Guides / Daily life / Laws & etiquette
Ramadan in Qatar: what changes for residents
How Ramadan changes daily life in Qatar: expected 2027 dates, shorter working and school hours, the law on eating in public, late-night malls and Metro, iftar, Garangao, zakat and the Eid al-Fitr holiday.
Last reviewed: 13 October 2026
- Ramadan 2027 (expected)
- Starts around 8 February 2027; Eid al-Fitr around 9–10 March 2027 (moon sighting decides)
- Private sector
- Maximum 36 hours a week, 6 hours a day (Labour Law)
- Government (2026 pattern)
- 9:00 am – 2:00 pm, up to 30% remote work
- Eid al-Fitr holiday
- Private sector: 3 paid days; government: about a week (7 days in 2026)
Ramadan is the holy month of fasting for Muslims, and in Qatar it reshapes the whole country's rhythm, not just the lives of those who fast. Working days and school days get shorter, daytime gets quieter, and the city comes alive after sunset, with malls and the Metro open past midnight. Non-Muslims are not expected to fast, but everyone must avoid eating, drinking or smoking in public during daylight, and this is backed by law. This guide covers the expected 2027 dates, the hour changes at work, school and on transport, the customs you will see (iftar, suhoor, Garangao, zakat) and how to plan for Eid al-Fitr. Most timings are re-announced each year a few days before Ramadan, so treat the figures here as the most recent pattern and check the new announcements.
Before you start
- The expected start date in your calendar, with a reminder to check the official moon-sighting announcement the evening before
- Your company's Ramadan hours circular or HR email (shift times, remote-work rules, overtime)
- Your children's school Ramadan timetable (government and private schools announce their own)
- A list of government, bank and car errands you can finish before Ramadan, when offices still keep full hours
- Daily iftar (Maghrib) and imsak times from the Ministry of Awqaf calendar or a prayer-times app
- A plan for daytime meals if you do not fast: food at home, a private room at work, or delivery
- Updated Metro, mall and supermarket timings for the year (published shortly before Ramadan)
- Eid leave requests and travel bookings made early, since flights and hotels fill fast
Step by step
Note the expected dates
Ramadan follows the Islamic lunar calendar, so it moves about 10–11 days earlier every year. Ramadan 2027 is expected to begin around Monday 8 February 2027, and Eid al-Fitr is expected around 9–10 March 2027. The exact start is confirmed only the evening before, when the Crescent Sighting Committee at the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs announces whether the new moon was seen. The month lasts 29 or 30 days. Keep a day of flexibility in any plans, deliveries or flights around both the start and the end.
Read guide: Public holidays in Qatar: dates, private sector rules and pay →Finish errands before Ramadan starts
Government offices, banks and many companies work shorter hours during Ramadan, and some services slow down. If you need to renew a QID or Istimara, visit a service centre, or sort out bank paperwork, try to do it in the weeks before. Online services in the Metrash app and on Hukoomi keep working as usual, so use them where you can. Bank branches in malls often add evening hours during Ramadan, which can help if you work days.
Read guide: Metrash: registering and using Qatar's Ministry of Interior app →Know your working hours
In the private sector, the Labour Law (Article 73) caps working time in Ramadan at 36 hours a week and 6 hours a day, instead of the usual 48 and 8; the Ministry of Labour repeats this every year. Gulf Times has reported that the shorter hours apply to all employees covered by the Labour Law, whether or not they are Muslim or fasting. The exception is the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC), whose rules give shorter hours to fasting employees only. If your employer asks you to work beyond the reduced hours, normal overtime rules apply. In government, the 2026 hours were 9:00 am to 2:00 pm, with arrival allowed until 10:00 am and up to 30% of staff working remotely.
Read guide: Working hours, overtime pay and weekly rest in Qatar →Don't eat, drink or smoke in public in daytime
Between dawn and sunset, eating or drinking in public is a criminal offence for everyone, including non-Muslims. Article 267 of the Penal Code (Law No. 11 of 2004) sets a penalty of up to three months in prison, a fine of up to QAR 3,000, or both. Smoking and chewing gum in public are also seen as disrespectful, so avoid them on the street, in malls and in shared office spaces. At work, eat in a closed pantry or a room your employer sets aside. In a car you are visible from the road, so play it safe and wait. Small children and people who are ill are generally treated with understanding, but stay discreet.
