Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) issued circulars to hotels, restaurants, non-Muslim mosques, and bars across the emirate, directing them to refrain from hosting entertainment activities and parties on Arafat Day. The directive was intended to ensure that business operations on the day before Eid Al Adha are conducted with appropriate respect for the occasion's religious significance.
DET Directive: Entertainment Pause on Arafat Day 2024
Through circulars distributed to accommodation providers, sports and recreational facilities, food and beverage operators, and travel services, the DET set out the specific timeframes for the entertainment suspension:
- Friday, June 14, 2024: Entertainment activities to cease from 6:00 PM onwards - Saturday, June 15, 2024: Entertainment suspended from 7:30 PM to 10:30 PM
The guidance covered all forms of entertainment events, including live performances, DJ sets, and parties at licensed venues throughout Dubai.
Alcohol Sales Permitted to Continue
While entertainment activities were required to pause, the DET's circular confirmed that alcohol sales could continue during the restricted hours. The regulation was designed to balance respect for the spiritual significance of Arafat Day with the practical need for businesses to maintain continuity of their core operations.
The directive underlined the importance of Dubai's hospitality sector operating "with due regard to the day" rather than in a manner that disregards the significance of one of Islam's holiest occasions.
What Is Arafat Day?
Arafat Day falls on the ninth day of the Islamic month of Dhul Hijjah, the day when pilgrims performing the Hajj gather on the plain of Arafat near Mecca. It is considered the spiritual peak of the Hajj pilgrimage and one of the most sacred days in the Islamic calendar. Eid Al Adha, the Festival of Sacrifice, begins the following day.
Dubai regularly issues guidance to its hospitality sector around major Islamic occasions, reflecting the emirate's approach of accommodating both its Muslim residents and its international visitors while maintaining cultural sensitivity.
