Ramadan tents mushroom as country prepares to fast

Dubai - The minimum cost for the average Ramadan tent is between Dh17,000 to Dh20,000

As the UAE readies itself for the forthcoming Ramadan, one of the most visible features of the season - the Ramadan tents - are already cropping up. Tents of different sizes, designs and colours have started cropping up in the different emirates.
A number of companies are taking advance orders and trying to erect the tents well in advance of the fasting period. During Ramadan, when Muslims fast all through the Holy Month, the large and sometimes ornate Ramadan tents are places for families and individuals to break their fast, or to take suhoor.
This year, there's a different flavour to the Ramadan month, what with it being the Year of Giving. The charity and spirit of generosity that characterises this year is also in keeping with the Holy Month's ethos. Thus, plenty of hotels, restaurants, charitable organisations and private companies are in the process of setting up state-of-the-art Ramadan tents, with additional security and safety features.
Tents are mushrooming in every nook and corner of UAE, being made for the UAE Red Crescent and other charitable organisations, hotels, restaurant chains, banks, private companies, VIPs, individuals and associations.
"We have been busy taking orders for Ramadan tents from March 2017 and we are about to close taking of new orders. This year too, we've been busy as ever and expect to make 5,000 square metres of Ramadan tent area, out of the nearly 1 million square metres that the UAE sees annually," said Danish bin Shakeel, Owner of Al Ameera Tents and Shades, which is in business from 1998.
Shakeel said while some tents have already been erected, work on others will start from May 15 onwards. While the biggest tent in Sheikh Zayed Masjid, Abu Dhabi, will take several days to finish, the smaller tents of 10 metres x 10 metres just a day to be put up.
The cost of a Ramadan tent depends on its size, interior decoration, location, furniture, with the price - contrary to popular belief - being higher for smaller tents than the bigger ones. The minimum cost for the average Ramadan tent is between Dh17,000 to Dh20,000.
Vlad Gorbachev, supervisor of Mr and Mrs Show Event Management Company, said they are foraying into Ramadan tents for the first time. "We get around 300 inquiries per day and the cost of tents depends on many factors. Many corporate clients, especially those with Muslim employees, are setting up Ramadan tents. Even though we are stepping into the field for the first time, we can handle any type of Ramadan tent requests, depending on the clients' requirements."
Mohammed Taha, Deputy General Manager, Bait al Nokhada (House of Tents), says the industry players are feeling the pinch as the number of companies are going up and many slashing their rates. "Compared to last year, there are relatively less Ramadan tent projects this time. Some Chinese or Pakistani tents are available at half the rates that we quote, but there is a considerable difference in quality," Taha says.
"It is not safe to use substandard tents and there should be some standards pertaining to Ramadan Tents," he added, saying that there is severe competition to get a share of the over million square metres of Ramadan tent area in the UAE. "Last year, around this time, our stock was almost finished. But this year, we still have a considerable share of Ramadan tent stocks available. The rates are also going down."
"During the Ramadan season, Red Crescent and other charitable organisations book tents in advance. This year, we got orders for around 40 to 50 tents from Red Crescent. In addition, there are many hotels and restaurants who book iftar events," said Madhu Nair, marketing coordinator for a leading tent leasing company.
"In addition, cooperative societies, big families and VIPs, also erect Ramadan tents," Nair said. "In many areas with labour accommodations, like Sonapur, Sajaa industrial area, ICAD and Mussafa in Abu Dhabi, there are big Ramadan tents for serving iftar to the working class residents. Many companies are also setting up Ramadan tents as part of their CSR activities."
What happens to these tents once the Holy Month is over? The tents are usually dismantled around one week after Ramadan.
Then there's the question of how much leeway can be taken in these tents. Shisha, for instance, is usually a no-no. "But in some private Ramadan tents, shisha is indeed served as it's such an integral part of local tradtions," another manager of a tent rental company said.
sathish@khaleejtimes.com

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