The are only attracting the well-off who can afford its minimum charges.

DOHA — Across the entire Gulf, major hotels are used to erecting massive luxury tents during the holy fasting month of Ramadan to attract many people following the Tarwih prayers, who are fed up with Arab satellite channels supplying an uninterrupted flow of soap operas and game shows.

"We named our tent 'Children of the Medina', after the masterpiece by the Egyptian writer Nagib Mahfuz", the Nobel literature laureate who died last month aged 94, the marketing director of Doha Sheraton Shukri Hussein told Agence France-Presse (AFP)

The Sheraton in the Qatari capital has this year opted for the open air, putting up a giant Bedouin-style air-conditioned tent looking out over a lagoon.

Shortly after Ramadan began on Saturday, September 23, dozens of workers were still putting the finishing touches to a large wooden model of a mosque at the hotel entrance, to greet the arrival of the holy month.

Ramadan is the most important month of the Islamic calendar, during which the first verses of the Noble Qur'an were revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).

During this time, which is dedicated to spiritual growth, Adult Muslims — save the infirm, patients or those on a journey — must refrain from eating, drinking and having sexual relations between dawn and sunset.

The daily fast is broken with an evening meal called the iftar , after which many Muslims attend special congregational nightly prayers, known as Tarwih.

Ramadan evenings are often festive, with visits among relatives and friends. The month ends with one of Islam's major holidays, Eid Al-Fitr.

Expensive

These tents, however, are only attracting the well-off who can afford its minimum charges.

The Marriott's marketing director, Rhoda Adams, attributed the soaring prices to the overall cost, saying the hotel's tent cost 400,000 riyals -- about 110,000 dollars.

The Ritz Carlton decided to spend 300,000 riyals -- more than 80,000 dollars -- on its Ramadan tent, according to the hotel's public relations officer Annie Buckley.

The cheapest charge for entry to these Ramadan soirees is 75 riyals, or about 20 dollars.

The evening gatherings often last until "suhur", the final meal before fasting resumes at dawn.

The gatherings are also fed by Arab satellite channels supplying an uninterrupted flow of soap operas, variety shows, dramas, game-shows and chat shows.

It is the same in all the main cities of the Gulf's other monarchies. Whether it be Dubai or Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, Jeddah or Riyadh in Saudi Arabia or in Kuwait, restaurant owners and hoteliers compete to outdo each other in their efforts to attract as many Ramadan patrons as possible.

"For Ramadan our tent will be there and our restaurants will, as usual, be offering a buffet for iftar," said Abdel Nabi Amini, deputy director of the Gulf Hotel in Manama.