Everything you need to know about Ramadan in Saudi Arabia

In this blessed month, everyone is waiting for it, and they are keen to prepare for it with all the meaning and importance of the word, as Ramadan is the month of change and renewal, and as we all know, the details of life differ in each country, especially regarding occasions and holidays, and of course Ramadan in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is different from Ramadan in the rest of the world, in this article we talk about a group of details about everything about Ramadan in Saudi Arabia.

Distinctive Saudi Ramadan Traditions and Customs

One of the distinctive Ramadan traditions in Saudi Arabia is for the host to welcome his guests by offering them dates and water at breakfast. This is the blessed beginning of the breakfast meal, in which Saudis are keen to offer the most delicious and distinctive Ramadan dishes, such as the famous samosa, luqaimat, tamees bread, foul, and kabsa.

Saudi society is also keen to welcome the month of Ramadan by cleaning homes and choosing modern and distinctive furniture and decor. In this holy month, Saudis are keen to achieve a spiritual, fraternal and solidarity atmosphere by interacting with religious awareness, charitable works, and distributing alms and gifts to the poor and needy.

The Saudi government also provides many charitable activities and initiatives during this blessed month, such as distributing food baskets to the poor and needy, and charity boxes to help achieve social justice.

At the beginning of the month, volunteer campaigns are launched to participate in charitable projects and cooperate with needy families, thus increasing the atmosphere of spirituality and social solidarity in this holy month.

The most important Ramadan traditions and customs in Saudi Arabia are as follows:

The month of Ramadan in Saudi Arabia is considered one of the most important months of the year. This month is characterized by the closure of schools during it, as many schools are forced to end the academic year before the advent of Ramadan, so that students and teachers can focus on worship and enjoy the spirit of this blessed month.

School closures during Ramadan are an important part of Ramadan customs and traditions in Saudi Arabia.

Read more about: Everything you want to know about Ramadan in Egypt

Mosques receive worshippers and revive the rituals of prayer, recitation, and Tarawih rituals. Every mosque in the Kingdom has its share in reviving these rituals. There are mosques that call for Tarawih prayers, the Grand Mosque is considered one of them, and there are others that are wrapped in special beauty and tranquility, where various Ramadan evenings are held inside them.

Charitable associations and institutions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are interested in providing group breakfast meals in mosques during the holy month of Ramadan. Many Muslims may eat breakfast meals in these mosques, after performing the Maghrib prayer and before the Isha prayer.

This event is a unique experience hosted by mosques in Saudi Arabia, as it combines faith and solidarity in an atmosphere full of life and positive energy.

This event comes as part of the distinctive Saudi Ramadan traditions and customs, which are widely loved and cared for throughout the Kingdom.

Reducing official working hours for workers during the month of Ramadan comes within the framework of providing comfort and recreation for workers, as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is among the countries that adopt this policy during the month of Ramadan.

By reducing working hours:

• Workers are able to spend more time with their families, and also improve their mental health and well-being, which gives them the energy to perform fasting and worship in comfort.
• It also helps improve work productivity and reduce stress and tension, thus can lead to increased overall well-being and maintain the health and stability of individuals in their work.

In this way, the state has benefited and served employees, and from these collective services established for the comfort of communities, it becomes clear to us the extent of the state’s interest in providing a comfortable and distinctive Ramadan atmosphere for all citizens and residents in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Ramadan traditions emphasize the prohibition of working with calculations during the holy month of Ramadan, which we have exceeded this this year in exceptional circumstances due to the spread of the Corona virus.

Our noble Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, commanded us to act according to sighting and not calculations. Therefore, it is the duty of Muslims to see the crescent moon of Ramadan to determine the beginning of fasting and worship.

Worshippers in Saudi Arabia can go to the Sharia courts to confirm the sighting of the crescent, or wait for the official announcement from the Supreme Court. This is the method adopted in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which preserves the Sharia system and Islamic traditions derived from our divine religious message.

The Haramain Gold Market is the most famous and crowded market during the month of Ramadan in Saudi Arabia. This market is distinguished by providing a wide range of gold and silver products, in addition to precious stones and luxurious jewelry that attract lovers of elegance and distinction.

This market is also considered a shrine of giving and tolerance, where gifts and zakat are distributed among the poor and needy. The roads leading to this market are known for being crowded and dense during the month of Ramadan, but it is considered an important and indispensable destination in the Ramadan experience in Saudi Arabia.

Take the initiative to read more about: The correct way to study during Ramadan

• Evening and breakfast in Ramadan in Saudi Arabia 

The details and customs of the holy month of Ramadan are echoing throughout Saudi Arabia, and among those customs are the evenings and breakfasts. The streets and alleys witness many evenings in this blessed month that bring together families and friends, and celebrate by reading the Quran, exchanging conversations, and talking about experiences and expertise.

Group Iftars are also organized in mosques and congregational mosques, where Muslims from all over Saudi Arabia gather to join the Iftar celebrations and eat delicious and varied foods.

These evenings and Iftars are among the most prominent Ramadan customs in the Kingdom, as the virtue of gathering and joining to revive these events is one of the distinctive Ramadan customs, which symbolizes the cohesion and solidarity among the members of society.