Mumsnet Talk

We have been holidaying in Dubai for the last 9 years now and have booked to go in July this year.

We have always managed to avoid Ramadan, but this year the second week of our trip coincides with it. Was wondering if anyone knew the score with regards to eating/drinking and alcohol at the hotel (we are staying at Al Qasr, Madinat Jumeirah) during the day.

We have got some relatives/friends in Dubai, but as they are muslim feel its not appropriate to ask the question!

I'm pretty sure they don't allow you to drink until after sunset, that is what we found when we went to Oman a few years ago. Also, you can't eat and drink in public a lot of places in Dubai during ramandan. My friend lives there and said last year that when she went to the cinema during ramadan she was not able to have her popcorn!

I will ask her about that hotel specifically as her DH works for the Jumeirah group and get back to you.

DD2 is working in a Dubai hotel atm & hers sends all the expat staff home for the whole of Ramadan

We live in Dubai, and generally try to avoid Ramadan. However DH has always been here. So based on last year, no eating or drinking in public, also no music. After sundown when Iftar is celebrated (the breaking of the fast) many people meet family and friends for buffet dinners, all the hotels/restaurants and cafes offer them. You should try it, its a great experience. Alcohol only in very few places having said that sundown in July will be quite late so not before then.
Licences are not issued to cafes/restaurants etc till just before Ramadan so nobody can say for sure which places will be open in the malls. They have curtains and blacked out windows. I dont know if you smoke but you cant smoke in public either.
Really my advice would be to ask the hotel what they do during Ramadan. Def go to Iftar at one of the tents on the beach. Its beautiful, real Arabian Nights stuff.

You can drink alcohol in the day in the hotel complex. However, alcohol is not widely available and prohibitively expensive