'Free iftar means my family in Pakistan can have good Eid', says Sharjah worker

More than 300 workers in Sharjah broke fast together in an iftar organised by the Sharjah Islamic Bank - a move welcomed by some.

More than 300 workers broke fast together at the iftar tent at King Faisal Mosque, hosted by the Sharjah Islamic Bank. Christopher Pike / The National

SHARJAH // Munir AbdulRahman will send his entire Dh900 monthly income to his family in Pakistan this month.

The 34-year-old plumber was one of more than 300 workers who broke their fast at the iftar tent at King Faisal Mosque, hosted by the Sharjah Islamic Bank. He was able to save on meal expenses for the whole month of Ramadan because of the free meals offered.

“I am very grateful for all the Emirati people for being generous especially in this holy month,” he said. “With all my salary going home my family can have a good Ramadan and good Eid like other families.”

Asifullah Khan, another Pakistan resident who turned up at the tent, said: “Everywhere in our rooms people are praying for Sheikh Zayed, for Allah to reward him for the best of his endeavours to accommodate us and instil the good spirit among all people in the UAE to be accommodative,” he said. “Once you are good in this world people will always talk of you and pray for you even once you depart the world.”

One of the supervisors at the tent said that they were offering iftar with Emirati dishes to help the workers have a taste of their host country’s best foods.

“Once they go back to their home countries one day we want them to be well versed with the UAE, its kind people and the local dishes,” he said.