DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) – Dubai is saying goodbye to a long requirement that restaurants be covered with curtains during the day during Ramadan to protect the face of food from people who are fasting.
The move, announced by the city-state’s Department of Economic Development on Sunday, is the latest change aimed at promoting tourism in the autocrat-controlled Muslim country.
“Restaurants are allowed to serve customers without having to install curtains, partitions or facades as was previously the mandatory practice,” the state-run WAM news agency said. “The new circular replaces the circulars issued in previous years which require restaurants to withhold dining areas in front of those who are fasting.”
The new rules also do not require restaurants to obtain special permits to serve food during sunlight.
During Ramadan, Muslims remember themselves during the day of food and drink – even water -. Muslims traditionally break the day-long Ramadan quickly with their first sips of water and their dinner called iftar.
Among the Arab Gulf states, where large, non-Muslim expatriates are populated, most curtains need to be put up to prevent food fasting. Eating and drinking in public can lead to fines and legal problems.
Dubai, one of the seven sheikhdoms in the United Arab Emirates, has long been a tourist destination for those who want beaches, want to go shopping and party in this city with skyscrapers. However, Ramadan has always been a slower period due to its limitations.
In recent years, hoping to boost tourism as Ramadan is celebrated during its important winter months, Dubai has begun to change. In 2016, Dubai loosened rules banning alcohol sales during the day.