It’s just days away before Ramadan starts. It is said to start on September 1.
For non-Muslim expats, it means shorter working hours, no tea/coffee/water and food in the office, late afternoon opening of shops/grocery and the expectation of a long holiday after Ramadan. It also means traffic snarls as everybody in Doha usually leave work around the same time (12:30-1:30). You may also see a longer queue in grocery stores as Muslims usually prepare a big dinner (Iftar) after their sunset prayer (Maghrib) so they buy more stuff than normal. Then, again, shops open only after 4p.m. So instead of giving the others opportunity to do their groceries in the morning, everybody has to wait till after 4. The shops close at midnight or past midnight but who wants to stay out that late to do your grocery?
It may be best to also adhere to 2 important things to at least show respect to our Muslim brothers during Ramadan especially when you’re in Qatar.
1.) Do not drink or eat anything in public till after their late afternoon prayers. This is important as being seen eating/drinking would be like tempting them to do the same. Children below 12 may eat publicly but still would be best if this is done in a more private environment. Most restaurants/shops are closed throughout the morning till late afternoon anyway.
2.) For ladies, if you’re the showy type, dress more conservatively.
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1 Response to Ramadan 2008
ramadan scraps
August 27th, 2008 at 9:50 am
Happy Ramadan 2008 !!!