Emirates is marking Ramadan 2026 with a suite of special inflight and on-the-ground services, refreshed iftar offerings and new Skywards rewards, aiming to support fasting travelers while sharing warm wishes for peace and connection throughout the holy month.
Ramadan 2026: A Holistic Approach to the Holy Month
As Muslims around the world prepare for Ramadan 2026, Emirates is rolling out a renewed program of services designed specifically around the needs of fasting travelers. The Dubai-based carrier is blending operational precision with cultural sensitivity, seeking to make journeys during the holy month more comfortable and spiritually mindful for customers of all faiths.
The airline’s Ramadan plans encompass inflight dining, airport lounge offerings, gate-side support at iftar time and enhancements to its Skywards loyalty program. Together, they reflect both the global scale of Emirates’ network and the central role Ramadan plays in its home market in the United Arab Emirates.
While some aspects of the program build on long-standing traditions, this year’s updates place added emphasis on lighter, nutritionally balanced menus, accurate prayer and fasting times, and a more immersive cultural experience through onboard entertainment and design.
Special Iftar Boxes Onboard and at the Gate
At the heart of Emirates’ Ramadan offering are the specially designed iftar boxes that will be served across all cabin classes on selected routes during the holy month. For Ramadan 2026, the airline has revealed a refreshed in-flight box intended to help fasting passengers break their fast comfortably when sunset coincides with a flight sector.
Each box is curated around traditional Ramadan flavors while keeping portions light enough to ease passengers gently out of the day’s fast. Travelers can expect mezze such as hummus, moutabel or muhammara with soft Arabic bread, alongside a chicken musakhan or herbed chicken sandwich. Sweet elements, including chocolate-coated almonds, baklawa or pistachio maamoul, and a serving of laban as a traditional dairy drink, round out the selection.
These boxes are offered in addition to the regular hot meal service, giving fasting passengers the flexibility to break their fast at the correct time but still enjoy the broader inflight menu later in the journey if they wish. To support those whose iftar time falls just before or during boarding, Emirates will also provide complimentary gate-side boxes at selected departure points, containing water, laban, dates and a banana to allow travelers to observe iftar before boarding or immediately after takeoff.
Design Inspired by Islamic Art and Emirati Heritage
Beyond the food itself, Emirates continues to treat the design of its Ramadan offerings as an extension of cultural storytelling. The 2026 iftar boxes feature packaging inspired by Islamic geometric art, echoing patterns that have long been associated with religious architecture and devotional objects across the region.
These geometric motifs, composed of interlocking stars and polygons, are not merely decorative; they carry symbolic associations with unity, harmony and the infinite. By incorporating such patterns onto the boxes, the airline seeks to connect the inflight experience with the visual language that is familiar in mosques, historic homes and public spaces throughout the Arab world.
In previous years, Emirates has also drawn on the heritage of Emirati crafts, including the Al Sadu weaving tradition, for its Ramadan designs. That same focus on local heritage remains evident in how textures, colors and patterns are chosen for this year’s collection, subtly reinforcing a sense of place for travelers passing through Dubai on their way to destinations across the network.
Lounges in Dubai, Cairo and Jeddah Embrace the Spirit of the Month
On the ground, Emirates’ airport lounges are once again central to its Ramadan program, particularly at Dubai International Airport. During the holy month, the carrier’s premium lounges will serve a rotation of seasonal dishes, snacks and desserts designed to suit both iftar and suhoor.
In Dubai, passengers can expect dishes such as lamb kabsa, chicken machboos and Arabic mixed grill with tahina, alongside regional favorites like lentil soup and an array of hot and cold mezze. Desserts including cheese kunafa, Arabic coffee and date ice cream, baklawa and other traditional sweets will be complemented by Ramadan-themed beverages such as jallab, laban and specially crafted mocktails.
Similar Ramadan-inspired selections are being introduced in Emirates lounges in Cairo and Jeddah, two key gateways for travelers observing the holy month. Quiet prayer rooms and ablution facilities remain an important feature across the lounge network, reflecting the airline’s effort to create a calm environment for reflection, prayer and family time between flights.
