Custom Ramadan napkins in the UAE: the date that decides your first iftar
Custom Ramadan napkins with your logo get ordered once a year, and usually in the wrong week. The problem is rarely the design or the price. It is one date on the calendar that slips past unnoticed, and every day after it adds risk.
Ramadan napkins: the short answer
To have custom Ramadan napkins with your logo on the table for the first iftar in the UAE, approve the design and pay at least a month before Ramadan begins. Production takes 7 working days, then FedEx ships from Spain and the boxes clear UAE customs: about 10 to 12 working days with Priority, or 14 to 16 with Economy. The minimum is 100 napkins per design, and the design is free.
That is the answer. Behind it sit three decisions that settle whether your napkins last until Eid or run out in the second week. We start with the one that costs most when it goes wrong.
Count back from the first iftar
Astronomical calculations put the start of Ramadan 2027 in early February, with the exact date confirmed by the moon sighting. So the real ordering window falls in December and January, two months already crowded with other events.
The calculation is simple, but the order of the steps matters:
- Design approval and payment. The clock starts here, not on the day you send your logo. We send you the design and you can ask for as many changes as you like at no cost, so leave a few days for this stage.
- Production. 7 working days at our factory in Valencia, Spain.
- Shipping. 1 to 2 working days with FedEx Priority, or about 6 with Economy.
- UAE customs. Usually 1 to 3 days, and it can take longer in busy seasons.
All in, plan on 10 to 12 working days with Priority or 14 to 16 with Economy. These are working days, and 1 and 6 January are public holidays in Spain, so they do not count. That is why we recommend approving your design a full month before the holy month. We cannot promise a fixed date that depends on customs, and the margin is what protects you.
How many napkins do 30 nights of iftar take?
This is where the expensive mistake happens. Many buyers order enough for one night multiplied by the number of guests, and forget two things. Ramadan has thirty nights. And an iftar table moves in stages: dates and water, then soup and starters, then the main course, then coffee and sweets in the majlis.
Size changes the whole sum. The smaller the napkin, the more of them each guest uses:
| Size | Where it works at Ramadan | Per guest (estimate) |
|---|---|---|
| 20×20 cm | Dates and Arabic coffee in the majlis, a light suhoor, under a glass | Around 4.5 |
| 24×24 cm | Samosas, starters and finger food | 3 to 4 |
| 33×33 cm | A full iftar with a main course | 1 to 2 |
| 40×40 cm | Hotel tables and carefully set Ramadan tents | Usually 1 |
A worked example, for the arithmetic only: a Ramadan tent seating 150 guests a night, with two 33×33 cm napkins each, gets through about 9,000 napkins in the month. Add 20×20 cm napkins if you serve coffee in the majlis afterwards. Every size, with its folded dimensions, is on our sizes, qualities and inks page.
There is a second reason to work the quantity out once, carefully. Shipping is charged per box, not per napkin.
Shipping is per box, so order once
We ship from Spain by FedEx in two box sizes: a small box holds up to 500 napkins and a large box up to 2,000, whatever the size or paper.
- Small box: AED 548.87 with Economy, or AED 722.53 with Priority.
- Large box: AED 634.05 with Economy, or AED 877.48 with Priority.
The gap between the two boxes is small. The gap between one order and two is large. If you order 500 napkins and come back mid-month for another 500, you pay for two boxes and risk the second batch landing after Eid. Order 1,000 at once and they travel in one large box for AED 634.05 with Economy, instead of two small boxes at AED 1,097.74, and they arrive on time.
We ship on DAP terms. What you pay us covers shipping and export clearance in Spain. UAE import clearance, customs duty and import VAT are paid by the receiver on arrival, and we do not charge VAT.
Want the exact figure for your order? Work out the cost in AED with the price calculator: pick the size, paper, printing and quantity, and it shows the product and FedEx shipping together.
A Ramadan design that still works on Eid
Crescents, lanterns, geometric patterns and "Ramadan Kareem" are all common on tables this season. The detail that saves you most, though, is to think about Eid now.
One design that pairs your logo with a greeting suited to the whole month and to Eid afterwards means one order, one box and one printing plate. The minimum is 100 napkins per design, and every new design starts that count again.
Deluxe® or CMYK for Ramadan napkins?