Read guide: Laws and etiquette every Qatar resident should know →Plan daytime meals and outings
Many restaurants and cafés stay closed until iftar, but plenty of outlets, especially in hotels, keep serving non-fasting guests during the day, usually discreetly. Delivery apps such as Talabat and Snoonu keep running, and many outlets offer takeaway. Hours change at short notice, so call ahead. Bars and hotel lounges serving alcohol close for the month. Dress a little more modestly than usual, and keep music low in public places.
Shop at night: mall and supermarket hours
Most malls switch to a split day: shorter opening in the late morning and early afternoon, a break, then reopening from the evening until around midnight or 1 am. As an example, in 2026 Doha Festival City opened its shops from 10 am to 3 pm and 7 pm to 1 am (Saturday to Thursday), food outlets from iftar until 1 am, and its hypermarket from 9 am to 1 am. Each mall publishes its own timings just before Ramadan, so check its website or social media. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry also runs a Ramadan discount list on hundreds of basic food and household items.
Read guide: Cost of living in Qatar: a realistic monthly budget →Use the Metro's longer hours
Doha Metro and the Lusail Tram usually extend their hours late into the night for Ramadan. In 2026 the Metro ran from 5:30 am to 1:30 am Saturday to Thursday and from 9:30 am to 1:30 am on Friday; the Lusail Tram ran until 2:00 am. Qatar Rail announces the timings each year a day or two before Ramadan. The Metro is a good way to avoid the heavy traffic around iftar and late-evening events.
Read guide: Doha Metro, Metrolink and Karwa buses: cards, fares and how to ride →Check school hours
Schools shorten the day during Ramadan. In 2026, government school and kindergarten students attended from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm, and staff worked 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. Private and international schools set their own Ramadan timetables, so read your school's circular. Teenagers who fast may be tired; schools usually reduce sport and outdoor activity in the heat. Ask the school how non-fasting younger children are fed during the day.
Read guide: Choosing a school in Qatar: curricula, fees and admission →Join in iftar and suhoor
Iftar is the meal at sunset that breaks the fast, traditionally starting with dates and water, often after hearing the call to prayer for Maghrib. In Doha you can also watch the Ramadan cannon fired at sunset at places such as Katara and Souq Waqif. Suhoor is the pre-dawn meal before the fast begins; many hotels and tents serve late suhoor menus. If a colleague or neighbour invites you to iftar, accept if you can: it is a warm gesture, and arriving on time matters because everyone eats at the same moment. Greet people with "Ramadan Kareem" or "Ramadan Mubarak".
Celebrate Garangao with the children
Garangao is a Gulf tradition held around the middle of Ramadan (the night of the 14th) that celebrates children who have been fasting. Children wear traditional clothes, carry colourful cloth bags and go door to door singing the Garangao song, receiving nuts and sweets. Malls, Katara, Msheireb, Old Doha Port, the Qatar National Library and many neighbourhoods hold family events. If you live in a compound or Qatari area, keep a bowl of sweets ready. Event plans can change: in 2026 some Garangao events were cancelled at short notice as a public-safety precaution, so check the latest news.
Give charity through official channels
Charity is central to Ramadan. Zakat al-Fitr is a small obligatory donation paid by Muslims for each family member before the Eid prayer; for 2026 the Ministry of Awqaf's Zakat Fund set it at QAR 15 per person. You can pay through the Zakat Fund app, its website (zakat.gov.qa), its offices or collection points at mosques. For other donations, use licensed Qatari charities rather than individuals collecting money on the street or on social media, since charitable fundraising in Qatar is regulated.
Drive carefully and prepare for Eid
The hour before iftar is the most dangerous time on the roads, as people rush home hungry and tired; the Ministry of Interior warns against speeding and asks drivers to stop in a safe place if they need to eat. Leave early or travel after iftar, and keep water and dates in the car. Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the month: private-sector staff get 3 paid days off under the Labour Law (with overtime pay if asked to work), while government entities usually get about a week (17–23 March in 2026). Banks follow Qatar Central Bank's dates. Book Eid travel early, and expect Eid prayers at dawn and busy malls and parks over the holiday.
