Long Eid holiday provides residents a welcome break

Interest increases in travel packages to popular destinations

Abu Dhabi: As Eid draws closer, residents in the UAE are looking at ways to spend the extended break away from the summer heat. The announcement of the nine-day public holiday has therefore given them a chance to travel to their homelands or even visit other countries.

Airlines have reported an increase in bookings over the Eid holiday, and travel agencies say they have seen a significant rise in the number of enquiries about packages. In line with the Islamic calendar, Eid this year falls in early September, when the summer heat is still palpable in the UAE.

Khalid Bil Jaflah, vice- president of commercial sales at Emirates airline, said the Eid break usually sees an increase in outbound travel.

"The Eid period has always been a busy time for Emirates, with a large volume of passengers travelling overseas to spend time with family and friends. Outbound bookings from Dubai over this period are extremely strong," he said.

Change of scenery

According to the airline executive, the most popular destinations over the period were various cities in the Middle East, as well as Istanbul, Bangkok, London, India and Kuala Lumpur.

Travel packages have also proven popular, and families have seized the long break to explore new places.

Abdul Rauf, senior sales executive at Abu Dhabi-based Bin Ham Travel, said the agency had been seeing an increase in queries about travel packages as soon as the nine-day public holiday was announced.

"Turkey has been a very popular choice, possibly because the tickets and hotels are rather affordable. In addition, quite a few people have opted to spend their holidays in Malaysia and Thailand," Rauf said.

In turn, residents say that travelling during the long break is a perfect way to get a change of scenery.

"I wanted to see greenery and go somewhere away for a while, so I decided to visit my old school friends during the Eid break. It's always good to get a change from your daily routine," said Gregory Gottlieb, 51, a British project manager.

Detailing his travel plans, Gottlieb said he would use the opportunity to practise his favourite sports in Australia. "I will go skydiving at the Southern Sky Diving near Margaret River, and I cannot wait," he added.

Nour Ajouz, 26, said he was travelling back to Lebanon with his wife.

"I have been in the UAE for three years, and every Eid, I take a few extra days off and use the mini break to enjoy the festivities with my friends and family back home," Ajouz said.

More special

"Eid is simply more special when you have more relatives and friends to spend it with," he added.

I. Abdullah is visiting his extended family in Egypt with his three-month-old baby for the first time this Eid. "My parents and siblings are eager to meet my daughter Nour, as she is the first grandchild in our family. My wife and I too cannot wait to share our happiness, and enjoy Eid in all its entirety," Abdullah said.

Greetings from rulers

President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan has sent congratulatory cables to the kings, princes and presidents of Arab and Islamic countries on the occasion of Eid Al Fitr.

The President wished them good health and happiness and for their people peace and prosperity.

President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Sunday exchanged Eid Al Fitr greetings during a telephone call with Sultan Qaboos Bin Saeed of Oman, King Hamad Bin Eisa Al Khalifa of Bahrain, and Kuwaiti Emir Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber.

His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, have also sent similar cables to the leaders of Arab and Islamic countries.

General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan will perform Eid prayers in Shaikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. He will be joined in prayer by shaikhs, senior officials, dignitaries, and citizens.

Following the Eid prayers, Shaikh Mohammad will receive well-wishers at Al Mushrif Palace on the first day of Eid.

His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah will perform Eid prayers at Al Badea Musallah. He will be joined in prayers by Shaikhs, senior officials and citizens.

His Highness Shaikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, and Shaikh Mohammad Bin Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Crown Prince of Ras Al Khaimah, will perform Eid prayer at the Khuzam Grand Eid Mussala. They will be joined in prayer by Shaikhs, senior officials and citizens.

His Highness Shaikh Hamad Bin Mohammad Al Sharqi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Fujairah, and Shaikh Mohammad Bin Hamad Bin Mohammad Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of Fujairah, will perform Eid prayers at the Fujairah Grand Eid Mussala. They will be joined in prayers by Shaikhs, senior officials and citizens.

— WAM

Eid mussallahs and prayers timings

The Eid prayers start off the festivities after the month-long day-time fast during Ramadan. The massive Eid mussallahs (prayer grounds) in various parts of the emirates are usually packed early morning as families and friends pray and greet each other. The Eid prayers are at different timings in each emirate. Here are the prayer timings and the main mosques and mussallahs in each emirate.

Eid Prayer timing 6.16 am

Mosques Shaikh Zayed Grand Mosque,Old Airport Road; Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Mosque, Al Mushrif Area; Omer Bin Yousuf Mosque, Al Hamdan Street; Thani Bin Mohammad Mosque, Muroor Road; Darwish Bin Karam Mosque, Hamdan Street; Shaikh Khalifa Mosque, Al Estiqlal Road; Ali Bin Ganem Hamooda Mosque, Electra Street.

Prayer timing 6.21 am

Mosques Rashidiya Grand Mosque; Jumeirah Grand Mosque; Zarooni Mosque, Al Twar 3; Qurtoba Mosque, Al Satwa; Al Futaim Mosque, Al Ras 

Mussallah Bur Dubai; Umm Suqeim; Deira and Al Hatta 

Prayer timing 6.17 am

Mussallah Al Bade'a, Al Falaj ground in Al Abar, Al Zubair prayer grounds in Al Zubair area, Al Khan Mussallah, Al Hamriya Musalla, and Abu Mousa Mussallah. 

