Non-Muslims can have meals delivered during fast

If you are a non-Muslim at home during Ramadan and you feel a little peckish, what do you do? Of course, you could cook a meal. But did you know that if you live in Dubai you can ring up your favourite fast-food outlet and ask them to deliver a prepared meal to your home?

Despite the ban on restaurants, cafeterias and hotels serving meals during the day, some fast-food outlets in Dubai have official permission to sell prepared meals for home consumption during daylight hours.

Food outlets can get a special temporary permit from the Dubai Economic Department to deliver meals in the daytime during the Holy month of Ramadan. But they are not allowed to sell food on their premises.

Rey Jose, a fast-food outlet manager, said, "Procedures in Dubai are extremely transparent and efficient. Before the start of Ramadan, we got a permit from the Dubai Economic Department at a fixed cost.

"This allows us to deliver food to people during daytime in the Holy month of Ramadan." Osama Q., another Dubai restaurant manager, said, "The temporary permits are available to all who wish to take advantage of them. There are procedures and requirements that have to be fulfilled. You cannot serve food in the restaurant, but you can deliver."

Hussam A., manager of a Dubai-based food outlet, said, "This is convenient as it doesn't affect the business along with respecting the religious and cultural traditions of the emirate."

In Abu Dhabi the picture is less clear. Some restaurants can deliver prepared meals only to non-Muslims for consumption at home during the daylight hours of Ramadan but most requests for licences are rejected by the Municipality.

Abdullah Jumah Al Janidi, head of food inspection at the Municipality, said that certain people such as Christians can buy food at certain places. "Other than that, the doors for such requests are shut and restaurants can only open for business half an hour before Iftar. The laws are clear and they have to be respected," he said.

The laws on selling prepared meals during daylight hours are even more rigidly enforced in Sharjah and the Northern Emirates. Sharjah Municipality has instructed restaurants, cafeterias and cafes to remain closed during the day and open shortly before Iftar. There are no exemptions.

Municipality Director-General Ahmed Fikri said hotels, restaurants and cafeterias are banned from serving food and beverages during the day in Ramadan. However, hotels and tourist resorts may provide non-Muslim guests with meals in their rooms.