By Mohammed Rashad Hussain, Managing PartnerPublished 4 min read
When is Ramadan in 2027?
Ramadan 2027 is projected to begin around 8 February and to end with Eid Al Fitr from about 9 March. Gulf News gives those dates as estimates. The UAE confirms the start by moon sighting, so the real day can shift by one.
Ramadan moves about 11 days earlier each year because it follows the Hijri calendar. In 2026 the expected start was 19 February. If you book a trip that overlaps either end of the month, leave a day of slack. Our Ramadan timings guide lists Metro, parking and Salik hours as the authorities publish them.
Can tourists eat and drink in public during Ramadan?
You are not expected to fast. You are expected to be discreet. Eating, drinking and smoking openly between sunrise and sunset is seen as disrespectful, and local guides advise against it in malls, on streets, in parks and on public transport.
In practice:
- Eat inside a restaurant, a hotel dining room or your room.
- Keep a bottle of water in your bag and sip it quietly if you need it.
- Do not eat or drink in the car when your driver is fasting. Ask first.
- Do not play loud music in public by day.
The legal position has softened over the years, and older foreign-office warnings still circulate online. Our Dubai laws for tourists guide sets out the rules that stay the same all year.
What is open: restaurants, malls, attractions and bars
Most restaurants stay open by day and serve as usual. Hotels keep their restaurants and pools running. Malls open later in the morning and close late: in 2026, City Centre Deira and Mirdif ran until 1 am, with some restaurants open to 2 am, according to Gulf News. Confirm each mall’s hours on the day.
Attractions publish adjusted hours, and many extend into the evening. Cinemas tend to open around 1 pm or 2 pm and add late shows after iftar.
Live concerts and loud performances are generally paused. Quieter oud or qanun music around iftar and suhoor is common. Licensed hotel bars generally stay open, with a calmer mood.
What to wear and how to behave
Cover shoulders and knees in malls, souks and public places. Keep swimwear for the beach and the pool. Greet people with “Ramadan Kareem”.
The Dubai dress code guide covers mosques, malls and beaches in detail.
Iftar and suhoor: how visitors can join in
Iftar is the meal that breaks the fast at sunset. Hotels and restaurants across Dubai serve iftar menus, usually as a buffet or set menu. Suhoor is the late-night meal before dawn, often served until 1 am or 2 am in malls and hotel tents.
Book iftar tables a few days ahead. Ask whether the venue starts serving exactly at sunset, because the call to prayer sets the time.
Traffic before iftar and how to plan transfers
Working hours are shorter in Ramadan. Private-sector staff work 2 hours less a day, so the afternoon rush starts early and peaks in the hour before sunset. After iftar, roads fill again around malls, Global Village and restaurant clusters.
Plan like this:
- Avoid crossing Dubai on Sheikh Zayed Road or Al Khail Road in the hour before sunset.
- Book an airport pickup that lands you at your hotel before iftar, or after it.
- Tell your driver the iftar time and the venue so the pickup is timed ahead of it.
See the airport transfers service for DXB, DWC and Zayed International pickups, and our Dubai rush hour guide for the normal pattern. Assure answers on WhatsApp 24/7 if a flight is late.
Eid Al Fitr at the end of Ramadan
Eid Al Fitr is a public holiday from 1 to 3 Shawwal, and day 30 of Ramadan becomes a holiday as well if the month runs 30 days, according to the UAE government portal. Flights, beaches and malls get very busy. Our Eid in Dubai guide covers it, and the UAE public holidays guide lists the full year.
Which tours run during Ramadan?
Desert safaris, dhow cruises and city tours generally keep running, but each operator sets its own programme. Ask three things before you pay: is there live entertainment, when is the meal served, and what time is pickup. Our best time for a desert safari guide covers heat and timing, and the tours page shows what Assure arranges.
For a day with several stops, a chauffeur by the hour lets you shift the plan around sunset.
Photos in this guide
Jumeirah Mosque in Dubai, with two tall minarets and a carved dome under a clear skyRokaszil / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Towers of dates and bowls of dried fruit at a Ramadan Kareem iftar buffetDashauvarkina8 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
A traditional abra water taxi crossing Dubai Creek at sunsetZbrkhawar / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
A quiet luxury shopping corridor inside The Dubai MallAnk Kumar / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
