Today's Edition
Batool Ghaith and Kirstin Bernabe (ABU DHABI)
Across the UAE, the faithful continued to gather in mosques for prayers and moments of reflection over the weekend. Many also visited iftar tents as Ramadan traditions carried on uninterrupted amid regional developments.
At the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, worshippers attended Taraweeh prayers as usual, as shown in a video shared by the mosque on social media. People of different nationalities came together in unity on the 11th night of Ramadan, reflecting the spirit of community and devotion that defines the holy month.
Similar scenes were observed in neighbourhoods across the country. UAE resident Laraib A. said her 50-year-old father never missed a prayer at the mosque over the past couple of days, and her 69-year-old grandmother attended Taraweeh on Saturday evening.
“My father told me that amid the situation, he ‘never had a second thought about going to the mosque’,” Laraib told Aletihad. She added that regular safety advisories and constant updates reassured her family.
Syed Basha, another resident, said mosques in his area were packed over the weekend.
“It is our duty to pray at a mosque. We will pray at home only if there’s an official advisory to do so. With the assurance of safety, we feel at ease attending prayers,” he told Aletihad.
“People are also out running errands, shopping, and carrying on with their usual routines. Seeing that gives me confidence,” he added.
Besides mosques, the community gathered at locations where the iftar cannon signals the end of the day’s fast. Families were seen at Umm Al Emarat Park and at Qasr Al Hosn, where the Ramadan cannon links the tradition to Abu Dhabi’s centuries-old history.
The continuation of these Ramadan rituals comes as authorities reassured the public that daily life is proceeding as normal and the security situation is under control.
