DUBAI 3 May 2019: Every day during the holy month of Ramadan, a single shot will be fired at the time of iftar and two shots will be fired to mark the start of the holy month and the commencement of Eid.
Major Abdullah Tarish of the General Department of Organisations Security and Protective Emergency, said that Dubai Police have been making final arrangements and is on standby to fire the cannons that will announce the sighting of the new crescent moon and the beginning of Ramadan, as is tradition since the early 1960s.
Major Tarish said that the department has equipped six cannons, including four core and two reserves, which are to be used in the event one of the cannons malfunctions.
The British-made 25 PDR MK1L Canons piece artillery has a sound range of 170 decibels, which reached most residential communities in the past, but due to urban development, the range has considerably decreased.
A group of officers has been assigned to ensure the cannons are shuttled to the chosen spots at Burj Khalifa, Eid prayer grounds in Mankhool and Al Baraha, Madinat Jumeirah and at the Dubai City Walk.
Major Tarish explained the cannon has become an important tradition of the holy month among the emirate’s tourists, with tour companies adding them on their tourist routes during Ramadan.
Sharjah Police stress readiness of cannons to announce iftar
SHARJAH: Lt. Col. Khalid Bal Aswad, head of the security and guards department at special tasks management of Sharjah Police, has confirmed preparations for the holy month of Ramadan through making sure iftar cannons are functional and ready to be fired regularly during the holy month every day at sunset to notify Muslims to break their fast.
Testing of the Ramadan cannons reflects Sharjah Police’s keenness to celebrate this holy occasion with the public. Eleven Ramadan cannons will be operational in various parts of the emirate for the entire month, said wam.
The cannons are popular and are regularly used during the holy month of Ramadan, preserving the Arab tradition.