Technology-Assisted Fasting Times and Onboard Experience
One of the more complex aspects of fasting while flying is determining the precise moment for imsak and iftar as the aircraft moves through different time zones and latitudes. Emirates is once again deploying a dedicated calculation system that uses real-time data on an aircraft’s position, including latitude, longitude and altitude, to determine the correct local sunset time.
Once the system confirms that the sun has set along the aircraft’s route, the captain will make a cabin announcement to inform passengers that it is time to break their fast. This approach is intended to reduce uncertainty for travelers who may otherwise struggle to reconcile ground-based timetables with the constantly shifting environment of a long-haul flight.
Alongside the precise timing, Emirates is also curating a Ramadan section on its ice inflight entertainment system. The dedicated collection typically includes Quran recitations, religious lectures, spiritual programs and family-friendly series in Arabic and Urdu, offering passengers a way to spend their air time in reflection or quiet learning that aligns with the spirit of the month.
Enhanced Skywards Rewards for Ramadan Shoppers and Diners
Beyond the aircraft and lounges, Emirates is extending the Ramadan theme into its loyalty ecosystem through Emirates Skywards. The program, which now counts tens of millions of members worldwide, is using the month as an opportunity to encourage everyday earning across retail, dining and lifestyle partners in the UAE.
From late February through March, Skywards members based in the UAE are being offered elevated earn rates when they tap to pay at more than 400 brands using the Skywards Everyday app. Bonus Miles, mall-shopping incentives and card-linked offers are designed to reward routine Ramadan spending, whether on groceries for family gatherings, meals out after taraweeh prayers or seasonal home décor.
The initiative also includes prize draws for large Mile allocations, reinforcing Emirates’ positioning of Skywards as a program that can meaningfully offset the cost of future travel. For many customers, Ramadan shopping and dining can translate directly into flight redemptions later in the year, potentially at Eid or during summer holidays.
Supporting Pilgrims and Regional Travel Patterns
Ramadan also coincides with a rise in religious travel across the Gulf region, including journeys to Saudi Arabia for Umrah. Emirates is tailoring its services on flights to cities such as Jeddah and Medina, where significant numbers of pilgrims use Dubai as a transit point.
On these routes, the airline is placing particular emphasis on iftar box availability and is maintaining a policy that allows pilgrims to check in containers of Zamzam water free of charge from certain airports. The airline’s load-planning and catering teams typically model passenger volumes on pilgrimage flights to ensure that sufficient Ramadan meals, beverages and comfort items are available during peak days of the season.
Within the broader network, Emirates expects to see familiar patterns of demand, with travelers visiting family in the Middle East, South Asia and Africa, as well as outbound traffic from the Gulf once Ramadan concludes and Eid holidays begin. The carrier’s Ramadan services are positioned as a bridge between these phases, anchoring the month itself while also nodding to the celebratory journeys that follow.
A Message of Peace, Community and Connection
Alongside the operational details, Emirates is using its communication channels to share Ramadan greetings with customers at home and abroad. The airline’s seasonal messaging emphasizes themes of peace, health and togetherness, affirming Ramadan as a time for reflection and renewed connection even for those whose circumstances require them to be in transit.
In visual campaigns and onboard announcements, Emirates highlights scenes of families reuniting at arrival halls, friends gathering around iftar tables and passengers pausing for prayer in quiet corners of busy terminals. These images underscore the airline’s effort to see Ramadan not only as a commercial season but as a moment with deep personal significance for many of its travelers and staff.
For non-Muslim passengers, informational content on the airline’s channels and in its inflight magazines helps explain the meaning of Ramadan and what fasting entails, contributing to a broader sense of cultural understanding on mixed flights. In this way, Emirates is positioning its Ramadan 2026 offerings as both a service enhancement and an opportunity for shared awareness across its diverse global customer base.