Ajman's government has halted plans to run public tents in Ramadan, instead pledging a free meals campaign for people in need.
The decision to call off the tents initiative – which usually feeds thousands each day free of charge throughout the holy month – follows a similar decision in Dubai last week.
Officials said permits that are normally given out to charitable organisations and private donors have been cancelled.
Iftar meals – the meal taken to break the fast after sunset – will be distributed throughout the emirate by registered charities. These organisations will closely follow coronavirus safety rules.
Ajman's Charitable Activities and Endowments Coordination Council said it would coordinate with charities to plan meal distribution.
In Ramadan, mosques, charitable organisations and private donors welcome people of all faiths and nationalities, particularly low-income workers and families, to break their fast each evening.
Last year, free iftar gatherings were cancelled across the country as the scale of the pandemic became clear and Covid-19 cases quickly rose.
Instead, free meals were given out in doorstep campaigns, at a time when many families were losing jobs.
Dubai and Ajman's authorities are yet to decide whether tents for iftar and suhoor – the pre-dawn meal taken before fasting – will be allowed this year in hotels.
These typically offer all-you-can-eat buffets for a set price.
Earlier, the UAE reported 2,959 new cases of Covid-19 on Saturday, with a further 14 deaths.
In its daily coronavirus update, the government said 1,901 patients had been given the all-clear.
The update also showed 242,159 people had been tested – marking one of the biggest days for screening to date.
Weekend figures for testing are typically high, as people prepare to travel or get a weekly or fortnightly test as mandated by their employer.
The latest fatalities took the death toll to 1,310.
Since the outbreak of the pandemic, 408,236 Covid-19 cases have been recorded, with 391,205 recoveries.
Ramadan in the pandemic - in pictures
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A Bosnian Muslims woman with face mask, prays in front of the Mosque, during Muslims' holy month of Ramadan, in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. EPA -
Pakistani cobblers make traditional Peshawari Chappal shoes ahead of the Eid al-Fitr in Peshawar, Pakistan. EPA -
People rush to shop for the Eid holiday that marks the end of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan after the government relaxed a weeks-long lockdown that was enforced to help curb the spread of the coronavirus, in Quetta, Pakistan. AP Photo -
A couple wearing face masks shops at a mall as people prepare for the upcoming Eid al-Fitr celebrations, the religious festival that marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan amid the ongoing coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. EPA -
Workers arranges cookies on trays for delivery at a bakery ahead of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr in Srinagar. AFP -
A worker arranges cookies on a tray for delivery at a bakery ahead of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr in Srinagar. AFP -
A volunteer of the "Nass el-Khir" association, wearing mask due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, prepares food for meals to be distributed among those in need during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan, in Algeria's capital Algiers. AFP -
Volunteers of the "Nass el-Khir" association package meal boxes before being distributed among those in need during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan, in Algeria's capital Algiers. AFP -
Hairdressers wearing protective suits work at a barber shop ahead of Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, amid the ongoing coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic in Sanaa, Yemen. EPA -
Saudis exercise with an online video with the aim of collecting donations to support needy families during the holy month of Ramadan, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. REUTERS -
A Pakistani tries traditional coat ahead of Eid al-Fitr in Peshawar, Pakistan. EPA -
Porters waits to receive free ration distributed by Saylani trust as trains operations are shut amid lockdown due to the ongoing coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in Karachi, Pakistan. EPA
