Dubai has cancelled the permits for Ramadan tents this year, inline with nationwide efforts to contain the spread of Covid-19, the Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department (IACAD) announced.
IACAD said that the initiative aims to stop large gatherings where there are possibilities of people flouting social distancing rules amidst the pandemic.
During the Holy month of Ramadan, it is the norm for Mosques to host social gatherings for workers and provide them with free meals during Iftar.
The new instructions, however, have been in place to protect public health and safety.
The Executive Director of the charitable sector, Ahmed Darwish Al Muhairi said that as the number of people and organisations like to volunteer for distribution during the Holy month, they can do so together with charities and institutions licensed and approved by the IACAD.
IACAD places health and safety among its priorities, and explained that ‘all necessary precautions’ will be taken to ensure that the Holy month of Ramadan passes safely.
The Director of the Charitable Institutions department at IACAD, Muhammad Musabeh Dahi said that the authority will however continue to reach out to the needy through its digital ‘Meals of Hope’ initiative during Ramadan.
Launched in 2019, the initiative provides meals to the underprivileged through a digital platform, enabling them to request food from a group of select restaurants directly through Zomato.
