Dubai Residents Require Permission to Distribute Iftar Meals

Dubai's residents who want to distribute iftar meals to the public must have permission from Dubai's Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department (lacad).

This process will ensure that the food is safe to consume and that the iftar meals are being distributed to a variety of places. Dubai's residents cannot distribute iftar meals or run charity campaigns unless they have a licence for it. 

Director of the Charitable Institutions Mohammed Dahi said "People can apply to the department to get permission to distribute iftar meals. The person needs to mention which area he or she will distribute the meals to make the process more organised."

The director also said "We don’t want people to go to one place at one time. By knowing which areas they are planning to go, we can guide others to go to another area to distribute iftar meals.”

Residents who want to apply for permission to distribute iftar meals can visit the Department's website or call 800600.

These residents have to submit their Emirates ID, the location of distribution, and the location of the restaurant that will provide the iftar meals.

Residents who run an iftar meal campaign without permission will be fined AED 5,000 to AED 10,000 or given a jail term ranging from thirty days to a year. 

Residents can distribute iftar meals without permission to small groups of people they know, however, they cannot run iftar meals campaigns either in person or through social media. 

If these people are not able to acquire a licence to distribute, then they can donate to various licensed charity organizations in the UAE.

lacad has issued permission for 22 iftar tents and more than 300 iftar tables. The Department will also arrange a group iftar for 1,000 people in Expo City Dubai. There will also be an iftar table for 200 school principals on April 9th and the department will also host Islamic lectures onsite and at 2,300 mosques in Dubai.