Iftar at Shaikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. The yearly iftar programme at the Shaikh Zayed Grand Mosque, which was launched in 2004, has become a landmark Ramadan event in the UAE. See more at: http://gulfnews.com/gntv
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00:00As dusk sets in, thousands of people head to the massive tents adjoining the Sheikh
00:09Zayed Grand Mosque to break their fast.
00:12Ramadan Iftars have been offered at the mosque since 2004 as a charitable initiative in honor
00:17of Sheikh Zayed's legacy.
00:18The Ramadan Iftar program has been offered at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center since
00:22passing of the UAE's founding father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, God rest his soul,
00:27in 2004.
00:28The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque receives a large number of worshippers from all over Abu Dhabi
00:32and the UAE.
00:34The meals are served in specialized air-conditioned tents set up in the lower gardens of the mosque.
00:39And each tent can accommodate more than 1,500 people.
00:41We are serving daily an average of 20,000 meals.
00:45We are receiving around 20,000 guests daily.
00:48Meals are prepared by the Armed Forces Officers Club who use 10,000 whole chickens, 10,000
00:53kilos of meat, 6,000 kilos of uncooked rice and thousands of kilos of salad vegetables
00:57to provide the daily Iftar boxes.
00:59Each box is served individually and each box includes full of nutrition meals like rice,
01:04meat, dates and has vegetables and fruits and juices.
01:09Several organizations assist the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center to ensure that the Iftar
01:13program runs smoothly during the holy month.
01:15We are cooperating with several entities to ensure that we have the professional management
01:21such a large daily operation as you can see.
01:23At the ground there are approximately 300 people who are looking after the operation.
01:29Over the years the number of people sharing Iftar meals in the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
01:33has grown steadily.
01:34In 2008 we had around 394,000 and we are expecting this year in 2012 600,000.
01:42The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center aims to improve the services and we monitor the
01:46feedback from our guests so that enhancements can be made.
01:51With its dedication to service, the Iftar program is only set to expand its popularity
01:54as a place for people to gather and break their fast during Ramadan.
01:58Caitlin Bomron, Skolf News.