The dates for 2027
Ramadan follows the Islamic lunar calendar, so it starts about eleven days earlier each year, and the exact day is confirmed only when the new moon is sighted. For 2027, astronomical projections published in the UAE expect:
| Occasion | Expected date |
|---|---|
| Ramadan 1448 begins | Around Monday 8 February 2027 |
| Eid al-Fitr | Tuesday 9 or Wednesday 10 March 2027 |
| Arafat Day | Around Saturday 15 May 2027 |
| Eid al-Adha | Sunday 16 or Monday 17 May 2027 |
These are expected dates. The official dates are announced in the UAE after the moon sighting, often only the evening before. Plan your ribbon around the earlier date, so a day's shift never catches you short.
When to order
Work backwards from the day your first hampers must be wrapped, not from the first day of Ramadan. If your hampers must arrive before the month begins, wrapping starts in late January. The season also queues behind National Day and year-end gifting, when printers are already busy.
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| November 2026 | Choose colours, finishes and widths. Ask for samples, and count your boxes with the ribbon calculator. |
| By mid-December | Approve the artwork for any printed ribbon, for Ramadan and for Eid al-Fitr in the same run. |
| Early January 2027 | Order plain ribbon, with time to swap a colour that looks wrong in person. |
| Late January | Wrapping starts for hampers that must arrive before Ramadan begins. |
| Mid-Ramadan | Count what is left and top up plain ribbon for Eid al-Fitr gifts. |
| Early April | Approve printed artwork and order plain ribbon for Eid al-Adha. |
Lead times vary by supplier, by print method and by how busy the season is, so confirm them before you plan around this table. The clock for printed ribbon usually starts when you approve the proof, not when you first ask. Keep a spare roll of your main plain colour on the shelf as a fallback.
Colours for the season
There is no fixed palette for Ramadan and Eid, but a few colours are used again and again in seasonal gifts and decoration. Tap one to see what it suits:
Pick a colour:
Pairing with the box
- Ivory or white boxes with gold or deep green ribbon: the classic Ramadan hamper look.
- Navy or black boxes with gold, champagne or silver: formal, and good for corporate gifts.
- Deep green boxes with gold or ivory. Keep it to two colours.
- Kraft or natural card with ivory, deep green or burgundy. Metallic gold can look thin on brown card, so test it first.
- Your brand colour box: keep the box, and bring the season in through a gold or ivory ribbon.
Colour shifts between finishes, so match on the ribbon you will actually use. A gold satin and a gold grosgrain from the same supplier can look like two different colours side by side.
Finish and width
For the look most buyers want in this season, double-face satin gives the shine and the full bow. Hampers that are carried, stacked and delivered across the city hold up better in grosgrain. The guide to ribbon finishes compares the two, and organza, in detail.
For width, the rule of thumb from the ribbon width guide applies, based on the shorter side of the lid:
- Large hampers, and boxes over about 30 cm: 38 to 50 mm.
- Date boxes and gift boxes of about 15 to 30 cm: 16 to 25 mm.
- Small favours and boxes up to about 15 cm: 6 to 16 mm.
A wider ribbon needs a bigger bow, so tie a sample on your real hamper before you work out quantities with the ribbon calculator.
Printed greetings
A ribbon printed with "Ramadan Kareem" or "Eid Mubarak" turns a plain box into a seasonal one, and many buyers want the greeting in both English and Arabic. The general advice in the logo-printed ribbon guide applies. Arabic adds a few checks of its own:
- Have a native Arabic reader check the text before you approve the proof, and again on the proof itself. Spelling and letter forms that look fine to a non-reader can be wrong.
- Watch the right-to-left layout. Arabic runs right to left and its letters join. Some design software breaks the joins or reverses the letters without warning, so check the final artwork file, not only the draft you typed.
- Send the Arabic as outlines in a vector file, once it is approved, so nothing reflows at the printer.
- Give the Arabic room. Its dots and marks are small and can fill in on a narrow ribbon. On 25 mm and wider there is space for a clear line of text; on narrow ribbon, keep to a short word.