Choose Deluxe® if your design uses flat colours: a logo, a crescent and a greeting in one or two inks. It is our own printing system, and it gives you metallic gold and silver, which suit a Ramadan table. Deluxe® adds a printing plate at AED 180.15 per ink, paid once per design. Reorder the same design at the same print size and you do not pay for a new plate.
Choose CMYK if your design is a photograph, a gradient or a logo with many colours, such as a glowing lantern in shades of gold and orange. It needs no plate.
Not sure which? Send us the artwork and we will tell you. You can see real napkins we have printed on our examples page.
Paper: what your guest feels before the first date
We print on three qualities, all from 100 units. Tissue, 2-ply or 3-ply, is the most economical and comes in the widest range of sizes. Double point embossed tissue is softer and spongier in the hand. Airlaid is the closest thing to a cloth napkin, for hotel tables and private iftars. There are up to 28 napkin colours and 37 inks, every flat colour with its Pantone reference, plus metallic gold and silver.
Three mistakes we see in Ramadan orders
None of them takes experience to avoid. You only need to know about them before you order.
- Counting from the day you send the logo. The clock starts at design approval and payment. If revisions take a week, that week comes out of your margin without you noticing.
- Picking Economy at the last minute. On a large box, Priority costs AED 243.43 more than Economy and can arrive four or five working days sooner. When your date is close, Priority is the margin you are buying.
- Forgetting the majlis and suhoor. Most people count table napkins only. Coffee and dates after iftar, and suhoor late at night, use small napkins in numbers that surprise anyone who did not plan for them.
If your brand colour is critical and you want a physical sample before the run, the sample is free and you pay its shipping as one small box. Build that extra shipping time into your schedule from the start.
Who orders printed Ramadan napkins in the UAE?
- Restaurants and cafés with a special iftar and suhoor menu. If this is your first printed order, our guide to custom printed napkins for restaurants covers the basic choices in detail.
- Hotels and Ramadan tents that seat hundreds of guests each night.
- Caterers preparing corporate iftars.
- Companies hosting an iftar for staff or clients, who want their brand on the table.
- Families hosting a large iftar or a majlis at home through the month.
What they share is one fixed point: the first iftar does not wait for anyone.
Start your Ramadan design today
To begin, we need your approximate quantity, the size if you know it, the date of your first iftar, and your logo in the best quality you have. We come back with a design and a price in AED, at no cost and with no commitment, and you can change the design as often as you need before you pay anything.
We have made napkins in Valencia, Spain, since 1986, and we print from just 100 units. Get your free Ramadan quote now, or write to info@tuservilleta.com or WhatsApp +34 650 504 339.
Frequently asked questions
When should I order Ramadan napkins so they arrive before the month starts?
Approve the design and pay at least a month before Ramadan. Production takes 7 working days from design approval and payment, then FedEx shipping and UAE customs: about 10 to 12 working days in all with Priority, or 14 to 16 with Economy. We cannot promise a fixed date that depends on customs, so the margin protects you.
Is 100 napkins worth printing for a single iftar?
Yes. The minimum is 100 napkins per design, whatever the size, paper or printing method. Shipping is charged per box and a small box holds up to 500 napkins, so if you have several iftars, put them in one order.
Who pays customs duty and VAT in the UAE?
We ship on DAP terms. What you pay us includes shipping and export clearance in Spain. UAE import clearance, customs duty, import VAT and any other charge from customs or FedEx are paid by the receiver on arrival. We do not charge VAT.
How much do custom Ramadan napkins cost?
The price depends on the size, paper quality, printing method and quantity. Work it out in the price calculator on our site: it shows the product price in AED and FedEx shipping, plus a printing plate at AED 180.15 per ink if you choose Deluxe®. The final price comes confirmed with your free design, with no commitment.
Can one design work for both Ramadan and Eid?
Yes, and it is the most economical choice. A design that pairs your logo with a greeting suited to the month and to Eid means one order and one printing plate. We prepare the design and every revision free of charge before you pay.
Can I see a sample before the full run?
You always get a free digital proof to approve. If your brand colour is critical, the physical sample is free and you pay its shipping as one small box: AED 548.87 with Economy or AED 722.53 with Priority. Allow extra time for it.