UAE | Heritage and Culture
Residents find Ramadan tents getting expensive
Many Dubai residents are abandoning the age-old Ramadan tradition of socialising over shisha and coffee under a specially erected tent as tent operators cash in on the festive spirit of the month.
- By Abbas Al Lawati, Staff Reporter
- Published: 00:04 September 22, 2008
- Image Credit: Ahmed Kutty/Gulf News
- Shisha enthusiasts say they are being exploited by greedy tent operators wanting to maximise their profits.
Dubai: Many Dubai residents are abandoning the age-old Ramadan tradition of socialising over shisha and coffee under a specially erected tent as tent operators cash in on the festive spirit of the month.
Minimum-spend charges in some tents this Ramadan have gone up to as much as Dh350 per person, while other tents have set cover charges and shisha pipes cost up to Dh70, usually charged outside the minimum spend.
Video: Big business eyes up Ramadan as marketing opportunity
Residents say it is time to move on to other activities as the traditional tents are becoming increasingly unaffordable.
Jessica Heid, a German who has been living in Dubai for 10 years, said that while she could understand restaurants' need to set minimum charges, the current situation was "getting out of hand".
"I haven't gone to a Ramadan tent in almost three years. If tent operators are taking advantage of the festive season by raising prices, then authorities should intervene as in supermarkets," she said.
Dr Hashim Al Nuaimi, head of the Consumer Rights Protection Department at the Ministry of Economy, said his department had not sent inspectors to Ramadan tents to check price rises and was relying solely on individual complaints to take action.
"How many tents can we check? There are so many. If we get complaints about exploitation, we act accordingly," he said.
While most Ramadan tents have minimum and cover charge notices outside the venues or in the menus, some leave the customer to find out about them through the bill.
Shisha enthusiasts say they are being exploited by greedy tent operators wanting to maximise their profits.
"The tents will always have customers no matter how much they charge. As for me, I've stopped going to them," said Sultan Badr, a Saudi broker.
"Last time I went to the tent at a beach-side hotel in a group of 15 people, our bill came to Dh3,000. We had just gone for shisha but had to keep ordering against our will to make up for what we were paying," he said.
Anand Bhatia, a 25-year resident of Dubai, said tent operators were cashing in on the 'Ramadan experience'. "I used to go often before, but this year I just went once," he said.
While some tents require a minimum spend, others have a flat cover charge per head. In the case of Al Khaima [the tent] at the Royal Meridien, the menu reads "Dh99 cover charge" in English, while in Arabic it states "Dh99 minimum charge", leaving customers confused. The assistant manager of the tent said it was actually a cover charge.
Rami Shehadeh, manager of the Transparent Tent at the Dubai Media City, said the cost of setting up the massive tents necessitated minimum charges, adding that there hadn't been any complaints so far.
Although no notices of a minimum charge could be seen anywhere in the tent, Shehadeh insisted that customers were informed verbally on arrival or on the phone.
Ali K, a Qatari resident, said however that when he went to the Transparent Tent on the first day of Ramadan with two friends he was not told about a minimum charge.
Shehadeh said the tent did put up a notice about the minimum spend outside the tent on Sunday, almost halfway through Ramadan.
At a glance: How much you pay
- Hala Walla, JBR Walk: Minimum spend: starting Dh100
- Transparent Tent, Dubai Media City: Minimum spend: Dh75 to Dh100
- Le Meridien Mina Seyahi: Cover charge Dh20; minimum spend: Dh55
- Al Khaima, Le Royal Meridien: Cover charge Dh99, includes 4 starters
- Al Kufa and Courtyard, Royal Mirage: Cover charge Dh35
- Al Majlis, Mina A'Salam: Minimum spend: Dh100 to Dh350
- Diwan Al Khayal, Jumeirah Beach Hotel: Dh70 minimum
- Al Qasr Hotel: Minimum spend Dh100 to Dh350 per person
Price ranges depend on seating areas and the day of the week.
When was the last time you visited a Ramadan tent? Do you think commercialising tents is taking away from the cultural aspect of Ramadan? Fill the form bellow to send your comments.
Your comments
Ramadan tents have always been an avenue of making money and have no relevance with cultural or relegious importance of Ramadan.
Hassan
Dubai,uae
Posted: September 22, 2008, 10:19
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