Beneath a tent outside the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding sits a man in the sticky heat, roasting coffee over a small open fire in the time-honoured Bedouin tradition. We crowd the air-conditioned doorway of the Centre to watch, awaiting the appointed hour.
At around half six in the evening, we are led into the courtyard of the Centre. Our hosts – volunteers who have given up their time with family and friends to break their fast with us – prostrate themselves for the Maghrib prayer. Afterwards, they come round to offer us dates and water, before inviting us to tuck into an authentic iftar supper complete with Gulf specialities like hareesa (lamb with buckwheat) and fareeda (a rich breadsauce with lamb and vegetable gravy), which you wouldn't get anywhere else in Dubai - at least not as an expatriate or visitor on the corporate iftar circuit at the five-star hotels.
After dinner the womenfolk are wrapped in headscarves, and we embark on a short walking tour of the Bastakiya district followed by a quick '101' on Islam at the Bastakiya mosque.
All in all, a very satisfying way to share in the Ramadan experience. Ramadan kareem!
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