This Great Mosque Distributes 30 Thousand Iftar Foods Every Day, The Kitchen Is 9 Thousand Square Meters In 5 Star Hotels

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, UAE. (Wikimedia Commons/Aditimikandan)

JAKARTA - Mosques provide iftar food in the month of Ramadan, of course, it is common in various parts of the world. However, what if the mosque provides tens of thousands of iftar meals every day, with the kitchen in a five-star hotel?

Located in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque distributed 30,000 iftar meals in 10 worker accommodations, during this Ramadan 2022.

Before the pandemic hit, the mosque grounds would be full of people from all walks of life on the eve of Ramadan. But that has changed in recent years, with mosques having delivered food to workers' accommodation.

Interestingly, the food is prepared at the Erth Abu Dhabi Hotel, close to the mosque. This is a 5 star hotel. The 9,000 square meter kitchen at the Erth Abu Dhabi hotel is where all the action happens.

Since 2004, this restaurant has served more than 15 million iftar meals. This year, the center cooked more than 30,000 iftar meals daily and delivered them to various locations in Abu Dhabi.

Planning starts two months before the holy month arrives, including menu selection.

"We did the tasting and decided on the menu. We agreed on how the food should be served and what kind of seasoning we could add," said Aztaj Eddoukani, senior director of culinary operations at Erth Abu Dhabi.

"We talk to our suppliers and make sure they have the right ingredients and enough for the whole month."

On the day of The National's visit, the kitchen was preparing marinated grilled chicken, biryani, vegetable salona (boiled) and salad.

More than 425 staff members, including chefs, flight attendants and drivers, are racing against time to deliver 30,000 meals before sunset.

Preparations start at 5 am. The chef cooks 15,000 kg of chicken, 4,000 kg of rice, 6,000 kg of vegetables and 230 kg of spices.

"We have different sections in the kitchen. One of them is to cut and prepare vegetables for salads and salona," explains Eddoukani.

"We also have a hot kitchen, where we prepare spices and cook rice. We have about 14 ovens, where we can put 500 servings of chicken at a time. We usually prepare 850 servings of chicken in an hour," he said.

Around noon, food is reheated at 80°C until ready for distribution.

The boxes were then loaded onto 13 trucks that departed in different directions. Staff distributed food boxes to workers living in 10 locations, including the villages of Mafraq, Hameem and Al Raha.

"For locations as far from us as Hameem, we transport food in hot cupboards and pack it after it reaches workers' accommodation. This is done so that the food remains hot when served," explains Eddoukani.

"We cater to people of all faiths and backgrounds. Non-Muslims can receive boxes before iftar time,"

When the call to prayer is heard, they end their fast at their place of residence, away from the gathering.

It is known, this year the mosque is again welcoming worshipers for Tarawih and Tahajjud prayers, after the National Crisis and Emergency Management Authority relaxed Covid-19 rules during the holy month.

Meanwhile, a special task force is working around the clock to ensure mosques are ready for worshippers.