Ramadan in UAE: How free Iftar meals are helping labourers save money during holy month

“I was [very] worried about my iftar and suhoor,” said Adam Baba, a Ugandan expat observing Ramadan for the first time in the UAE. Baba did not know about how preparations worked, and often asked his colleagues about the food. “All they said was we will get it,” he said.

On the first fast of the month, Baba picked up food for himself from a nearby restaurant for suhoor. “I paid Dh15 for the meal. But as I returned from my workplace [at] around 4.30 pm, I witnessed a massive queue as iftar was being distributed. All my worries were washed away,” said Baba.

If it were not for the Good Samaritans who give away Iftar and Suhoor meals, Baba said “[he] would have to shell out over Dh30 a day, amounting to nearly Dh1,000 a month. And this amount I can easily save, send to family back home, or use for another purpose.”

Truckloads of packed meals, water, fruits, laban, and dates make their way across the country to treat residents for iftar, where families, social welfare organisations, companies, and many individuals provide food, with the number extending beyond hundreds of thousands.

From the Deira market, Sharjah, and camps in Al Quoz, to Jebel Ali and camps in DIP, Khaleej Times has visited several places to see how preparations for feeding are carried out.

They start a day earlier, from the sourcing of raw materials, which are then taken to kitchens, and the cooked food is packed and given away to beneficiaries.

Another beneficiary, David DK from Nigeria, who is fasting in solidarity with his colleagues and friends, said that he spends far less money in Ramadan as compared to the rest of the year. “I fast along with my friends. The meal provided here is filling and can be saved for breakfast. This holy month is a blessing, where we spend minimal as compared to other months.”

A beneficiary in Sharjah, Amjad Khan, a plasterer, said that he would save about Dh1,000. “I have my nephew who has come here to look out for a job. Since he is with me, it’s my responsibility to arrange his iftar and suhoor,” said Khan.

“We get our meal from a restaurant that has undertaken [the responsibility] to provide food for iftar. We get three packages in total. Through this, I save over Dh1,000. This will be used for [my] family back home.”

Amir Ali, a manager at a shop in the utensils market in Old Souk, closes his shop at 6pm and makes his way towards the mass iftar gathering in Deira. “I have iftar along with 4 of my colleagues. We try out different places every day,” said Ali.

Ali resides with his colleagues at a place provided by the owner and prepares their morning suhoor. “The morning suhoor costs us Dh10 per head. In that case, an iftar meal would cost us between Dh10 to 20. For five people, we are saving Dh50- Dh100 a day, and in the whole month, it may amount to Dh6,000,” added Ali.

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