Read guide: Public holidays in Qatar: dates, private sector rules and pay →
What it costs
| Zakat al-Fitr per person (2026 rate set by the Zakat Fund) | QAR 15 |
| Maximum fine for eating or drinking in public during Ramadan daytime (Penal Code Art. 267; prison up to 3 months is also possible) | QAR 3,000 |
Official fees at the time of review. Fees change, so confirm before paying.
Common mistakes
- Drinking water or eating in your car, at a bus stop or in a mall corridor during the day, thinking it does not count as public
- Assuming the reduced 6-hour day is only for Muslims: in the private sector it covers all employees under the Labour Law (QFC is different)
- Booking flights, deliveries or appointments for the exact expected first day or Eid, without allowing for the moon-sighting announcement
- Leaving government or bank errands until mid-Ramadan, when offices keep shorter hours
- Driving fast just before iftar, the riskiest hour on Qatar's roads
- Going to a mall in the late afternoon expecting it to be open, when many shops close between about 3 pm and 7 pm
- Giving money to unlicensed collectors instead of the Zakat Fund or a registered charity
Questions people ask
Do non-Muslims have to fast in Qatar?
No. Non-Muslims are not expected to fast. What everyone must do is avoid eating, drinking and smoking in public during daylight hours, out of respect and because public eating and drinking is an offence under Article 267 of the Penal Code. In private, at home or in a closed room at work, you can eat as normal.
Do non-Muslim employees also get the shorter Ramadan working hours?
In the private sector, yes. The Labour Law sets a maximum of 36 hours a week and 6 hours a day in Ramadan, and Gulf Times has reported this applies to all covered employees whether or not they are Muslim or fasting. Companies registered in the Qatar Financial Centre follow QFC rules, which reduce hours for fasting employees only. Government hours are set by a Cabinet or Amiri Diwan decision each year.
If my company makes me work 8 hours in Ramadan, is that overtime?
Hours beyond the Ramadan maximum count as overtime, and the usual Labour Law overtime pay applies (at least the basic wage plus 25%). Some senior or managerial roles are exempt from overtime rules all year. If you believe you are being made to work extra hours unpaid, you can raise it with the Ministry of Labour.
When exactly will Ramadan 2027 start?
It is expected around 8 February 2027, but the exact date is confirmed only the evening before by the Crescent Sighting Committee at the Ministry of Awqaf, based on the new moon. Neighbouring countries sometimes start a day apart. Watch QNA or local news on the evening of 7 February.
Can I drink water at my desk?
If you have a private office with the door closed, most people do, discreetly. In open-plan offices, use a pantry or a room your employer sets aside for non-fasting staff. Avoid eating or drinking in front of fasting colleagues, in meetings or at reception.
Are restaurants open during the day in Ramadan?
Many are closed until iftar, but a good number, especially hotel restaurants and cafés, serve non-fasting guests during the day, often discreetly or as takeaway. Delivery apps keep working. Bars and lounges serving alcohol close for the month. Hours change at short notice, so call ahead.
Does the Doha Metro run later in Ramadan?
Yes. In 2026 the Metro ran from 5:30 am to 1:30 am Saturday to Thursday and 9:30 am to 1:30 am on Friday, and the Lusail Tram ran until 2:00 am. Qatar Rail announces each year's timings just before Ramadan.
How many days off do I get for Eid al-Fitr?
Private-sector employees covered by the Labour Law get 3 paid days for Eid al-Fitr, and anyone required to work on those days gets overtime pay. Government entities usually get a longer break, announced by the Amiri Diwan; in 2026 it was 17 to 23 March. Banks follow Qatar Central Bank's announcement.
Official sources
- QNA: Government working hours during Ramadan 2026 ↗
- Gulf Times: Ministry reiterates maximum private-sector hours in Ramadan ↗
- Qatar Tribune: Doha Metro and Lusail Tram Ramadan hours (2026) ↗
- The Peninsula: Government school hours during Ramadan (2026) ↗
- The Peninsula: Zakat al-Fitr set at QAR 15 per person (2026) ↗
- Gulf Business: Eid al-Fitr 2026 holiday dates in Qatar ↗
Always check the official source before acting. QatarSteps is independent and not a government website.