CSR on the menu this holy month as Crowne Plaza KLCC held its Kongsi Raya dining preview last month. Photo Credit: Facebook/Crowne Plaza Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre
As Ramadan unfolds this year, iftar – the evening meal that marks the breaking of the sacred fast – is shaping how companies gather in diverse ways across APAC.
In the multinational business hub of Dubai especially, corporate iftars have increasingly become a fixture of the business calendar. As highlighted by The Economic Times, Ramadan is reshaping business as companies in the emirate treat iftar as occasions to host clients and partners, but also to foster internal cohesion – with a shift towards evening programming.
This year is the first time in decades that the full month of Ramadan in the UAE will take place in winter, making outdoor iftar gatherings more appealing. Iconic venues such as under the Al Wasl Dome in Expo City are offering large-scale corporate iftars with seating for hundreds and live culinary stations.
Understated and meal-focused
While evening gatherings offer a culturally inclusive way to maintain business connections during the holy month of Ramadan, organisers are increasingly conscious of avoiding overt commercialisation, excessive entertainment or transactional networking.
Planners respond by keeping programmes understated, centring the experience on shared dining, reflection and respect for fasting practices, and ensuring that corporate objectives do not overshadow the religious significance of the occasion.
Feasting and giving - CSR season
With the holy month also focused on discipline, reflection and community, corporates are also getting together more for CSR objectives.
Dubai’s Kave – a cafe and event space – hosts zero-waste iftars, and a giving programme where the venue donates one meal for every meal sold.
In Kuching, Sarawak, Imperial Hotel Kuching hosted a special iftar for 31 individuals from six underprivileged families as part of its Ramadan CSR programme. The hotel provided a meal at its Imperial Garden Restaurant and gave each attendee a Ramadan goodie bag and “duit raya” (festive cash gift), in collaboration with the local charity HOPE Place Kuching.
While rolling out its Ramadan dinner buffet menu, Crowne Plaza Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre also hosted the children and caretakers from Rumah Perlindungan Nur Hati for an exlusive preview.
A rare overlap of festive calendars
In a rare calendar convergence this year, Lunar New Year, Ramadan and Lent are unfolding within the same narrow period.
In Malaysia, the proximity of Ramadan and Lunar New Year have inspired a series of “Kongsi Raya” (a mish mash of Mandarin and Malay festive greetings) dining promotions and buffets in hotels including The Westin Desaru Coast and Crowne Plaza.
Iftars also tend to be more about community and less ostentatious. Sunway Putra Hotel in Kuala Lumpur launched an open house-style Santapan Ramadan Serantau 2026, an iftar buffet that celebrates 11 ASEAN nations with dishes from Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore, Myanmar, Brunei, Laos, the Philippines and Timor-Leste.
Over in Dubai, the Dubai International Financial Centre – which includes 115 internationally diverse restaurants – also unveiled a series of iftar menus across various cuisines to target corporate groups and residents alike.