Emirati iftar experience for expatriates in the UAE

Dubai: Expatriates keen to know about Ramadan traditions in the UAE can get a first-hand experience by paying a visit to the Bastakiya area to enjoy a truly traditional Emarati iftar.

The Shaikh Mohammad Centre for Cultural Understanding is located in a renovated wind-tower house in downtown Bastakiya and aims to break down barriers between people of different nationalities and help promote the traditions and customs of the UAE.

"It is an educational programme that increases awareness and understanding of UAE culture, religion, and Ramadan in particular," said Sherifa Madgwick, General Manager at the Centre. "Through our iftars we are enhancing the cultural harmony and cooperation among the community."

The iftar programme has been held for over 10 years and began as an initiative in inviting residents to visit Emirati homes during Ramadan. Once the centre's office was inaugurated in 2003 in Bur Dubai, it launched its own iftar programme alongside the home-visit programmes.

"It incorporates social responsibility from all those involved," said Madgwick. "A number of families are very interested in taking part and some also repeat participating in the programme the next year"

The iftars are conducted over the weekend and are catered to residents, although a few tourists tend to go occasionally. As many as 56 guests attend the iftar on a regular basis in order to maintain the intimacy of sharing the iftar.

English translation

Upon arriving at the Bastakiya courtyard, you are instantly greeted with a gentleman roasting beans in a bayt al shay (tea tent) while waiting for the adhan (call for prayer).

Visitors are then instructed to remove their shoes before entering the house, such as is the custom in Muslim homes.

Once the cannon goes off and it is officially time to end the fast, guests are then treated to dates and water while the volunteers at the centre introduce themselves and explain the adhan.

Guests are then showed up to the rooftop to see the sun set and as the call for prayers are heard in the background, a volunteer performs the maghrib prayer in front of them, which is then followed by an English translation.

Once the prayers are performed, visitors are then treated to traditional Emarati food, such as harees (beaten wheat with meat or chicken) and fareed (boiled shank of lamb with spices and vegetables, and then served with bread).

"While we sit down to eat, volunteers sit down individually with the guests and explain what Ramadan means to them.

"It is not only a month of abstinence, but how you behave and think of those less fortunate than yourself," Madgwick pointed out.

Iftars are held three times a week on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

Home visit: Registration

Registering for iftar at the Shaikh Mohammad Centre for Cultural Understanding (SMCCU) is free, but visitors are required to contact the centre beforehand to make a reservation.

The home visit programme is open only to families that are residents of the UAE. "The home-visit iftars are very unique, because some homes may have a separate majlis for men and women while others are mixed," said Sherifa Madgwick, General Manager at SMCCU.

"However, it is open for only two to three families at a time." The next schedule for iftar at the SMCCU in Bastakiya area is on Satursay and Sunday.

Call: 04 3536666