Mosques King Faisal Mosque, Al Sour area; Umm Qur, Al Guweilah area; Al Maghifirah Mosque, Al Majjarah Bin Darwish Mosque and Abu Dhari Al Gafaru Mosque in Al Majjarah area, Jamia Masjid in Al Maraija, Ali Bin Abi Talib Mosque, Bin Kamil Mosque and Abu Hanifa Mosque in Al Shuwayehan area. 

— By Mahmood Saberi, Senior Reporter and Mariam M Al Serkal and Samihah Zaman, Staff Reporters

When is Eid? The Debate is on

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia's Supreme Court has called on Muslims in the Kingdom to look for the new moon of Shawwal on the evening of Monday, which is the 29th day of Ramadan (Aug. 29) and report the matter to the nearest court if any one sights the new moon either by the naked eye or with help of lenses.

The court directed that the lookers for moon join the committee for the purpose in each region.

The end of fasting and the day of Eid Al-Fitr are decided by the sighting of the Shawwal moon.

But astronomers, who differed on the start of the holy month of Ramadan based on astronomical calculations, are at it again. They are now debating whether Eid Al-Fitr, which marks the end of the fasting month, will fall on Tuesday or Wednesday. The controversy over the start of Ramadan is also driving the debate.

The Saudi Astronomical Society expects Ramadan to be 30 days this year and, if that is the case, it will end on Tuesday, Aug. 30, with the Eid falling on Wednesday, Aug. 31.

The society said the moon would not be sighted on the night of Monday, Ramadan 29 (Aug. 29) thus Eid would not be on Tuesday.

Chairman of the society Majed Abu Zahra said the moon, on Monday, Aug. 29, will set before sunset so no one would be able to sight the crescent. He explained that on that day, the moon would eclipse in all parts of the Kingdom before sunset by at least three to six minutes thus making it impossible to sight the crescent.

He said on the night of Tuesday, Aug. 30, the moon would be clearly seen without the help of telescopes thus indicating that the Eid would be next day, Wednesday Aug. 31.

Abu Zahra said there were two options before the Saudi authorities:

l To make Tuesday (Aug. 30) the first day of Eid with people fasting for 29 days according to astronomical calculations.

l To make Wednesday (Aug. 31) the first day of Eid as the moon would be seen by the naked eye on the night of Tuesday.

by MD HUMAIDAN, Arab News

UAE residents report flouting of Ramadan work hours

Abu Dhabi/Dubai: Scores of non-Muslims have sought help from authorities concerned protesting against what they say is discrimination in terms of reduced work hours during Ramadan.

Many Gulf News readers also voiced complaints that they are made to work longer hours than their Muslim colleagues during Ramadan despite a Ministry of Labour announcement to the contrary. The ministry recently announced that all private and public sector staff are required to work a maximum of six to seven hours daily.

Companies are required to reduce regular working hours by at least two hours during Ramadan.

The readers who took up the issue requested that their names not be disclosed as they feared it could have repercussions on their jobs.

One reader sent a copy of a letter from his company's human resource department that called on all non-Muslim senior staff and managers to work the full day from 9am till 5pm — a total of nine hours.

 

"This is racism," another reader who works for 12 hours every day in another company said. He said his firm, to add insult to injury, is also refusing to pay overtime this year for extra hours put in by employees. A senior ministry official told Gulf News that companies that do not reduce working hours for all their employees by two hours will face stiff penalties.

Labour permits

He said the penalties could include a fine of up to Dh10,000 and a suspension of the firm's eligibility for labour permits for a specified period.

The two-hour reduction in work timings applies to all workers both in the public and the private sector, regardless of their religious belief. The regulation allows those who work for eight hours a day throughout the year to avail of a six-hour work day in Ramadan, while those who work for nine hours should benefit from a seven-hour work day during the Holy Month.

One reader from Abu Dhabi said his company had not only asked staff to work for eight hours but also on Saturdays, which is the weekend off day. He asked where he could make a complaint. The ministry is currently inspecting firms to check compliance both with the Ramadan timings, as well as with the midday break rule that prohibits outdoor work between 12:30 pm and 3 pm till September 15.

The ministry official, however, noted that it was impossible to check on all the 180,000 labour establishments across the UAE. "We are at present focusing on midday break compliance, which is essential to ensure the basic health and rights of workers," he said. According to the official, employers can only legally require employees to put in more than the six or seven hours of work with their consent. "In this case, the extra hours of work cannot exceed four hours on a daily basis, and the worker must be paid 150 per cent of his normal hourly rate of pay for each extra hour worked."

But sales staff at the Computer Plaza in Bur Dubai complain that shop owners do not bother about the rules. "Everyone is forced to work longer hours," said one salesman. "No one can complain because no one wants to lose their jobs," he said.

Concessions

• 6 to 7 hours maximum work time for all Muslims and non-Muslims.
• 150 per cent of normal hourly rate to be paid if working overtime.
• 12.30pm-3pm midday summer break for outdoor workers.
• Hotline: Call 800 665 to lodge complaint with Ministry of Labour

 Source: Gulf News

Inserted from <http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/society/uae-residents-report-flouting-of-ramadan-work-hours-1.846944>