My Ramadan: Nidaa Al Qawasme remembers her first holy month in the UAE

Nidaa Al Qawasme remembers her first Ramadan in Fujairah in 1991. Satish Kumar / The National

FUJAIRAH // For Nidaa Al Qawasme and her family Ramadan is the perfect time to get together under one roof.

“Ramadan means a lot to me and my family, we gather each day on the dining table eating and talking and after that praying, I catch up on everything and I get so excited to be involved in all their discussions and life matters this doesn’t happen on a regular day except during the holy month,” said Mrs Al Qawasme.

“I have four daughters and a son and they all are grown up now each one has his own personal life and separate activities and getting together during Ramadan is something I thank God for each day and in each prayer.”

Remembering her first Ramadan in Fujairah 24 years ago, the 50-year-old Jordanian mother said: “When we first moved here in 1991 I was newly-wed without any family to support me except my husband’s family. On the first day of Ramadan I was invited to Iftar in one of my brothers-in-law houses. They were so kind to me and I was so delighted and thankful and until this day we gather each Ramadan around 25 people eating different kinds of food that has been prepared by four different housewives.”

Mrs Al Qawasme and her husband, who works with Sheikh Hamad bin Saif Al Sharqi, used to visit the royal family during Ramadan and Eid.

“The unusual and unexpected to me was our visits to the royal family where we gathered twice a week at Sheikh Hamad Bin Mohammed Al Sharqi’s house. We used to go around 11pm after Iftar and leave around 2am, the kindness and simplicity of the royal family have surprised me a lot. On my first visit I was really terrified but Sheikha Fatima Al Maktoum, the ruler’s wife, had treated us like family and we used to spend all the time talking about family matters and life.

“Their house was very unique and traditional there where I was first introduced to the traditional Emirati food and sweets and got addicted to it since then,” added Mrs Al Qawasme

Charity is also part of Nidaa’s rituals during the holy month and the rest of the year, helping others in need by providing food, clothing and sometimes money.

“I like to help others throughout the year and especially in Ramadan, there are workers and families that don’t have enough money to buy some food to break their fast, and some of them needs new cloth for Eid, so our duty is to help and provide them with the necessity things that they need in matters of clothing, food and money,” she said.