The Lonely Planet guide mentioned earlier contains a very good section on the customs and traditions of the Islamic religion. You will quickly be conscious of the many mosques in the country and will become used to the five times daily calls to prayer from the mosque minarets surrounding you. There are two major festivals in the Muslim calendar - the three day holiday the Eid Al Fitr which follows the fasting month of Ramadan and the four day holiday about two months later, the Eid Al Adha. Ramadan is a special time in the Middle East, when all Muslims in good health are required to perform special duties. As part of their observances during this month, Muslims do not eat, drink, or smoke between sunrise and sunset. Non-Muslims are not required to fast but are not allowed to eat, drink, or smoke in public out of respect for their hosts. At the Colleges, no food or drink is displayed or eaten in public. The doors to the staff kitchen, staff room and dining areas are closed and you must be sure to shut the door behind you if you enter these areas.

Please do not yield to the temptation to eat, drink, or smoke in public, even in your car, during Ramadan. It is a punishable offence. If you have a small child, it is acceptable for the child to eat or drink in a car, (similar exceptions apply to pregnant women); however to avoid unwanted derision and possible questioning by police authorities you should be somewhere private before consuming water or food.

The Holy Month of Ramadan is followed by a holiday, usually of three days' duration, called Eid al-Fitr, or just "Eid." The exact start of Ramadan and Eid is determined by the phases of the moon but there will be notices on television and in the newspapers. The Colleges are closed during Eid, and you will find excitement in the air of Fujairah. Many of your Muslim neighbours, colleagues, and students may seem tired during this month, a result of waking before dawn to eat, fasting all day, and then staying up until very late into the evening to feast.

About two months after Ramadan there is another Eid called Eid al-Adha. It marks the end of the pilgrimage to Makkah, one of the five pillars of Islam. The Colleges are closed during Eid al-Adha, which usually lasts for four days.

There are other one-day public holidays calendared throughout the year.