The Holy Month of Ramadan is a special time of year in the Middle East (and around the world) and it brings a change of pace for even the busiest of working lives, with reduced working hours, daylight fasting, and time devoted to prayer and reflection.

Ramadan is also a family occasion and many people spend more time at the family home or with family members, during the Holy Month, which ends with the Eid holiday celebrations. The spirit of generosity embraces charitable giving and consideration for others as part of Ramadan and this provides the opportunity for the Middle East Centre in Dubai to join with community activities along with Ramadan–related social occasions for students and alumni. Here are some of the highlights of our social responsibility during Ramadan.

• Emirates Red Crescent Iftar Project – a volunteer team from the Middle East Centre is working with the Red Crescent to pack complimentary Iftar boxes (the meal that breaks the daily fast) for labourers and workers in Dubai.
• Ramadan fridges – an initiative to position fridges in public spaces around Dubai during Ramadan, to provide food for the needy, is being supported by the centre and stocked by volunteers from the team.
• SOS Gala Suhoor – the Middle East Centre was a partner and sponsor to the Gala Suhoor (evening meal) occasion organised by SOS Children’s Villages, in Dubai, to highlight the work of the charity in providing dedicated family support for children without access to parental care, and to raise funds.
• In the spirit of Ramadan, the Centre’s team organised the annual Ramadan gathering for students and alumni in Dubai, attended by over 60 guests who also made generous donations to the Red Crescent during the event.

The University of Manchester’s Middle East Centre launched in 2006 and began the flagship Manchester Global part-time MBA programme. Since 2006, the centre has supported over 2,500 part-time MBA students and a community of 2,500 alumni from across the region, creating professional networking and other opportunities with the wider business community to help enrich the learning experience.