Ramadan in Dubai: More inspections, increased hours for abattoir; how emirate is preparing for holy month

Dubai Municipality (DM) has completed its preparations for ensuring health and food safety standards for the holy month of Ramadan. The civic body has increased inspection visits to markets, food retailers, and food preparation facilities in various parts of Dubai.

In addition to this, abattoirs have set their hours to accommodate an increased number of customers. DM is working around the clock to ensure the highest health and safety standards and food safety in the emirate.

“Dubai Municipality's inspection teams have increased their visits to establishments working in food and meal preparation, traditional kitchens, food warehouses, hotels, hypermarkets, supermarkets, and other markets,” said Sultan Al-Taher, Director of the Food Safety Department at Dubai Municipality.

According to him, these visits were done to ensure food safety and confirm that owners and employees followed the recommended food safety procedures throughout the various food preparation stages. The storing, cooking, and serving procedures and the quality of materials used were evaluated during the site visits.

“Over the holy month of Ramadan, Dubai Municipality will continue to inspect the food industry, particularly in retail establishments, cooperative societies, and markets such as the Waterfront Market and the Central Fruits and Vegetables Market,” Al Taher added. “We want to ensure optimum health regulations are followed, as well as ensure the safety of the fresh foods sold in these markets, which spoil quickly if not stored in compliance with the guidelines for food safety.”

Health and safety requirements

The food safety inspection teams concentrate on ensuring food establishments adhere to the rules and regulations for handling, preparing, storing, and displaying food products and for using methods for thermal preservation and shielding food from pollutants. The teams further check the cleanliness of the procedures and areas used in food preparation, the quality of the oils used, and conformity with local norms.

Considering the increased demand during Ramadan, inspection teams will also monitor food preparation procedures at popular kitchens to ensure they adhere to the standards and guidelines for storage, transit, and display. In addition, they will monitor the extent to which the workers and supervisors in food establishments adhere to personal hygiene standards, educate them about hygiene, and emphasize the importance of applying best health practices, adherence to hygiene, and wearing gloves and gloves hairnets.

Preparations at abattoirs

Abattoirs in Dubai have completed the preparations for the holy month carrying out preventative maintenance on all equipment to guarantee continuous services and faster and effective operations. To offer a comfortable experience and seamless services, the municipality has completed all maintenance work at the Al Quoz and Hatta abattoirs and increased the waiting space for customers.

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