Dubai Municipality has intensified its monitoring campaigns and inspection visits for food safety and public health during the holy month of Ramadan. The campaigns include various sectors such as Dubai markets, commercial centers, food establishments, food preparation facilities, restaurants, hotels, hypermarkets, and supermarkets. Additionally, the campaigns further extend to salons, beauty centers, smoking areas in cafes and restaurants, games, and events areas, as well as labor cities and community markets across Dubai.

As part of its commitment to monitoring key sectors during the month of Ramadan, the Municipality is actively overseeing compliance with safety, public health, and food safety standards. This includes strict compliance with approved food safety standards by both events’ owners and employees across the entire food preparation process, storage, preparation, and cooking, placing emphasis on maintaining the quality and validity of the materials used.

Sultan Al-Taher, Director of Food Safety Department at Dubai Municipality, underscored the Municipality’s commitment to safeguarding the community against potential food-related risks. The primary objective is to attain the highest standards of health and safety, aligning with the Municipality’s overarching goals of establishing a sustainable food and health system. This initiative aims to enhance standards in public health, improve overall quality of life, and promote well-being within the community.

Al Taher said: “The focus points of Ramadan preparations include monitoring of food preparation establishments, meals, and popular kitchens, warehouses, food and consumer complexes, hotels, hypermarkets, and markets. The goal is to ensure that all residents in the Emirate can get nutritious, secure, and safe food that adhere to the highest food safety standards.”

Al Taher highlighted that the monitoring and inspection campaigns will continue throughout the holy month of Ramadan. Specialized teams will be dedicated to monitoring and inspecting the Ramadan camps, ensuring their compliance with safety requirements.

Food safety priority

Dubai Municipality’s campaigns are focused on ensuring strict adherence to food safety standards and health regulations across various sectors. This includes the transportation, storage, preparation, and distribution of food products, emphasizing on safety and hygiene in food storage and preparation. Additionally, the campaigns will also ensure proper cooking methods and thermal preservation practices. It further will ensure compliance of workers in these facilities, adherence to personal hygiene standards, use of gloves and headgear, and provide occupational health cards.

Moreover, the campaigns are dedicated to ensuring the quality and sourcing of meat, emphasizing that it is slaughtered within certified canteens. Additionally, there is a focus on promoting Ramadan products, ensuring their quality and conformity with set standards.

It further includes health awareness and educational campaigns, along with workshops on vital food safety standards, proper storage and preparation methods, strategies to minimize food waste, and guidelines for maintaining public health and occupational safety.

Health and Safety

Dubai Municipality conducted inspection campaigns in smoking areas in cafes, restaurants, hotel facilities, shopping malls, gaming zones, and events. The goal was to monitor and ensure compliance with health and safety controls, standards, and requirements. It also involved checking the quality of indoor air and water systems, evaluating elevator efficiency, and functionality of emergency exits.

The campaigns also aimed to guarantee the safety of consumer products traded and imported, ensuring compliance with the requirements and standards set in the Emirate of Dubai. This included inspecting tobacco and smoking products, perfumes, and smoking establishments within commercial centers. Additionally, the campaigns aimed to ensure the rapid release of consumer products intended for distribution during religious occasions, after verification of their adherence to health and safety requirements.

The Municipality conducts routine inspection and monitoring visits focusing on labor cities and community markets. The primary goal is to ensure compliance with health and safety practices and requirements, aiming to reduce negative phenomena.

Public Health

As part of its efforts to ensure the best public health standards during the month of Ramadan, Dubai Municipality conducted a campaign ‘Safe and Inclusive Experience with Dubai Canteens’, and the campaign ‘Ramadan Karim and Healthy Flesh’ with the Department of Canteens and a spread an awareness message to urge slaughter inside the canteen and its role in reducing the proliferation and spread of public health pests, as well as an inspection campaign. An anti-parasite campaign will also be carried out in Al-Qusais market during the second half of the holy month of Ramadan.

The Municipality has also adjusted the opening times of Al-Quoz, Al-Lesili, Al-Qusais, and Hatta during Ramadan, from 8 am to 4 pm from Saturday to Thursday. Friday will be between 8 am and 12 pm, and from 2 pm to 4 pm.

Dubai Municipality stated that its call center receives feedback or reports on food establishments, and inquiries about various health requirements for food safety 24 hours a day via the number: 800900.