In Dubai’s iconic Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, it’s not an ordinary task to conduct UAE’s largest Iftar meal that feeds 35,000 people daily. Inside the tents that are set up on the sprawling lawns of this iconic mosque, an army of chefs and cooking assistants work hard to deliver thousands of Iftar meals to fasting Muslims.
See also:Purification To Mind and Body Through Fasting | Ramadan 2018
To cater the worshippers who assemble at the mosque during this holy month, about 1000 people work all day at the big Armed Forces Officers Club and Hotel’s big kitchen. Different departments like purchasing, store, hygiene, and safety are in the team. The team consists of 350 chefs, 160 stewards, and 450 service staff. All of them work together in unity to prepare and serve the Iftar meals.
Karsten Gottschalk, Executive Chef at the Armed Forces Officers Club and Hotel in Abu Dhabi said that this free meal service is always upgraded. The parcel boxes are constantly improved. Kitchen equipment is changed to be at par with more health and safety measurements and also to prepare this big amount of food and to improve on the standards, decoration, and accuracy as well.
For each day, the staff uses 12 tonnes of chicken and six tonnes of lamb in addition to other products and ingredients such as rice, vegetables, tomatoes, and onions, amounting to 35 tonnes.
After the packing of the meal parcels at the Armed Forces Officers Club and Hotel, they are taken to the nearby Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. A meal box also includes an apple, water, dates, Laban drink and fruit juices.
Huge air-conditioned tents which can accommodate up to 1500 people are erected at the mosque gardens. Along with UAE Armed Forces, volunteers from UAE Red Crescent also join in calling on and directing people to take seats well before the canon goes off announcing the ending of the fast and Maghrib prayer.
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