Dubai lifts ban on wrapping restaurants till ‘Aftari’

According to the international news agency, on the occasion of Ramadan, Dubai— City-State Department of Economic Development announced on Sunday that during Ramadan, it will not be prohibited to cover food and drink activities in restaurants during the day.

“Restaurants will be allowed to serve customers without putting in place curtains, dividers or facades as has been the mandatory practice previously,” the state-run WAM news agency said. “The new circular replaces circulars issued in previous years that have required restaurants to block dining areas from the sight of those who are fasting.”

The new rules also don’t require restaurants to obtain special permits to serve food during sunlight hours as well.

In the past, during the month of Ramadan in the UAE, guidelines were issued to restaurant owners to cover the dining area with curtains to protect them from the eyes of the fasting people.

After the new announcement, restaurants will no longer need to obtain special permits to serve food during the day.

Dubai, the city of the United Arab Emirates, famous for its worldwide tourism is mostly visited by tourists who enjoy the beach, shopping and parties in skyscrapers.

Conversely, during the month of Ramadan, the tourism business is slower than in other months due to various restrictions.

According to the news agency, the aim of obtaining special dining permits for restaurants during Ramadan and lifting the ban on concealing the dining area from ‘fasters’ is said to promote tourism in the country.

In recent years, hoping to boost tourism as Ramadan will be marked during its crucial winter months, Dubai has started to change. In 2016, Dubai loosened rules prohibiting daytime alcohol sales.

Still, some Gulf states also impose penalties for covering restaurants during Ramadan and eating and drinking in public during the day.