Ramadan in UAE: What goes behind providing meals at Iftar tents

Hosting Iftar for workers and residents during the holy month of Ramadan is usual for mosques and charity associations. The faithfuls end their fast together at several tents across the UAE, where meals are distributed free of cost. As always, this year too, hundreds of residents have volunteered to provide as well as serve Iftar meals at tents across the country. The preparation process starts after Zuhr prayers at 3pm, and the meals are served until 8 pm, before the faithful congregate for Isha and Taraweeh prayers. To get a closer look at what goes behind the organising of these Iftar meals, Khaleej Times visited an Iftar tent at Rolla Street in Sharjah, where the meals are served by the Kerala Muslim Cultural Centre (KMCC). Over 25 volunteers get together to serve food for more than 1,500 residents from the nearby areas. There are two tents that accommodate about 1,000 people, and more than 500 food packets are distributed to nearby homes and shops. The Iftar package here consists fruits, juice, water and rice-based dishes like biryani or fried rice. One of the volunteers, Mujeeb, has been assigned to oversee the entire operations at the tents. He is one of the earliest to reach the spot (at 3pm). Their first task is to clean the tent area. “We source our fresh supplies from Al Awir Fruit Market. As soon as we receive it, we wash the fruits thoroughly,” explained Mujeeb. The fruits are cut into portion sizes by a chef's assistant. “The fruit is cut and then packed in plastic bags for distribution,” he added. The cooked meals are supplied by restaurants in large vessels and it arrives by 3.30pm. Volunteers then put them in individual paper container and keep them in rows in the dining area. Residents usually start coming to the tent by 5.30pm. Pointing to the quality of the food, a volunteer at the tent said that each and every item checked for quality before it is served. Mujeeb then explained to us the rules and regulations stipulated by the authorities for setting up Iftar tents. KMCC first set up the Iftar tents in 2019, but due to the pandemic, tents were not allowed to operate due to Covid-19 safety measures. On March 14, the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) announced that permits were mandatory for setting up Iftar tents. Permissions had to be sought from Emirates Red Crescent (ERC). The location of the tents and the capacity was decided by authorities in each Emirate. The tents have to well lit and cooled, as specified by the Labour Standards Development Authority, Sharjah and the Emirates red Crescent Society. Hundreds of residents line-up in a queue at about 5.30pm, and after reciting Adhkaars and prayers, they enter the tents. A volunteer is designated to keep a maintain Covid-19 protocols and check body temperature, before people as allowed to enter the tent. Once resident are seated, they are given their food packets. Speeches and sermons are delivered in the tent for people to understand the purpose behind fasting, and how one should spend their day. A talk is given on Covid-19 protocols, while a scholar delivers a sermon, ahead of the Maghrib call to prayers. After Iftar is over, the volunteers get together again for the cleaning-up process. “The first task is to clean the tents. Our volunteers collect the waste and pack it for disposal,” Mujeeb said. The tents are also vacuum cleaned and sanitised after the clean-up operations. The tents are also inspected by the officials for safety and first aid. Copyright © 2022 Khaleej Times. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).

Ramadan in UAE: What goes behind providing meals at Iftar tents

DISCOVER MORE

Why Gen Xers and millennials should be following the U.S. Social Security debate

Egypt asset sales face obstacles as state maintains grip

Macron wins Pyrrhic victory on pension bill, risks fuelling anger

China's uneven economic recovery to be mirrored in commodity imports: Russell

German coalition bickering stalls policy at home and in Europe

North of Bakhmut, another key battle tests Ukraine's defences

Fear of the dark: Taiwan sees wartime frailty in communication links with world

Trump, DeSantis offer stark contrast in first Iowa forays

Saudi National Bank says no impact on growth plans from Credit Suisse

SNB offers $100bln to help UBS Group take over Credit Suisse

Dubai is proactively developing plans to accelerate digital growth - Sheikh Hamdan

Saudi PIF-owned SRC buys home loans worth $1.33bln from Al Rajhi Bank

Can GCC banks manage contagion risk from Silicon Valley Bank collapse?

Ramadan moon sighting in UAE tonight: Why Muslims search the night sky ahead of holy month

Ramadan 2023: Demand for Umrah from the UAE surges by three times

Ramadan 2023: Dubai announces 8 fixed, mobile cannon firing locations to announce Iftar time

UAE Ramadan moon-sighting committee to meet Tuesday

Ramadan 2023: UAE reveals cannon firing locations in Dubai, Abu Dhabi

LATEST VIDEO

VIDEO: Saudi crown prince launches new national airline

ZAWYA COVERAGE

Banking turmoil: Fitch Solutions revise 2023 gold price forecast to $1,950 an ounce

AD Ports Group to invest up to $200mln to develop, operate Egypt's Safaga Port

UAE’s Masdar, Egypt’s Infinity JV buy full stake in Africa’s Lekela Power

ACWA Power CEO Paddy Padmanathan retires after 18 years of service

South Korea cuts 2030 emissions reductions targets for industry

Asian art fair aims to bounce back after COVID years

China, HK stocks rise as easing banking contagion fears lift sentiment

India's Nifty could remain flat this year

Indonesia's parliament passes controversial jobs decree into law

THE BRI REPORT

China is reshaping the Belt and Road Initiative ahead of a post-pandemic era

DISCOVER MORE

LATEST VIDEO

ZAWYA NEWSLETTERS

ZAWYA COVERAGE