중동 라마단 5월 6일부터 시작....건설현장 가이드 소개 VIDEO: A guide to Ramadan 2019 for construction companies in the UAE
A guide to Ramadan 2019 for construction companies in the UAE
EXCLUSIVE: Experts share health tips, labour law guidelines, and tent business insights, and answer FAQs for the Holy Month
by Ranju Warrier30 Apr 2019
The ninth month of the Hijri calendar marks the beginning of the Holy Month of Ramadan around the world: according to the International Astronomical Centre, the first day of Ramadan 2019 is predicted to be 6 May in most Muslim nations; and, as Ramadan rules – from parking and school timings to social conduct related to food and drink – take effect in key construction markets, Construction Week hears from health, legal, and other construction industry experts to prepare your guide to Ramadan 2019.
The Holy Month of Ramadan may start on 6 May.
중동 라마단 5월 6일부터 시작....건설현장 가이드 소개 아랍에미리트 사례 국제천문센터에 따르면 2019년 라마단 첫날은 대부분의 이슬람 국가에서 5월 6일로 예상되며, 라마단 규칙에 따라 주차 및 학교 시간부터 음식과 음료에 관련된 사회적 행위에 이르기까지 전세계에서 라마단 효력을 발휘한다. 주요 건설 시장에서 건설위크는 건강, 법률 및 기타 건설 업계 전문가들로부터 2019년 라마단 가이드 준비를 위한 소식을 듣는다. 라마단이 시작됨에 따라 UAE 사무소는 공공 부문과 민간 부문에서 최소 2시간의 근무 시간을 줄일 수 있을 것이다. 건설위크는 라마단 기간 동안 노동법과 정책에서부터 건강과 영양에 이르기까지 주요 사업 분야에 대한 당신의 조직을 어떻게 준비할 것인지에 대해 산업 전문가들로부터 듣는다 라마단은 이슬람교에서 가장 신성하게 생각하는 달로, 이 기간 이슬람교도는 의무적으로 금식하고 매일 5번의 기도를 해야 한다. 올해는 5월 6일부터 적용된다. 라마단은 경건함, 자선, 축복의 달이며, 다양한 건설 및 부동산 회사들은 작업원들이 성월 동안 매일 이프타르(Iftar) 식사를 할 수 있도록 만전을 다한다. 이프타르(Iftar)는 라마단(Ramadan)의 두 가지 주요 식사 중 하나로, 라마단 단식이 끝난 후 먹는 식사를 말한다. 아랍에미리트 정부의 웹사이트가 설명하듯이 이슬람교도들은 전통적으로 대추와 물을 먹음으로써 단식을 깬다 두 번째 식사는 수하르라고 하는데, 단식을 하기 전에 이른 아침에 먹는다. <라마단 기간 동안의 건설작업원을 위한 동향 및 유의사항> "노동자에게 설탕이 많이 들어 있거나 향신료가 과다한 식품을 제공하면 장기적으로 노동생산성이 악화된다. 성월(聖月)과 에이드(Eid) 기간 동안 수백 수천 명의 무슬림들이 매년 하지 순례차 메카 그랜드 모스크를 방문함에 따라 사우디 방문객은 크게 증가한다. 만약 이술람법 65조에 위반하는 사람이 있다면, 당국은 그 사건을 근거로 벌금의 양자택일을 결정한다. 황기철 콘페이퍼 에디터 큐레이터 Ki Cheol Hwang, conpaper editor, curator |
edited by kcontents
For instance, with the onset of Ramadan, offices in the UAE will see a reduction of at least two working hours across public and private sectors. Construction Week hears from industry experts on how to prepare your organisation on key business aspects during Ramadan – from labour law and policies to health and nutrition.
Ramadan is the month of piety, charity, and blessings, and various construction and real estate companies ensure that their workforce is brought together for daily iftar meals during the Holy Month. Iftar is one of the two main meals of Ramadan, and refers to the breaking of the fast. As the UAE Government's website explains, Muslims traditionally break their fast by eating dates and drinking water.
The second meal is called Suhoor, which is consumed early in the morning before fasting.
Work productivity deteriorates in the long run if the labourers are offered food that is high in sugar or has excessive amount of spices.
As such, companies must bear some key considerations in mind whilst preparing iftar meals for their employees. Director of nutrition and lifestyle management at UAE healthcare giant Zulekha Hospital, Nafeesa Ahmed, tells Construction Week how nutrition should be managed during the Holy Month.
