Demand extended beyond food, with prayer mats and modest clothing also selling fast.
Supermarkets across the UAE experienced heavy crowds late Tuesday night following the sighting of the crescent moon. Many residents, caught off guard by Ramadan beginning on Wednesday, rushed to buy groceries, leading to long checkout lines.
By 9 pm, aisles were already crowded, and by 10 pm, numerous branches were full. Within an hour of the announcement, traffic around shopping centers in Dubai and Sharjah slowed significantly as families headed out together to stock up for the first iftar and suhoor.
UAE supermarkets see last-minute rush as Ramadan begins
Supermarkets in Dubai and Sharjah were packed late Tuesday night following the sighting of the crescent moon, as residents rushed to buy groceries after learning Ramadan would start on Wednesday. Some shoppers had lists on their phones, while others scrambled, unsure what to pick.
“You could see it on people’s faces. They were in a hurry, but also thinking, what exactly do we need?” said Ahmed, a shopper at Carrefour in Century Mall. Many focused on essentials for the first few days—rice, oil, milk, bread, eggs, yoghurt, fruits, frozen snacks, and packs of dates, which appeared in almost every trolley.
Rukhsana Parveen, shopping with two small bags, said: “I shopped only for five days. It was so sudden that I didn’t even prepare a list, but I have the mandatory Ramadan items in mind. I don’t want to overbuy; we’ll come back once we settle into the routine.”
Heavy queues and crowded aisles
Night to Night on Ittihad Road was among the busiest areas. By 10:15 pm, checkout queues stretched into the aisles, moving slower than shoppers. Mohammed Abu Nael from Al Nahda, Sharjah, said: “We were in the billing queue for nearly 55 minutes. We thought Ramadan would start a day later. When the news came, we just left home. We haven’t bought everything yet, so we’ll return for another round.”
Trolleys were filled with staples such as large packs of rice, cooking oil, frozen samosas, ready-made kebabs, fruits, yoghurt, and laban. Parents brought children along, some seated in carts, others with juice boxes or phones. Even self-checkout counters saw long queues, with shoppers scanning items carefully and seeking assistance.
Not just food in demand
Items beyond groceries also drew attention. Prayer mats were stacked near promotional counters, and modest clothing—abayas, scarves, and simple kurtas—saw significant footfall. Fatma H., shopping at Sharjah City Centre, said: “We needed new prayer mats for the children, and I picked up some modest wear too. Ramadan is not just about food.”
Bakery sections were busy restocking bread every few minutes, and many shoppers grabbed ready-to-cook items for the first suhoor. The sudden start of Ramadan created a surge of last-minute shopping activity across the UAE.
