Emirates expands iftar, prayer and Ramadan amenities across its inflight and lounge network

Emirates distributes complimentary iftar boxes at selected boarding gates, serves nutritionally balanced Ramadan meal boxes across cabins to select destinations, and uses inflight geolocation (longitude, latitude, altitude) to calculate precise imsak and iftar times for passengers in flight.

Onboard and gate-level iftar logistics

At many departure gates, Emirates hands out complimentary iftar boxes containing water, laban, a banana and dates to fasting passengers at the local iftar time. Onboard, the airline supplements regular hot meals with specially designed Ramadan meal boxes for customers breaking their fast in all classes on eligible routes.

What the Ramadan meal boxes include

• Traditional dates to mark iftar.
• Light mezze options such as hummus, moutabel or muhammara with Arabic bread.
• Main choices: chicken mossakan or herbed chicken sandwich.
• Sweet treats: chocolate almonds, baklawa, pistachio mamoul or nut-based sweets.
• Laban (fermented milk drink) and bottled water.

Precision timing for fasting passengers

To respect religious timings, Emirates employs an inflight calculation tool that uses the aircraft’s exact position and altitude to compute imsak and iftar relative to sunrise and sunset. When sunset occurs according to that calculation, the captain announces the official iftar time to passengers.

Lounges, prayer rooms and refreshments

Across the seven Emirates Lounges at Dubai International Airport (DXB), Ramadan offerings include Arabic sweets, dates, coffee and a curated selection of hot and cold Arabic mezze. First and Business Class lounges present full traditional menus: lentil soup, Arabic mixed grill with tahina, lamb kabsa, chicken machboos, lamb shanks ouzi, plus desserts such as pistachio kunafa and basbousa with saffron.

Lounges also feature dedicated prayer rooms and ablution facilities to provide a quiet environment for worship and reflection.

Inflight entertainment and religious content

Emirates’ ice system adjusts its on‑demand feed for Ramadan, offering a selection of religious programmes in Arabic (for example, Kheir Qodwa, Qalb Al Mo’men) and Urdu content like Ramadan Mah e Rehmat. The Holy Qur’an is available among thousands of channels, and the Arabic language content swap includes up to 450 movie and TV channels and 400 music and podcast channels.

Entertainment at a glance

Sensory offerings: Bukhoor scents and seasonal items

Emirates has launched a range of Bukhoor home scents timed for Ramadan gifting. Scents include Oud Rose, Dreamy Nights and Sacred Ember, sold in 70g pots via the Emirates Official Store. The new packaging features Emirates’ Ghaf tree motif and is positioned as an elegant travel- or home-gifting option.

Bukhoor scent notes

• Oud Rose: raspberry, rose, oud, patchouli, vanilla.
• Dreamy Nights: green citrus, jasmine, amber, cedar.
• Sacred Ember: saffron, lavender, tobacco, cedar.

Special provisions for Umrah travellers

Passengers travelling for Umrah to Jeddah and Medina receive inflight Ramadan boxes on applicable flights. Emirates also permits customers to check in one bottle of ‘ZAMZAM’ holy water—up to five litres per person—at DXB and select Saudi airports, facilitating pilgrimage logistics and baggage planning.

Staff training and cultural readiness

Emirates provides Ramadan awareness training to cabin crew and ground teams across its network. The training covers cultural practices, operational nuances during the Holy Month and service adaptations to ensure staff can deliver appropriate and sensitive customer care.

The main highlights here are how operational planning—meal logistics, inflight timing algorithms, dedicated lounge services and staff training—converge to create a seamless Ramadan travel experience. While these seasonal adjustments are unlikely to reshape the global tourism map dramatically, they are meaningful for travellers on affected routes and reflect how carriers integrate cultural observances into service design. Naturally, nothing replaces personal experience: even the best reviews can’t substitute for your own journey. On LocalsRide, you can hire a car with driver from verified providers at reasonable prices. This empowers you to make the most informed decision without unnecessary expenses or disappointments, benefiting from convenience, affordability, extensive vehicle choices and a wide range of additional options. Book your Ride LocalsRide.com

In summary, Emirates’ Ramadan programme spans gate-level iftar distribution, bespoke onboard meal boxes, precise inflight timing calculations, expanded lounge menus, dedicated prayer facilities, tailored entertainment and seasonal Bukhoor gifting. For travellers planning airport transfers, city pickups or cross‑city connections during the Holy Month, these measures affect timing, seat planning and passenger service expectations. Services like LocalsRide.com make it simple to arrange an exact taxi or private car to the airport or destination, see the car make and model, check driver license and ratings, compare fares and prices via the app, choose vehicle size (Private sedan, 7‑seater, or limousine), and estimate how much the ride will cost. Use the platform to book a reliable driver and car for timely airport pickup, avoid surprises on fare or time, and secure the seat you need—whether you need a cheap cab or the best private transfer—so you can focus on the destination and your Ramadan experience. LocalsRide.com