UAE residents complain about lack of respect for Ramadan dress code

While millions of Muslims throughout the world are fasting in the month of Ramadan, residents in the UAE are complaining about the way some people are dressed, especially during the summer months. Residents are urged to dress more modestly, particularly when it comes to taking part in social gatherings related to the month of Ramadan.

“A lot of people going to Ramadan tents dress up as if they are going to nightclubs. I think that they should dress respectfully and keep in mind that the people present in the evening were the same people fasting during the day,” Ayman Abdul Malek Shash, a 23-year-old Yemeni engineer told Gulf News.

However, Noor Sayadi, a Syrian resident had a different opinion completely, saying that he thought it would be hypocritical of a person to dress one way throughout the year and then cover up for the month of Ramadan.

“It seems strange to me that people only respect Ramadan during the day and not after iftar,” he said.

Although it’s not official, Ramadan comes with certain codes of conduct and people are observed more carefully in the capital. Security is particularly high in malls, where they monitor visitors more closely during Ramadan. They make more of an effort to approach those dressed indecently and inform them that their actions are not particularly welcome. But they cannot enforce a dress code on visitors and therefore cannot ask them to leave.

“Low-cut shirts and anything too short is not allowed. From our experience, I do not think that anyone could argue against this because it is common sense,” Hiwot Mamo, who works with Khalidiya Mall’s management, said, talking to Gulf News.

There are usually signs already on doors of malls and other large public areas, to highlight the appropriate dress code, however 20-year-old Febronia Armenia, a graduate of hospitality management, told Gulf News younger generations usually ignore the signs, adding that “people’s idea of what is appropriate differs with different cultures.”

Paul Crompton, a British expat agreed, saying that the issue of a dress code in Ramadan or in general should be up to the individual’s discretion within reason. “I do not believe that any dress code should be established in the UAE, but people should be culturally sensitive.” he said.