Ramadan 2023: How UAE residents are preparing to welcome the holy month

With Ramadan just around the corner, families have been stocking up on their essentials for the holy month. Supermarkets across the country have offered massive discounts and offers on various products that are particularly in demand during the month.

For Maheen, a German of Pakistani origin, oil, lentils, and samosa sheets are the most in-demand items in her house for the month.

“We use plenty of oil in the household,” she said. “So I am always on the lookout for deals on oil. I also like to stock up on regular household items like cleaning products and spices so that I don’t have to bother about it during Ramadan.”

The mother of two, who is also preparing to host her in-laws in her house during Ramadan, said she wanted to get a head start on her shopping and preparations early. “I didn’t get any major deals because I did my shopping early,” she said. “There are a lot of things that make an appearance in my household only during Ramadan. Like Rooh Afza, Tang and of course fried goodies. I shopped for all the basics along with flour, chickpeas, frozen chicken and keema (mince meat) for fillings and so on.”

Maheen said that although she usually prefers to shop online, for her big Ramadan shopping she went into the store. “There are a lot of things that you remember when you see them in the store,” she said. “Also, things like chickpeas, I prefer to examine them and then buy.”

She said she has spent the last few days preparing her family’s favourite food for Ramadan. “My family is very picky in how they want their Ramadan snacks made,” she said. “The samosas are a certain recipe that I have been following for years. I also soak and grind urad dal which I then batch freeze to make a traditional dish called boondi. It is a recipe that was passed on to me from my in-laws and it is always made during Ramadan."

Dubai resident, Mariam, who hails from Jordan said she was hoping to get her shopping done this weekend. “I was waiting for the Ramadan deals which usually start on the last weekend,” she said.

Cooking for a family of just two, she said she tended to stock up on non-perishable items. “I buy a lot of lentils because we have lentil soup every day,” she said. “I also buy rice, canned food and pastas. Fruits, vegetables and meat or chicken I buy on a need basis.”

Mariam said she prefers to shop online but she, like Maheen preferred to go to store for her pre-Ramadan shopping. “When you browse through the aisles you see things and remember it,” she said. However, she said she prefers to not go to the supermarket during Ramadan. “Everyone is angry and grumpy during Ramadan, me included,” she said. “So I prefer to shop online which will be delivered to my house by the time I get home from work. This means, I can quickly whip up a meal.”

Meanwhile, supermarkets in the country have been offering massive discounts on several oft-used products during Ramadan. Carrefour started a Ramadan campaign on February 21 that is offering discounts of up to 50 per cent on more than 6,000 products. “We see a rise in shopping of food items, especially essential ingredients like cooking oil, dates, fresh meat, vegetables and fruits, dessert, dairy items and more,” said Bernardo Perloiro, Chief Operating Officer-GCC, Majid Al Futtaim Retail.

• Ramadan 2023: Dubai announces remote learning for private school students on Fridays