Traditional Ramadan Drinks: What Saudis Drink at Iftar
The maghrib adhan echoes across Al Khobar, and in homes all over the Eastern Province, the day’s fast ends the same way it always has: with a date, a sip of water, and then — the drinks. Look at any Saudi iftar table in Ramadan and you will see a lineup of jugs and pitchers that looks almost ceremonial. Deep purple, amber, milky white, ruby red. These are not random choices. Every traditional Ramadan drink has a story, a reason it is there, and a specific kind of thirst it was designed to answer.
This is a guide to the drinks of the Saudi iftar table — what they are, where they come from, and why, after a long day of fasting, nothing else will do.
Vimto: the unlikely king of iftar
No drink is more associated with Ramadan in Saudi Arabia than Vimto — which is remarkable, because Vimto is neither Saudi nor Middle Eastern. It is a British cordial, invented in Manchester in 1908 as a “health tonic” made from grapes, raspberries, blackcurrants, herbs, and spices. It arrived in the Gulf decades ago and did something no marketing plan could have engineered: it became the taste of Ramadan.
During Ramadan, Vimto sales in the Gulf spike so dramatically that the company produces special Ramadan packaging and advertising. Families buy it by the case. The ritual is specific: Vimto concentrate diluted with cold water and plenty of ice, served in a tall glass or a traditional dallah-style jug. It is sweet, dark, slightly spiced, and after hours without water, it tastes like relief itself.
Why it works at iftar: The sugar delivers fast energy, the cold liquid rehydrates, and the familiar flavor is pure comfort. Nutritionists will tell you water and dates are the ideal way to break a fast — and they are right — but Vimto is what the heart wants.
Qamar al-din: the apricot classic
Qamar al-din — “moon of the religion” — is one of the oldest Ramadan drinks in the Arab world. It is made from dried apricot paste, soaked overnight and blended with water, a little sugar, and often a splash of orange blossom water. The result is a thick, velvety, amber drink that tastes like concentrated sunshine.
The drink’s origins trace back to Syria, where apricot orchards produced more fruit than could be eaten fresh, and drying it into paste was the preservation method. The paste — sold in large flat sheets in every Gulf supermarket before Ramadan — rehydrates into a drink that is naturally rich in fiber and gentle on an empty stomach.
Why it works at iftar: Unlike the sharp sweetness of cordials, qamar al-din is mellow and filling. The apricot provides natural sugars plus fiber, which slows absorption and keeps energy steadier through taraweeh prayers. It is the “responsible adult” of the iftar drinks lineup, and it earns its place.
Tamarind (تمر هندي): the tangy cooler
Tamarind drink — tamar hindi, literally “Indian date” — is the tangy counterpoint on the iftar table. Dried tamarind pulp is soaked, strained, and sweetened into a brown, sweet-sour drink served ice cold. Its flavor is unlike anything else at the table: fruity, tart, almost like a natural cola without the fizz.
Tamarind came to the Arab world through ancient Indian Ocean trade routes, and it has been cooling people down in hot climates for centuries. In Saudi Arabia it is a Ramadan staple, but you will also find it year-round in juice shops, where it is prized as one of the most refreshing drinks on a 45-degree afternoon.
Why it works at iftar: The tartness stimulates the appetite after a day of fasting — it wakes up taste buds that plain water cannot. It is also genuinely thirst-quenching in a way that very sweet drinks are not.
Karkadeh: the ruby-red hibiscus
Karkadeh is dried hibiscus flower steeped into a drink of astonishing ruby-red color. Served cold and sweetened, it is tart, floral, and vividly refreshing; served hot, it is a soothing winter tea. In Saudi Arabia it appears at iftar tables and in cafés alike, and across the Red Sea in Egypt and Sudan it is practically a national drink.
Hibiscus has been consumed in the region since ancient Egyptian times, and the dried flowers — deep crimson, almost black — are a fixture of every spice souq in the Gulf. The cold-brewed version is the iftar choice: steeped for hours, strained, sweetened, and poured over ice.
Why it works at iftar: Karkadeh is light, hydrating, and not too sweet, which makes it the palate cleanser of the lineup. After the richness of samboosa and the sweetness of Vimto, a glass of cold karkadeh resets everything.
Laban: the savory essential
Not every iftar drink is sweet. Laban — thin, salted yogurt drink, the Gulf’s answer to ayran — holds a non-negotiable place on the table. It is yogurt whisked with cold water and a pinch of salt until drinkable, sometimes with dried mint. It is savory, cooling, and deeply traditional.
Fermented dairy drinks are among the oldest beverages in the Arabian Peninsula, born from the practical need to preserve milk in a hot climate without refrigeration. Laban survived into the modern era because it does something no sweet drink can: it settles the stomach. After dates and fried snacks, a cold glass of laban is digestive mercy.
Why it works at iftar: The salt replaces electrolytes lost during the fast, the yogurt’s probiotics are gentle on an empty stomach, and the cool savory flavor balances the sweetness of everything else on the table.
Karak: the late-night closer
Technically, karak belongs to the hours after iftar rather than the breaking of the fast itself — but no account of Ramadan drinks is complete without it. As the evening stretches toward suhoor, the strong, milky, cardamom-laced tea takes over. Ramadan nights in the Eastern Province run on karak: at home, at the cafeteria, in the car on the way to taraweeh.
Karak’s roots are South Asian — it is the Gulf’s version of masala chai, brought by migration and trade, then adapted to local taste: stronger, milkier, sweetened with condensed milk. During Ramadan, cafeterias do some of their busiest business of the year between iftar and suhoor, and karak is the reason.
Why the iftar table looks the way it does
Step back and the lineup makes perfect sense. The table needs fast energy (Vimto, qamar al-din), genuine rehydration (water, karkadeh, laban), appetite stimulation (tamarind), digestive comfort (laban), and the social drink that carries the evening (karak). No single drink does all of this, so the tradition evolved a portfolio — each jug with a job.
There is also the matter of hospitality. In Saudi culture, offering a guest a choice of drinks is a small act of generosity, and Ramadan magnifies every act of generosity. A table with five jugs says: you are welcome here, and we prepared for you.
Conclusion
The drinks of the Saudi iftar table are a map of the country’s history: British cordial, Syrian apricots, Indian Ocean tamarind, Egyptian hibiscus, Bedouin laban, South Asian karak — all converging on one table at maghrib. Each one earned its place through the only test that matters: a thirsty person, at sunset, in Ramadan, reaching for the jug they trust.