Restaurant Tech
Ramadan 2027 Is Expected Around 8 February: How a Dubai Restaurant Can Switch to an Iftar Menu Without Reprinting
Ramadan 2027 is projected to begin on Monday 8 February 2027, according to UAE astronomical forecasts reported by Gulf News and The National. The dates are not official: the UAE moon-sighting committee confirms the start, and the month runs for 29 or 30 days. For a restaurant, that leaves a few months to plan a Ramadan menu in Dubai that does not depend on a print run.
What the forecasts say
- Expected start: Monday 8 February 2027, "subject to official moon-sighting confirmation" (Gulf News, article updated 10 October 2026, citing Ibrahim Al Jarwan of the Emirates Astronomical Society).
- Length: 29 or 30 days.
- Eid Al Fitr: expected around 9 or 10 March 2027 (Gulf News and The National, which cites the UAE's Astronomy Centre).
Because the start depends on sighting the moon, build your plan around a window rather than a single date.
Plan the menu in layers
- Decide what changes. Many venues run a separate iftar offer or adjust opening times. Decide yours before you touch the menu.
- Separate menus beat one long list. A live menu can keep food, drinks and a special set menu apart so guests do not scroll through everything.
- Prepare in draft. Write the Ramadan version early, preview it, and publish it the day you are ready.
- Be ready to mark items sold out during a busy iftar service.
- Offer Arabic and English so the whole room can read it.
Where a digital menu card helps
The Digital Menu Card (AED 29) is an NFC and QR card that opens your live menu on dm-only.com. According to the product page, you edit a draft, preview it and publish from your phone, can hide dishes or mark them sold out instantly, and can run separate food and drinks menus and a multi-language menu including Arabic. Guests tap or scan, with no app or account.
That means a switch to a Ramadan menu, and back again at Eid, does not require a reprint. It does not decide your recipes or pricing, and the dm-only.com free start versus premium options are explained on the product page, so check them before you commit.
A simple timeline
- Now to December: draft the iftar offer, photos and prices.
- January: preview, translate and test the QR and tap on several phones.
- Days before the sighting: keep the draft ready to publish on the day.
- After Eid: switch back to the regular menu.
Sources: Gulf News (updated 10 October 2026) and The National (updated 6 October 2026). Confirm the official dates when the UAE announces them.
Common questions
Do we need to wait for the official date? No. Prepare the draft now and publish it when the date is confirmed. Does a digital menu replace the printed one? You can keep both, but only the digital one can be changed during service. What about prices? Set them in the draft and double-check them on the preview before publishing, since guests see the live menu.
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