Ritz Carlton. Courtesy Ritz Carlton
Ritz Carlton. Courtesy Ritz Carlton
Ritz Carlton. Courtesy Ritz Carlton
Ritz Carlton. Courtesy Ritz Carlton

Food

Our guide to Abu Dhabi and Dubai’s best iftars

Here's our guide to some of the best places in the UAE to break your fast this Ramadan.

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  • Arabic

Ramadan is set to start on Sunday, June 29. For observers, that means abstaining from food and drink from dawn until sunset. In addition to the spiritual nourishment, a hallmark of the Holy Month is the iftar — the nightly meal to break the fast, usually shared with family and friends. Nearly all of the major restaurants across the UAE offer iftars with a special Ramadan menu. Usually designed as buffets, iftars offer a variety of options with cuisine that ranges from regional favourites to popular international dishes. We provide a sampling of where you can break your fast during Ramadan.
Map: Where to find our iftar recommendations in Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Dubai
• Break your fast at Flow Kitchen at Fairmont The Palm with a buffet prepared by the Arab chef Rober Salloum. Offerings include a variety of Arabian specialities including lamb ouzi and live shawarma and manakeesh stations. From sunset until 9pm, Dh185. Call 04 457 3457.
• Le Royal Méridien, Dubai will host an international iftar at Brasserie. Live cooking stations and specialist chefs will serve up a mix of Araban and international cuisine. From sunset until 9pm, Dh180. À la carte menu is also available. Call 04 316 5550.
• Almaz by MOMO will feature a variety of Arab and North African flavours, including lamb tagine, prawn kataifi, cheese briouats and pistachio macaroons. Almaz by MOMO has an outlet in the Mall of the Emirates in Dubai as well as The Galleria on Al Maryah Island in Abu Dhabi. From sunset until 8.30pm, Dh170. Call 04 409 8877 (Dubai) and 02 676 7702 (Abu Dhabi).
• The iftar at Nine7One in The Oberoi hotel will serve food with a modern twist from nine Arab countries. Dishes include lobster kibbeh with beetroot hummus, sea bass kunafi crisp with lemon chilli dip and braised short ribs ras el hanout. From sunset until 9pm, Dh180. Call 04 444 1407.
• Feast on a five-course meal at Hakkasan Dubai during the Holy Month with a selection of choices for each course including wok-fried tiger prawns, stir-fry rib-eye beef and charcoal-grilled chicken stuffed with sticky rice. Diners also get a complimentary mocktail called Desert Rose. From sunset until 12.30am, Dh188. Call 04 384 8484.
• The Desert Palm Hotel on Al Awir Road will host an iftar at Rare restaurant. The specialties on offer include lamb soup, homemade mezze and Arabian desserts. From sunset until 11pm, Dh145. Call 04 323 8888.
Most Interesting
• The Farm in Dubai is an eco-conscious restaurant that serves wholesome food in a peaceful, natural setting. Take a break from the typical lavish hotel buffets and choose healthy selections from the à la carte menu, which includes grilled aubergine rolls, chicken and apricot tagine and dukka-crust fish fillet. From sunset until 1.30am. Call 04 392 5660.
Budget-Friendly
• The Arabian Courtyard Hotel & Spa in downtown Bur Dubai will host an iftar at its Bastakiya Cafe and Restaurant for just Dh85 a person. Diners can feast on Indian, Pakistani, international and traditional Arabian dishes. From sunset until 11pm. Call 04 351 9111.
Abu Dhabi
• Head to the iftar at Ingredients in the Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa for a wide selection of Emirati, Arab and international dishes. It will also have a variety of juices on offer, including amar al din (apricot juice), jallab (made with grape molasses, dates and rose water) and laban. From sunset until 10.30pm, Dh185. Call 02 656 1000.
• The iftar at CuiScene restaurant at the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr will include an array of Arabian dishes with an emphasis on Emirati cuisine. The buffet can be enjoyed inside or in a large air-conditioned outdoor tent specifically constructed for the Holy Month. From sunset until 9.30pm, Dh185. Call 02 654 3333.
• Guests can break their fast at Selections at the InterContinental Abu Dhabi, where they'll get a sampling of both international and traditional Arabian cuisine. They'll also enjoy views of the marina while they dine. From sunset until 9pm, Dh175++. Call 800 423 463 800-423.
• The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal will host an iftar in its all-day dining restaurant Giornotte, which will be transformed into an Arabian retreat. The Middle Eastern buffet will feature camel and lamb ouzi. From sunset until 9pm, Dh215++. Call 02 818 8282.
• Jumeirah at Etihad Towers will offer two iftars: one at Rosewater that will feature authentic Arabian fare and the other at its Layali Al Baraka venue. The latter will include live cooking stations and a traditional oud player. Starting from sunset at both venues. Rosewater, Dh185. Layali Al Baraka, Dh175. Call 02 811 5666.
• For the second year, Emirates Palace will host an iftar in its grand Ramadan pavilion. The lavish buffet will feature popular Emirati dishes and international cuisine. The pavilion will give guests a view of the beach on one side and the hotel's facade on the other. From sunset to 9pm, Dh265. Suhoor follows until 1:30am. Call 02 690 9000.
Most Interesting
• Yas Viceroy is offering an iftar on an evening dhow cruise that will serve up traditional Arab dishes such as lamb ouzi and local fish kofta. Guests will have views of the mangroves, the Abu Dhabi skyline and wild gazelles on the beachfront. The three-hour cruise will depart at sunset, Dh490 (Dh200 for children aged 6+). Call 02 656 0783.
Budget-Friendly
• Kwality Restaurant on Salaam Street will offer an Indian iftar buffet featuring vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes, biryanis and more. You can eat all you want for just Dh59. Kids below age 12 eat for Dh30 and those under 6 eat free. From sunset until midnight. Call 02 672 7337.

UAE tour of Zimbabwe

All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – UAE won by 36 runs
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

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Reading List

Practitioners of mindful eating recommend the following books to get you started:

Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life by Thich Nhat Hanh and Dr Lilian Cheung

How to Eat by Thich Nhat Hanh

The Mindful Diet by Dr Ruth Wolever

Mindful Eating by Dr Jan Bays

How to Raise a Mindful Eaterby Maryann Jacobsen

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The more serious side of specialty coffee

While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.

The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.

Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”

One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.

Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms. 

Killing of Qassem Suleimani
While you're here
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?

The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.

A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.

Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.

The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.

When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.

Scoreline

Arsenal 3
Aubameyang (28'), Welbeck (38', 81')
Red cards: El Neny (90' 3)

Southampton 2
Long (17'), Austin (73')
Red cards: Stephens (90' 2)

Arabic foodRamadan 2026Emirati