- Decide the repeat. On a bilingual ribbon, the English and Arabic can alternate along the length or sit side by side. Tie a bow and check that at least one complete greeting shows on the front.
Gold or silver foil on satin reads well and suits the season, especially on deep green, navy or burgundy. For fine, detailed lettering, grosgrain's firm surface keeps the edges sharper. Many buyers keep ribbon to greetings and brand marks, and avoid printing verses of the Quran or the names of God on something that will be cut, knotted and thrown away. If you are unsure, ask your client or a native reader before you print.
Eid al-Adha
Eid al-Adha is expected about ten weeks after Eid al-Fitr, in mid-May 2027. It is a good moment to use up plain ribbon left over from Ramadan, in the same colours. If you print a separate Eid al-Adha greeting, order it as its own run with its own proof, rather than stretching an Eid al-Fitr ribbon that names the wrong Eid.
The short checklist
- Expected dates noted, with plans built around the earlier one
- Colours chosen and matched on the real finish, two at most per box
- Width tested on a real hamper and a real date box
- Quantities worked out with the ribbon calculator, plus a spare roll of each colour
- Printed artwork approved by mid-December, with the Arabic checked by a native reader
- Plain ribbon ordered by early January, and a top-up planned for Eid
Questions buyers ask
When does Ramadan 2027 start in the UAE?
Ramadan 1448 is expected to begin around Monday 8 February 2027, with Eid al-Fitr expected on Tuesday 9 or Wednesday 10 March 2027. These are astronomical projections, not official dates. The UAE announces the official start after the moon is sighted, often only the evening before, so plan your ribbon around the earlier date and a day's shift will not catch you short.
What colour ribbon is best for a Ramadan hamper?
Deep gold or champagne is the safest choice for a premium Ramadan hamper, and deep green is the other colour used again and again in the season. Gold looks rich on ivory, black or navy boxes, and champagne suits cream and white. Deep green pairs well with gold and with ivory boxes, but keep red away from it, or the pair reads as Christmas.
What width ribbon for a Ramadan hamper or a box of dates?
Use 38 to 50 mm ribbon on a large hamper or any box over about 30 cm, and 16 to 25 mm on a date box or gift box of about 15 to 30 cm. The rule of thumb works from the shorter side of the lid. A wider ribbon needs a bigger bow, so tie a sample on your real hamper before working out quantities.
Should I use satin or grosgrain for Ramadan gift boxes in Dubai?
Double-face satin for the shine and full bow most buyers want in the season, and grosgrain for hampers that are carried, stacked and delivered across the city. Satin shows gold at its best but marks and creases in transit; grosgrain holds its shape and grips the knot. Whichever you choose, match the colour on that finish, because the same gold can look different in satin and grosgrain.
Can I print Eid Mubarak in Arabic on ribbon?
Yes, and many buyers want the greeting in both English and Arabic. Have a native Arabic reader check the text before you approve the proof and again on the proof itself, because design software can break the joined letters or reverse them without warning. Send the Arabic as outlines in a vector file, and give it room: on 25 mm and wider there is space for a clear line of text. The logo-printed ribbon guide covers the rest.
When should I order ribbon for Eid al-Fitr 2027?
Approve artwork for any printed ribbon by mid-December 2026, in the same run as your Ramadan ribbon, and order plain ribbon in early January 2027. Printed ribbon's lead time usually starts when you approve the proof, and the season queues behind National Day and year-end gifting. Around mid-Ramadan, count what is left and top up plain ribbon for the Eid gifts, keeping a spare roll of your main colour on the shelf.
Can I reuse Ramadan ribbon for Eid al-Adha?
Plain ribbon, yes: Eid al-Adha is expected about ten weeks after Eid al-Fitr, around 16 or 17 May 2027, and it is a good moment to use up the gold, green and ivory left over from Ramadan. Printed ribbon is different. If you want an Eid al-Adha greeting, order it as its own run with its own proof rather than stretching a ribbon that names the wrong Eid.