“Prolonged work under the sun eventually results in electrolyte loss due to dehydration, and in order to balance this, it is essential that employers include liquid items such as fresh juice, with no-added sugar and less or no preservatives, as part of the meals,” Ahmed says.
Iftar must comprise nutritious items [representational image: ITP/Rajesh Raghav].
“Work productivity deteriorates in the long run if the labourers are offered food that is high in sugar or has excessive amount of spices.”
Dates, milk, and bread are important parts of a typical iftari, as the meal is sometimes called. Ahmed explains why dates, in particular, are a healthy, nutritious option for construction workers during Ramadan: “Given the fact that the body is deprived of water, salt, and sugar for a long time, dates [support the rapid] assimilation of sugar into the body, which helps boost energy.
During the Holy Month and Eid, demand for semi-permanent structures in Saudi Arabia rises significantly as hundreds and thousands of Muslims visit the [Makkah Grand Mosque] for their yearly Hajj pilgrimage
According to the doctor, iftaris must include minimal portions of Asian and Arabic sweets; deep-fried snacks; and bottled juices with high preservatives and sugar. Instead, she suggested, it is advisable to include puddings or baked food items, as they are high in energy and low in carbohydrates.
During the Holy Month, companies should make necessary arrangements for their non-fasting staff by providing covered make-shift drinking facilities to ensure that they are constantly hydrated, Ahmed adds.
From royal gatherings to meetings comprising high-net worth individuals (HNWIs), and with companies in the public and private sectors, Ramadan majlis events are frequently held during the Holy Month. As such, these gatherings also drive the semi-permanent structure market in the region.
Senior sales manager at temporary structure specialist Losberger De Boer Middle East, Paul Machin, tells Construction Week that even though demand is high during peak event periods, and the firm receives a high volume of enquiries for its services, hotel owners and operators generally have tight budgets for temporary structures.
Machin notes that Saudi Arabia is a key GCC market where demand for temporary construction has spiked, with demand remaining high during the entire year as the country’s tourism and entertainment sector expands.
“During the Holy Month and Eid, demand for semi-permanent structures in Saudi Arabia rises significantly as hundreds and thousands of Muslims visit the [Makkah Grand Mosque] for their yearly Hajj pilgrimage,” Machin says.
Ramadan tents are a common fixture in the UAE [representational image].
Losberger De Boer, Machin says, implements a thorough project management process to construct the quick-to-build structures, which are easy to assemble and dismantle.
The company uses aluminium integrated wooden floor systems, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) roofs and walls, and glass panels for its buildings. Summer months in the region tend to be quieter periods for the business compared to winter, when the region hosts more outdoor events, Machin says.
If anyone contravenes the Article 65, then authorities decide on the quantum of penalty based on the case.
“Saudi Arabia is clever when it comes to semi-permanent structures, since it hosts massive one-time events,” he continues.
In December 2019, Losberger De Boer announced that it had built the temporary pit lane structure for electric Grand Prix that took place in the kingdom’s capital city, Riyadh. The German company also completed 15 structures for Saudi Arabia's entertainment mega-city Qiddiya in 60 days last September, and a VIP hub for the King Abdul Aziz Falconry Festival, held earlier in 2019.
It is essential that professionals in the UAE are aware of the labour laws surrounding the Holy Month, partner at STA Law Firm, Sunil Thacker, tells Construction Week.
He adds: “Article 65 [states that] maximum working hours for adult workers [should be] eight hours, and [for] employees working in commercial establishments such as hotels, restaurants, security operations, [this] can be increased to nine hours.
“During Ramadan, working hours are reduced by two hours for both Muslims and non-Muslims,” adds Thacker.
“If an employer wants their employees to work more than the designated hours, then the latter can reach out to the labour ministry and register a complaint.”
The UAE labour law stipulates rules for Ramadan [representational image].
Non-Muslim professionals working within Dubai International Financial Centre are not entitled to short working hours, and employers can ask employees to work for regular hours even during Ramadan.
“However, the employers have to compensate the extra hours. If anyone contravenes the Article 65, then authorities decide on the quantum of penalty based on the case,” stresses Thacker.
Article 1 of the Ministerial resolution No. 49/1 for the year 1980 states that jobs worked under the sun and outdoors should not exceed five hours. These jobs must also not be carried out beyond 12:30pm or resume before 4:30pm.
"Dubai is far advanced in terms of regulatory measures and construction companies abide by the law to ensure saftey of their employees," Thacker says.
View Full Text
kcontents
