DUBAI, UAE – Dubai is separated from the usual requirement that restaurants be covered in curtains during the day during Ramadan to protect the food sight of people fasting.
The measure, announced on Sunday by the city-state Department of Economic Development, is the latest change aimed at boosting tourism in the autocratically governed Muslim nation.
“Restaurants will be allowed to serve customers without placing curtains, dividers or facades, as has been the mandatory practice previously,” the state news agency WAM said. “The new circular replaces the circulars issued in previous years that forced restaurants to block dining halls in view of those who fast.”
The new rules also do not require restaurants to obtain special permits to serve food during sunny hours.
During Ramadan, Muslims who observe the holy month refrain from eating and drinking (even water) during the day. Muslims traditionally break the fast of Ramadan all day with their first sips of water and their dinner, called iftar.
Among the Arab states of the Gulf, where large populations of non-Muslim expats live, most require curtains to be put up to prevent the viewing of food on an empty stomach. Eating and drinking in public can also lead to fines and legal issues.
Dubai, one of the seven sheiks of the United Arab Emirates, has long been a tourist destination for those who want beaches, shopping and partying in this city full of skyscrapers. However, Ramadan always represented a slower period due to its restrictions.
In recent years, hoping to increase tourism, as Ramadan will be marked during the crucial winter months, Dubai has begun to change. In 2016, Dubai released rules banning the sale of alcohol during the day.