For the sixth consecutive year, Yahya Seafood restaurant at Waterfront Market Dubai has been distributing over 2,000 free Iftar meals every night to workers, vendors, shoppers, and service staff.
This initiative takes a unique approach: large pots of Biryani are directly transported to the market’s parking lot, where communal dining areas are set up so that people can break their fast together. Every evening after Asr prayer, the market’s parking lot transforms into a massive dining hall, bringing hundreds of people together.
Meal preparation begins early in the morning, using hundreds of kilograms of rice and over 150 kg of fresh meat, sourced directly from the market to ensure freshness and quality. The food is slow-cooked in 50 large pots and served fresh around 5:30 PM. The Iftar includes dates, juice, crispy samosas, and large Biryani platters, each weighing 3 kg—enough to serve four people.
Yahya Fayou, the restaurant’s owner, describes this initiative as a way to give back to the community that has supported them. He stated: “Dubai has given us so much. We started from a small stall and managed to open our restaurant at the Waterfront Market. All of this is thanks to the love and support of our customers.”
