SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)
This year, the Abrahamic Family House (AFH) launched the first edition of the Ramadan Village in the AFH garden to provide the public a place to gather for dialogue and community.
The Ramadan Village, which commenced March 15, is open to the public from April 5 to 9 from 9pm to 12:30am.
Families and friends can meet together at the Ramadan Village to celebrate the holy month as a community and deepen their bonds.
Young children are also welcome, and can play and learn in an specifically designated area. In addition to a sense of community, the village also offers Arabic coffee and traditional foods every Friday and Saturday during the holy month of Ramadan, allowing visitors to experience local dishes at the live cooking station.
In cooperation with the General Women’s Union, the AFH also opened spaces for a few low-income productive families to sell their goods during the Ramadan Village. As a simple form of giving, this village was launched for the whole community, but especially for the Muslim community who visits the AFH daily to pray, the organisers said.
“Usually I come here to have a sense of peace,” Sultan Karani, an Emirati tour guide and a regular visitor to AFH, told Aletihad regarding his visit. “With the chair setups, lighting, free food, available parking, and so on, in my opinion, this is not just for us as UAE citizens, but also for people of many nations and cultures to come together and spend time with their family as well. Additionally, I believe that this is a great chance to take in Saadiyat Island’s tranquility.”
Karani also noted that the AFH is a great place for prayer, specifically Taraweeh or Al-Isha, after which he said people can enjoy the festive atmosphere with their families.
“Not just in Abu Dhabi, but throughout the United Arab Emirates, this is an iconic and truly distinctive place. I am happy to be sitting here in this lovely vista in this pleasant weather.”