People who live on the upper floors of the Burj Khalifa must wait a little longer to break their fast because it takes them longer to see the sun set.
On Monday, authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) urged residents living in tall buildings, including the Burj Khalifa, to adjust their Iftar (breaking of fast) timings based on their floor levels.
In recent years, it has become widely acknowledged that residents in Dubai’s skyscrapers may have to observe fasting slightly longer, with a reported difference of up to 6 minutes before breaking their fast, as stated in a Khaleej Times report.
The Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department of the Government of Dubai issued a circular stating that residents residing between the 60th and 120th floors would observe fasting for an additional four minutes compared to others in Dubai.
At such heights, the time variance will lead to dawn prayers being conducted 2 minutes earlier than the rest of Dubai, while sunset and evening prayers will be delayed by an additional 2 minutes.
The well-known phenomenon has garnered attention to the extent that esteemed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson tweeted about it on Sunday, coinciding with the announcement of the first day of Ramadan worldwide.
Furthermore, authorities specified that individuals residing on the 121st floor and above will need to observe fasting for an additional 6 minutes. This adjustment is due to the dawn prayer being 3 minutes earlier and sunset and evening prayers being 3 minutes later compared to the usual timings observed on the ground below.