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