Under the Ramadan tent

Khaleeji Club

The evening began with Shaikh Mansour taking a short tour of the university with Dr Jihad Nader, provost and chief academic officer. The tour ended at the tent where Khaleeji Club officers, students, faculty and staff welcomed Shaikh Mansour to an Iftar.

Mohammed Al Falasi, president, and Anan Al Ameri, event coordinator, Khaleeji Club, had made special arrangements for the evening. Traditional Bukhoor incense and a typical Arabian-style seating area were some of the features.

“Our aim was to create a whole Arab atmosphere to show the culture and traditions of the GCC countries,'' said Al Ameri.
Around 250 people enjoyed a feast that included traditional UAE, Lebanese and Indian main courses and desserts. Nermeen Dowaik, an AUD staff member described the Iftar as “fancy, quite relaxing … .''

All proceeds from the event are being donated to the Beit Al Khair society, a charitable organisation for needy families.

The Troupe

AUD's official drama club The Troupe (above) also held an Iftar night in the Ramadan Tent. Under the slogan “Iftar with a Touch of Drama'', they played host to around 60 AUD students, alumni, faculty and staff.
The cuisine for the Iftar was Indian. However, the two-hour event did not just stop at the food. The Troupe T-shirts with the trademark slogan shared space in the tent with costumes from the various plays staged by the drama club in the past three years.

Bracelets, Ramadan and Eid greeting cards made by the club members were also on sale for charity. The event proved that the drama club could unite people both on and off-stage, not just through drama but also through celebrating the spirit of Ramadan.

The Indian Cultural Club

While drama was the agenda for one club, it was reunion for another. The Indian Cultural Club (ICC) organised an Iftar night to gather its members under one roof for a fun evening. Since the club has just had its elections, it was a good opportunity for members to meet the new officers and find out more about the club and its upcoming events, said club president Karan Bhojwani.

Traditional Indian dishes being the obvious choice for the evening, around 60 people, including those of other nationalities, savouring the food.
The night came to an end with students playing charades, cards and board games and in general having a good time.

Pakistani Students Association

Around 90 people attended an Iftar party hosted by the Pakistani Students Association (below).
Traditional Pakistani food was on the menu and all club members were requested to dress in the traditional Pakistani attire — the ‘salwar kameez'. Traditional Pakistani shoes or ‘chappals', shawls, ‘chaadars' and ‘ajraks' — a long cloth worn by men around their necks — were displayed in the tent to depict the culture and heritage of Pakistan.

President Mohammad Jawad Ajmal said: “Having Iftar together with Muslims and non-Muslims alike creates a strong bond among people. It is also a great way to encourage religious tolerance and appreciation.''

— The writer is a student of the American University in Dubai and president of its drama club, The Troupe