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Watch: Cannons fire twice to herald Ramadan in the UAE

Residents around the country can witness the tradition every evening during the holy month

Published: Wed 22 Mar 2023, 10:23 PM

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Two loud booms were heard on Wednesday evening by residents as traditional cannons were fired at select locations around the UAE to announce the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan.

The historical Qasr Al Hosn Fort and Expo City Dubai were among the several spots in the UAE where cannons were fired to welcome the beginning of the holy month on Wednesday evening.

The sound of cannons will echo throughout the holy month from several locations, including Expo City Dubai (in front of the iconic Al Wasl Plaza), near Burj Khalifa, Dubai Festival City, Madinat Jumeirah, Damac and Hatta Guest House.

The cannon will be located in Abu Dhabi at Sheikh Zayed Mosque, Qasr Al-Hosn and Umm Al Emarat Park in the Mushrif region, and in the city of Shahama in the Formula parking, and in Al-Ain city it will be in the Zakher area near the wedding hall and Al-Jahili Fort, and the city of Al-Dhafra it will be in Adnoc Gardens.

In Ras Al Khaimah, it will be present in the Al Qawasim Corniche at the Flagpole and in Umm Al Quwain in the Sheikh Zayed Mosque.

According to tradition, the cannon is fired twice to announce the start of Ramadan, and once every day to announce iftar. It also fired twice in a row to announce Eid Al Fitr, and twice again on the morning of the festival.

According to some historians, the custom began in 10th-century Egypt when the cannons were fired to let people know it was time for iftar. In Dubai, it dates back to the 1960s. The cannons are believed to have been manufactured in Britain back in 1945.

According to Major Abdullah Tarish Al Amimi, Commander and Commander of the Iftar Cannons, this year 'two old French cannons' were revived as per the directives of Lieutenant General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police, to use them as part of the Iftar activities due to the historical and heritage value they represent.

He added the two cannons were used in the 1960s and put out of service in 1970 and placed in the Dubai Police Museum.

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