Before Ramadan begins, children in traditional clothes carry bags through their neighbourhoods, singing at doorways and receiving sweets and nuts. حق الليلة (Haq Al Laila), the UAE’s mid-Sha‘ban children’s tradition, welcomes the approaching month through an exchange between households and their youngest neighbours. It belongs to the preparations for Ramadan, rather than to Ramadan itself.
Haq Al Laila: children, songs and neighbourhood ties
Haq Al Laila is associated with the night of 15 شعبان (Sha‘ban), the Islamic month immediately before Ramadan. Spellings vary, including Hag Al Laila and Haq Al Layla. The Ministry of Culture describes it as a tradition passed between generations, with children wearing traditional clothes, carrying colourful bags and singing inherited songs in return for treats. Giving and receiving connect children with the wider neighbourhood, not just their own household.
The bags, clothing and songs matter as much as the sweets: they give children an active role in a shared custom. Organised celebrations now bring the tradition into public settings, too. These are not a single national festival with one organiser or a fixed annual programme.
For families hoping to join in:
- Look for a publicly advertised celebration and confirm its date, age suitability and registration requirements with the organiser.
- Join neighbourhood rounds through an invitation or an established local arrangement; do not assume unfamiliar homes are participating.
- Accompany young children, check treats for allergens and ask before photographing anyone.
- Let children enjoy the songs and social exchange without making the size of their collection the point.
Our guide to traditional Emirati dress offers useful context for the clothing seen at celebrations.
Ramadan follows a lunar calendar
رمضان (Ramadan) is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. For Muslims who are required and able to fast, fasting runs from dawn to sunset, not from sunrise. Worship, charity, reflection and consideration for others are central to the month. Its significance extends beyond the evening meal.
Ramadan lasts 29 or 30 days. Its Gregorian dates move each year, and the UAE announces its beginning through the official moon-sighting process. Haq Al Laila and Eid consequently move through the Gregorian calendar too. Use the UAE Government’s Ramadan guidance for official context, and check each organiser’s current programme rather than relying on an earlier year’s listing.
Ramadan etiquette for residents and visitors
Non-Muslim visitors can eat during the day. Visit Dubai’s guidance confirms that many restaurants, cafés and hotel dining venues continue serving food during Ramadan. It also advises eating and drinking privately or in designated dining areas, rather than openly in public out of consideration for those fasting. An operating restaurant and a public pavement are different settings.
Eating, clothing and everyday consideration
For a straightforward, respectful approach:
- Use an open dining venue. Follow staff instructions about seating and service. Do not assume that every outlet follows the same arrangements.
- Keep food and drink to appropriate spaces. Avoid eating, drinking or chewing gum openly in streets and other shared public areas during fasting hours. Consult the current official daytime dining guidance when planning your day.
- Choose modest clothing for cultural and religious settings. Covering shoulders and knees is a considerate starting point for community visits; check a mosque’s own dress and admission requirements separately.
- Leave people’s observance private. Do not ask someone to explain why they are not fasting, or encourage a fasting colleague to make an exception.
- Ask before taking photographs. Be especially careful around prayer, children, private homes and people receiving charitable assistance.
Treat these as practical courtesies, not a substitute for current venue rules. Before a museum visit, meal or community event, confirm the actual opening time and booking arrangements. Leave a generous travel margin when an invitation is tied to sunset.
Iftar: sharing the first meal after the fast
إفطار (iftar) is the meal that breaks the fast at sunset. Dates and water commonly come first, followed by other food. سحور (suhoor) is eaten before dawn, ahead of the next day’s fast; it is not simply another name for a late dinner.
There is no single compulsory Emirati iftar menu. Soup, rice dishes, stews, savoury pastries, fruit and desserts may all appear. مجبوس (machboos), a seasoned rice dish with meat or seafood, is one familiar example. Household tastes differ, and contemporary family tables can include dishes from several cuisines. Sharing prepared food with neighbours is another important tradition. Our guide to Emirati cuisine explores the dishes beyond a restaurant buffet.
If you are invited to a home
Ask your host what time to arrive and whether you should bring anything. A modest gift of dates or sweets is a considerate suggestion, but check preferences rather than bringing a dish that needs immediate preparation.
Wait for your host’s cue before eating. Make room for prayer without treating it as a performance to watch or photograph. Follow the household’s seating arrangements, take manageable portions and ask politely if you are unsure how a dish is served. Mention dietary requirements in advance, not when the meal reaches the table.
A commercial hotel iftar, a family invitation and a charitable meal distribution serve different purposes. Choose a hosted cultural programme if your main aim is to ask questions and learn; do not treat people receiving food assistance as part of a visitor attraction.
The majlis: conversation and hospitality
A مجلس (majlis) is a sitting place or gathering space where people receive guests, exchange news and discuss community affairs. Its role extends throughout the year. UNESCO inscribed “Majlis, a cultural and social space” in 2015 through a joint nomination by the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar. The recognition concerns a living social practice, not simply a room’s furnishings.
Majlis gatherings also pass on oral heritage and everyday manners. Children learn by accompanying adults, hearing stories and observing how people listen and respond. Women have their own majlis traditions; it is inaccurate to describe the institution as exclusively male. A private majlis nevertheless remains a hosted space: seek an invitation rather than assuming that cultural significance means unrestricted visitor access.
قهوة (gahwa), Arabic coffee, is a familiar expression of hospitality. It is served from a دلة (dallah), the traditional coffee pot, into small cups. Receive and return the cup with your right hand where practical. Small servings allow refills; they do not indicate a reluctant welcome. Older or honoured guests may be served first. For more detail, read the majlis and Arabic coffee.
Giving during Ramadan
Food sharing and organised assistance are important parts of Ramadan in the UAE. Visitors wishing to contribute should use registered charities or approved volunteering arrangements. The UAE Government distinguishes donating from fundraising: individuals must not independently organise fundraising activities outside the authorised framework. Check the charity’s own instructions before collecting money or arranging a public appeal.
Eid Al Fitr: prayers, visits and children’s gifts
عيد الفطر (Eid Al Fitr), the festival marking the end of Ramadan’s fast, brings morning prayers, family visits, special meals and new clothes. Some women and girls decorate their hands with henna. Homes and majlises receive visitors with sweets, dates, coffee and tea. These customs vary between families; no household should be expected to reproduce a complete cultural checklist.
For children, عيدية (eidiya) means the money given as an Eid gift. It differs from the sweets collected at Haq Al Laila, although both customs involve generosity towards children. If visiting a family, ask your host discreetly whether gifts would be appropriate rather than assuming an amount or handing money to unfamiliar children.
Eid Al Fitr should not be confused with عيد الأضحى (Eid Al Adha), the separate festival associated with the pilgrimage season and the faith of the Prophet Ibrahim. Both occasions emphasise family connections and assistance to others.
Finding a respectful way to take part
For an organised introduction, the Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Centre for Cultural Understanding offers Ramadan iftar experiences with explanations of Emirati customs. It is associated with Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood in Dubai. Confirm the current season’s programme, availability and arrangements directly with the centre before travelling.
For other public celebrations, use our heritage festivals guide as a starting point, then check the named organiser. Choose an event that explicitly welcomes visitors, arrive ready to listen and allow the people hosting it to set the pace.