Ramadan guide · 2027 How to plan a corporate iftar

By the Messify team · Updated October 2026 · 3 min read

Why a corporate iftar needs more planning than a lunch

An iftar has a fixed moment: the call to Maghrib. Food that arrives five minutes late, or is still being set up when guests break their fast, is the one mistake everyone remembers. Add heavy traffic in the hour before iftar, guests arriving straight from work, and a time that moves a little each day, and it pays to plan carefully.

1. Pick the date and confirm the iftar time

Ramadan 2027 is expected to begin around 8 February 2027, subject to the moon sighting. Maghrib moves a minute or two each day, so check the iftar time for your date and city. Weekday iftars in the first two weeks are usually easier to book than weekends and the last ten days.

2. Decide the format

• Iftar at the office: simple to organise, and staff don't need to travel in iftar traffic. Needs space for a buffet and seating.
• Iftar at a venue: more of an occasion, especially for clients and partners. Check whether the venue allows outside catering.
• Ghabga: a later evening gathering after taraweeh, more relaxed, with lighter food. It suits teams who prefer to break their fast at home.
• Iftar meals for staff: individual meals delivered to staff accommodation or sites, often sponsored by the company.

3. Headcount and guests

Invite non-fasting colleagues too: a corporate iftar is a team occasion. Collect RSVPs early and give the caterer a final number a few days before. Because many guests arrive in the last minutes before Maghrib, make sure people know the start time and where to go.

4. Build the menu in stages

1. Break the fast: dates, water and laban, ready on the tables before Maghrib.
2. Light start: lentil soup or harees, samosas or sambousek, and salads such as fattoush.
3. Main meal: after Maghrib prayer, a rice dish such as biryani, mandi or ouzi, with grills or curries and a vegetarian main.
4. To finish: luqaimat, kunafa or umm ali, fruit, Arabic coffee and tea.

For quantities, our food per person guide applies: iftar guests eat a full meal.

5. Set aside space for prayer

Many guests will pray Maghrib before the main meal. Set aside a clean, quiet space with prayer mats, and plan the main meal to be served after the prayer.

6. Timing on the day

• Ask the caterer to arrive and set up well before Maghrib, allowing for traffic.
• Have dates and water on the tables, not on the buffet, so guests can break their fast immediately.
• Keep speeches short and after the meal.

7. Daytime during Ramadan

If you are catering daytime meetings during Ramadan for non-fasting colleagues, serve food discreetly in a private room, out of sight of colleagues who are fasting.

Book your corporate iftar

We cater corporate iftars, ghabga nights and staff iftar meals across Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah and Umm Al Quwain, with 100% halal menus planned around Maghrib. See iftar catering or send your date, venue and headcount for a quote.

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