Dubai Police cannons take position to mark Eid Al Adha 2023

One gun will be placed at Zabeel Grand Mosque and the other at Al Mankhool Prayer Ground

Dubai Police officer prepares to fire cannon in Al Mankhool area of Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

Dubai Police cannons are ready to announce the start of Eid Al Adha.

The force announced the six venues in the emirate where the Eid Al Adha cannons will be placed.

As the Muslim world wakes up to the Day of Arafah, most will be fasting until sunset on Tuesday when the cannon will fire. It is said that fasting on Arafah for non-pilgrims is a highly recommended Sunnah which entails a great reward, as God forgives two years of the faster's sins.

The firing of the cannon will mark beginning of the Muslim holiday.

The locations are:

• Za'abeel
• Umm Suqeim
• Nad Al Sheba
• Al Mankhool
• Nad Al Hammar
• Al Baraha

Dubai police have been firing the cannons on special occasions such Eid Al Fitr, Eid Al Adha and during Ramadan since the early 1960s.

During Ramadan this year, cannons were placed at Grand Zabeel Mosque, and at prayer sites in Al Barsha, Baraha, Nadd Al Hamar, Hatta, Nad Al Shiba and Muallah Al Mankhool.

The cannons, which can be heard from up to 10km away, have been a tradition in the UAE since the 1960s.

They are a reminder of the importance of community and how traditions can still exist in the modern world.

According to protocol, four officers from Dubai Police must be present at each firing. Two officers man the cannon, one passes the blank cartridge and the other loads it.

Two officers at the back are guardians of the cannon and give orders. When it is time for iftar, an officer gives the order for the cannon to be fired.

Recently, Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced free parking for the four days of the Eid Al Adha holiday.

The transport authority said parking will be free of charge from Tuesday, June 27, until Friday, June 30.

However, drivers must still pay to use multi-storey car parks, said officials.

The RTA also announced that Dubai Metro will operate for an additional hour – until 1am – during part of the holiday.

Services are usually from 5am until midnight, except on Fridays, when trains run until 1am.

Eid Al Adha preparations around the UAE: in pictures