Each cannon fires two munitions when the crescent is sighted
Dubai Police welcomed 31 orphans from the Awqaf and Minors Affairs Foundation to watch the firing of the iftar cannon at Atlantis, Palm Jumeirah.
Major General Abdullah Ali Al Ghaithi, Acting Assistant Commander-in-Chief for Operations Affairs, said the gesture aimed to bring joy to orphans as watching the firing of iftar cannons in Ramadan, a tradition that started in the UAE since the 1960s, equally delights children and adults.
"We are keen to preserve Ramadan rituals, including firing the cannons to announce iftar time and mark the start of the holy month and the commencement of Eid," he added.
Al Ghaithi explained that each cannon fires two munitions when the Ramadan crescent is sighted.
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"One ammunition is fired daily throughout the holy month to alert people of the time of Iftar, and one shot is fired when the first day of Eid Al-Fitr is announced.”
He noted that two shots are fired after the Eid prayer to mark the commencement of the holidays.
Al Ghaithi noted that Dubai Police's iftar cannons have a sound range of 170 decibels and can reach communities within 10km.
Dubai Police had stationed cannons across the emirate in five locations this year. For the first time, mobile cannons were dispatched to 11 areas across Dubai.
reporters@khaleejtimes.com
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