Ramadan in Dubai: #StayHome Activities and Initiatives

Keeping the body active and alert throughout Ramadan is at the forefront of Dubai’s residents’ minds this year, as the emphasis on physical and mental wellbeing is even more present as people stay home and socially distance themselves from others. A series of activities and initiatives have been launched online by retailers, fitness gurus and government authorities, reaching every community in Dubai, to help friends and family stay healthy both mentally and physically.

Checking in on colleagues, friends, neighbours and family members has never been more important and this year, Ramadan in Dubai offers a multitude of ways to connect within the community which has the added benefit of helping residents maintain balanced bodies, minds and souls.

Be Fit, Be Safe with Dubai Sports Council

The Dubai Sports Council announced an exciting line-up of virtual events taking place throughout Ramadan, which involve everyone in the family and feature cycling, walking, running and even gaming. Under the Be Fit, Be Safe campaign, all events can be done with online support and guidance. The Ramadan Mubarak Challenge is a virtual running event open for everyone in the house, taking place on 15 May and 22 May. Racegoers have a 24-hour timeframe to complete their chosen distance race within their homes using a treadmill or running in their gardens, and every participant will receive a digital certificate. In support of the government’s advice to stay home, Gamers Hub Middle East launched the biggest Dota2 tournament in the region, running from now until 9 May. With 128 teams competing, the top prize is AED 5,500.

Other virtual events featured on the DSC website include the UAE Tour Mubadala Challenge, which runs from 8 to 12 May and gives cyclists an alternative indoor solution, and the opportunity to compete and challenge themselves, with the help of Zwift and the DSC event page. On 8 May, Adventure HQ will host a Virtual Run for all ages and abilities, making use of indoor and outdoor space in and around the home. Entry is free to all participants and the challenge is to design and create an adventurous course that residents can complete proving that ‘Life is an Adventure’.

On 9 May, Team Angel Wolf will be inspiring everyone in Dubai once again, with their #ClimbWithRio challenge. Nick Watson, a former Royal Marine and fitness expert, will carry his son Rio, a person of determination, on his back and climb the equivalent height of the Burj Khalifa up and down the stairs of their home. With a height of 829.8 metres, the challenge will see the pair take on the three flights of their villa a total of 118 times in order to reach the ‘top’ of the world’s tallest building.

The Asics Ramadan 5K Challenge takes place from 12 to 16 May and is another virtual test for UAE residents to access free of charge. With 11 training sessions available as part of the challenge, the hard work will finish with a celebratory virtual 5K run. Open to all fitness levels from beginners to advanced gym goers, the final race will take place on 15 May. Participants who attend 80-100 per cent of the training sessions will receive an ASICS gym sack or water bottle.

Being Healthy in the Kitchen

While numerous restaurants are delivering Iftar meals to residents across the city, many prefer to create their dishes from scratch. For those who love to cook with freshly delivered healthy fruit and vegetables, boxes are available with contactless delivery through Ripe Organic, Barakat and Kibsons. Another healthy option is delivery from Honest Badgers, which can provide breakfast, lunch and dinner boxes catering to all dietary requirements including dairy-free, wheat-free and refined sugar-free. Not only do customers receive freshly prepared, healthy meals, during Ramadan the plans have been tweaked for nutrient consistency to make them suitable for a day of fasting. For the aspiring cooks, Dubai Culture’s new initiative #createtogether will focus on culinary arts and will stream videos of chefs creating their favourite Ramadan dishes from home, and a live cook off session with all the participating chefs.

Look Good, Feel Good Online

A host of retail offers are available online throughout Ramadan as brands engage with their customers staying at home in non-traditional ways in response to the spirit of giving throughout the Holy Month and Eid season. Shoppers are going cyber this year as they click their way around websites such as Noon.com, which represents a huge number of brands from The Dubai Mall, MalloftheEmirates.com, Namshi.com, Bloomingdales.ae and LookFantastic.ae among other UAE-based e-tailers, to pick up all manner of purchases, including fitness gear and comfortable loungewear for the home.

Making sure that wellness starts from the ground up, Foot Locker is offering buy two get one free on selected items of trainers and active footwear. Pharmacies too are helping shoppers purchase vitamins and supplements with offers, including Boots where customers can take advantage of a range of offers including buy one, get one free and surprising prices starting from AED 15. Cetaphil products are available at all Modern Pharmaceuticals with a buy two get one free offer, while Lulu Pharmacies has a buy one get one free available in all branches as well as up to 30 per cent off selected items, and BinSina Pharmacies launched a buy two get one free opportunity.