During Ramadan, Abu Dhabi gears up for a period of fasting and devotion with the rest of the UAE and the Muslim world.
As families observe the fasting month, grocery stores report a surge in sales and retail stores aggressively market their promotions and altered product selections. This year the Abu Dhabi Duty Free is running the 'Win Your Dreams' promotion for passengers leaving, arriving or transiting through Abu Dhabi.
"During this time, passengers spending more than Dh500, Dh250 and Dh100 will enter the draw for one or all of the top prizes. These include a Damac luxury apartment on Al Reem Island, a BMW Z4 sports car and Dh100,000. "With the draw scheduled to take place just after Eid, we hope that the celebrations will be extended for the winner, or winners, as they get one or all of these great prizes," says Niveen Ibrahim, General Manager, Abu Dhabi Duty Free.
For most supermarkets and co-operatives, Ramadan is boom time for business. As Bejoy Thomas, Marketing and Advertising Manager of Abu Dhabi Co-operative Society said: "Ramadan is our biggest season and we have the highest footfall during this period. This year we have more than 600 items with the best prices in the market and we highlight our offers through weekly price buster booklets. The Abu Dhabi Co-operative will also give away 50 tickets for Umrah and Dh100,000 in cash through raffle draws, as a special promotion campaign. Each of the 50 winners will get an Umrah ticket and Dh2,000."
Breaking the fast
Like every year, the Co-operative Society has arranged for 1,000 iftar meals to be sent to the mosques every day. "We also have iftar buffets at our Meena outlet and at the Abu Dhabi Mall," said Thomas.
At the Madina Zayed Supermarket, there are special dates for Ramadan and a special price for Qamaruddin (an apricot product consumed by most people during this period). The meat prices at Madina Zayed have also been reduced to cater to the increased demand.
At the recently opened Lulu Hypermarket in Al Wahda Mall, Ramadan products and promotions cover almost the entire range of food items.
"We have created special display areas exclusively for Ramadan products, focusing on fresh food, meat and ready-to-eat sections. We are bringing in fresh meat daily from our own processing units in India to cater to the increased demand for fresh meat," said V. Nandakumar, Group Corporate Communications Manager of Emke Group.
During Ramadan, KM Trading, with a history of 35 years in retailing, has special offers and discounts in its seven outlets in Abu Dhabi. Marina Mall, Abu Dhabi's primary shopping landmark, is celebrating Ramadan in a traditional way.
The theme of this waterfront mall is "Ramadan Zamaan" or Old Ramadan, with typical Andalucian décor that captures the essence of Ramadan and encourages shoppers to savour the spirit of the season every time they shop or socialise with their families.
Gifts and surprises
There is also traditional Ramadan activities for children and adults.
Like previous years, Marina Mall has the 'Spend n Win' competition this year as well, where shoppers are eligible to enter a raffle if they spend a minimum of Dh250 to win four C-class Mercedes.
Liwa Trading (with nine stores across the UAE) has special surprises (such as the 'gift with purchase' promotion) for customers who shop at Gant, Premaman and BHS.
Auto deals
For those planning to buy a new vehicle, Ramadan is perhaps the best time. The Emirates Motor Company (member of the Al Fahim Group) is giving an exclusive 1.99 per cent profit rate or free insurance on all Mercedes Benz 2007 models. This offer comes with a special three-year unlimited mileage warranty, three-year roadside assistance and a guaranteed buy-back offer.
Among other automobile offers, the motors division of Ali and Sons is offering the Passat with one-year comprehensive insurance, free service up to 60,000 km, three years of unlimited warranty, zero down-payment and a starting price of Dh1,720 per month.
- Note: Prices of special deals and offers can vary. Please check with the outlets/companies for exact prices.
