Ramadan is the time of year we strive to be our best. We consider how we interact with others, and when fasting, we think carefully about what passes our lips.
But the renewed attention to traditional values doesn’t mean we need to forsake our modern ones. Many Dubai residents incorporate aspects of a contemporary lifestyle into their observance.
Annual detox
Fasting in Ramadan is less about deprivation and more about reinvigoration. Along with spiritual cleansing, Australian engineer Humayun Baig, 30, sees fasting as an annual detox. “The idea of fasting is to eat less than normal so digestive organs can have some rest and release toxins that have accumulated through the year,” he says. “Ideally, iftar and suhour should include a combination of fresh and nutritious food items that are easy on the stomach and not too spicy.”
Shereen Mitwalli, a 35-year-old Egyptian Australian, says she always looks forward to Ramadan in Dubai as there is a true appreciation of the fasting culture here.
“Ramadan in general is a spiritual time where it’s meant to connect you with the people who are less fortunate. It also makes me so appreciative about what we have, and not to take it for granted,” she says. While fasting helps her focus on the importance of these traditions, she works on managing her nutrition and hydration.
“I end my fast by eating a date at sunset,” she says. After that, it’s all about fluids. “I focus on drinking loads of water and electrolytes,” she explains. “I find fresh coconut water is amazing, it quenches my thirst and keeps me going the next day.”
British stay-at-home mum Hayley Bukhamsin, 33, uses superfoods to deliver maximum nutrition when breaking the fast. “One of my favourite ways to get a quick, healthy burst of energy and nutrition is with Bliss Balls. They can be kept on hand easily as they store and transport so well,” she says. “They take minutes to make, are packed full of goodness from dates, nuts and seeds, and contain no hidden refined sugars or chemical nasties.” Her recipe for Bliss Balls is currently on her blog, Thegentlemama.com.
Electrolytes, detoxing and superfoods may not be concepts traditionally associated with Ramadan but they’re not fads.
A five-year consumer study of Ramadan food trends highlights a steady rise in healthy eating. The Ramadan Connect 2.0 study from Kantar AMRB found a 7 per cent increase in healthy food consumption over the period, and a rising preference for balanced meals.
Healthy items such as fruit, juice, soups and salads have become more popular over the period. The popularity of sodas has dropped 9 per cent, while the healthier beverage option, laban, has grown 6 per cent.
Bigger buys
Consumer behaviour also shifts in other ways over Ramadan. Spending is high, but trips to the mall aren’t as frequent. “Consumers in the UAE have a higher spending tendency during Ramadan,” says Rabia Yasmeen, research analyst at Euromonitor International. “Expats tend to make higher purchase for gift items during Ramadan as most of them visit their home countries by the end of Ramadan to celebrate Eid,” she says.
E-commerce and mobile-commerce show the biggest increases, she adds, with a 28 per cent increase across the various retail categories for the month.
The online retailer Little Majlis is typical of the kind of marketplace that sees a peak in trade around Ramadan.
“Customers are looking for end-of-school-year, leaving and farewell gifts as well as shopping for the summer holidays, so this year we’re seeing this peak combined with Ramadan gift shopping,” says founding partner Annabelle Fitzsimmons. “The time of day customers browse and shop at littlemajlis.com does shift during Ramadan, with most purchases being made early afternoon or late in the evenings.”
Fitzsimmons and her partner Anna Bolton-Riley created Little Majlis as a platform for independent brands and artisans to showcase a range of products outside those available in the malls.
They are part of a recent initiative by social media network Instagram, which has curated a selection on indie brands especially for Ramadan. Others include Berber abayas, Drawdeck art and The Bowery Company for furniture and objets d’art. “Giving a thoughtful gift that’s been made responsibly, creatively and has a story to tell is certainly in keeping with the spirit of the holy month,” says Bolton-Riley.
One reason products sell well at this time is that many can be personalised, so they’re particularly popular as gifts, she says.
“We like to think that choosing to support local small business and independent designer-makers by shopping at littlemajlis.com is a sustainable and conscientious choice,” she says.
Euromonitor’s Rabia Yasmeen puts this goodwill into context. She values the UAE’s increased spending through debit and credit cards, at about 14 per cent growth last Ramadan, according to Network International.
The moral to this story is that it is possible to spend a little more over this period and still consider the impact of our consumer choices in the spirit of Ramadan.
