Late-night shopping, sunshine guaranteed, world-class dining, and a wide range of interactive cultural experiences – what more could you want from your holiday?
While in previous years, Ramadan was known as the quiet month on Dubai’s impressive entertainment calendar, these days it is making a name for itself as one of the most popular times to visit this enigmatic and glitzy Arabian hotspot. Authentic traditions are served up alongside high-end late-night shopping, colourful pop-up markets, and enough decadent feasts to keep even the most insatiable foodie happy. This year Ramadan is running from March 23 to April 21 and Dubai promises visitors a month of fun activities for all the family, as well as a chance to step inside the rituals and celebrations of Islam’s holiest month. Here are some of our top picks for this year’s Ramadan in Dubai.
Sleep by day, shop by night
One of the best reasons to visit Dubai during Ramadan is the late-night shopping. Originally started to cater to those who are fasting between sunrise and sunset, these days you can expect to brush shoulders with tourists, locals, and expats alike as everyone flocks to the city’s malls and shopping areas hoping to get their hands on a special something at unbeatable prices. Most retailers offer exclusive Ramadan deals and discounts while also extending their opening hours to 1 am on weekdays and 2 am on weekends. If you are in the market for a unique memento, or a cultural curio, the Ramadan Night Market at Dubai World Trade Centre has clothes from stylish designers, handmade crafts, scrumptious artisan food, jewellery, gifts, and lots more, running daily from April 9th to 18th, 5 pm to 2 am.
Experience the real Ramadan
Infinite Iftars
No trip to Dubai during Ramadan would be complete without sampling one of the city’s innumerable Iftar buffets. If you haven’t heard the word before, Iftar is the meal that is enjoyed immediately after sunset, meaning the first bite to eat of the day (and the first sip of water) for those who are fasting. Over the years, Iftar has grown to be something of an institution in Dubai with thousands of restaurants serving up their unique take on this special meal.
One of the best has to be at the Asateer Tent at Atlantis Dubai, where each night of the week there is a different Middle Eastern theme, such as Arabesque Night, Persian Night, and Khaleeji Night. Endless tables of fresh salads and dips, delicious, chargrilled meats, vegetable stews, a wide range of curries, vast pots of rice, fluffy breads, juices, desserts, and lots more. Bring your appetite! Running from sunset to 8.30 pm daily during Ramadan, priced at AED260 per person on Mondays through to Thursdays, and AED 280 per person from Fridays through to Sundays.
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