Why Ramadan needs its own WhatsApp replies
Ramadan changes the rhythm of every Gulf business. Working hours shrink during the day, then demand spikes after iftar and runs late into the night. Salons fill with Eid bookings, clinics shift their hours, restaurants take suhoor reservations, and gyms move classes to after Taraweeh. Customers know hours change, but they do not know your hours, so they ask on WhatsApp, often at 11pm or 1am.
A good Ramadan WhatsApp auto reply answers the hours question before it is asked and keeps bookings moving. Below are twelve templates in Arabic and English. Ramadan 2027 (1448 AH) is expected to begin around 8 February 2027, with Eid al-Fitr around 9 or 10 March, subject to moon sighting, so set these up by late January.
A note on rules: in the UAE, private-sector working hours are usually reduced by two hours a day during Ramadan, and in Saudi Arabia, Muslim employees work a maximum of six hours a day. Plan your staffed hours first, then write replies that match.
Ramadan opening hours message templates
1. Split hours, salon
رمضان كريم! أوقات عملنا خلال الشهر الفضيل: من ١٠ صباحًا إلى ٤ عصرًا، ومن ٩ مساءً إلى ١ بعد منتصف الليل. أرسلوا لنا الخدمة والوقت المناسب وسنؤكد الحجز.
Ramadan Kareem! Our Ramadan hours: 10am–4pm and 9pm–1am. Send the service and a time that suits you and we'll confirm.
2. Clinic, reduced hours
تقبل الله صيامكم. تعمل العيادة في رمضان من ٩ صباحًا حتى ٣ عصرًا، ومن ٨ إلى ١١ مساءً. للحالات الطارئة يرجى الاتصال بالإسعاف.
Wishing you a blessed Ramadan. The clinic is open 9am–3pm and 8pm–11pm. For emergencies, please call an ambulance.
3. Short version for the away message
مغلق الآن، نفتح بعد الإفطار الساعة ٩ مساءً. اترك رسالتك وسنرد عليك.
Closed now, we reopen after iftar at 9pm. Leave your message and we'll get back to you.
These Ramadan opening hours message templates work in the WhatsApp Business app as an away message or greeting. Adjust times to your own schedule.
Templates for the post-iftar rush
4. Busy evening
أهلًا بك! لدينا ضغط كبير بعد الإفطار، سنرد خلال ٣٠ دقيقة. لتسريع الحجز أرسل اسمك والخدمة واليوم.
Hi! Evenings after iftar are busy, we'll reply within 30 minutes. To speed things up, send your name, service and day.
5. Restaurant suhoor booking
حجوزات السحور متاحة من ١١ مساءً حتى ٣ فجرًا. أرسل التاريخ والوقت وعدد الأشخاص.
Suhoor tables are available from 11pm to 3am. Send the date, time and number of guests.
6. Gym class schedule
جدول رمضان: الحصص بعد التراويح من ٩:٣٠ مساءً. اكتب "جدول" لنرسل لك المواعيد.
Ramadan timetable: classes after Taraweeh from 9:30pm. Reply "schedule" and we'll send the times.
Eid WhatsApp message for business: bookings and greetings
7. Eid bookings open
حجوزات العيد مفتوحة الآن! المواعيد تمتلئ بسرعة، احجز مكانك مبكرًا.
Eid bookings are open! Slots fill fast, so book early.
8. Last slots before Eid
تبقى عدد محدود من المواعيد قبل العيد. هل تفضل الصباح أو المساء؟
A few slots are left before Eid. Would you prefer morning or evening?
9. Eid holiday closure
عيد مبارك! نحن في إجازة العيد ونعود يوم الأحد الساعة ١٠ صباحًا. يمكنك الحجز للأيام القادمة الآن.
Eid Mubarak! We're closed for the Eid holiday and back on Sunday at 10am. You can book for the coming days now.
10. Eid greeting to opted-in customers
عيدكم مبارك وكل عام وأنتم بخير، من فريقنا لكم.
Eid Mubarak and best wishes from all of our team.
An Eid WhatsApp message for business sent to customers who did not message you first is a template. Greetings and offers count as marketing templates and need prior opt-in.
Templates for confirmations and changes
11. Booking confirmation
تم تأكيد موعدك يوم الخميس الساعة ١٠ مساءً. نراك قريبًا ورمضان كريم!
Your appointment is confirmed for Thursday at 10pm. See you soon, Ramadan Kareem!
12. Reschedule offer
نعتذر، هذا الوقت محجوز. لدينا ٩:٣٠ أو ١١ مساءً، أيهما يناسبك؟
Sorry, that time is taken. We have 9:30pm or 11pm, which suits you?
Let an AI handle the late-night booking requests
Templates help, but they still leave a person to finish every booking. During Ramadan, that person is often fasting, working split shifts and trying to be home for iftar. An AI receptionist does the late-night part: it replies in Arabic or English automatically, shares your Ramadan hours, checks open slots in Google Calendar and books. Your team sees confirmed bookings when they start their shift.
Update your working hours once for the month, and the assistant offers only slots inside them. Hand off complaints, special requests and anything sensitive to staff. Read the after-hours replies page for the overnight pattern, the booking feature, and how it works.
- Customer message: “Any slot tomorrow afternoon?”
- AI receptionist: Reads service, date and time
- Checks your calendar: Offers only free slots
- Confirms in the chat: Name, service and time
- Booked: In Google Calendar, owner alerted
A Ramadan WhatsApp checklist
- Late January: confirm staffed hours for Ramadan and Eid with your team.
- Update business hours in your WhatsApp profile and your assistant's working hours.
- Replace the away message with a Ramadan version in both languages.
- Submit Eid greeting and offer templates to Meta early; approval can take time in busy weeks.
- Send Eid offers only to customers who opted in.
- After Eid, switch everything back. Ramadan hours in April look careless.
Instagram DMs and Messenger, where Ramadan offers often get shared, are coming soon to NextReply and will use the same hours and replies (see channels); until then, point those followers to your WhatsApp. For UAE businesses, the UAE page covers local set-ups. Plans start at $29 a month, with a 7-day free trial, on pricing; see all features, browse industries, read more on the blog, or start on the home page.
Ramadan patterns by trade
Each trade sees a different Ramadan curve, so tune replies to yours:
- Salons and spas: quiet afternoons, heavy evenings, and a rush of hair, henna and makeup bookings in the last ten days before Eid.
- Clinics: fewer routine visits during fasting hours, more requests for evening slots, and questions about whether a procedure or blood test breaks the fast. Hand those questions to a clinician.
- Restaurants and cafes: iftar and suhoor reservations, large family groups and corporate iftar enquiries.
- Gyms: classes move after Taraweeh, and members ask about pre-suhoor training.
- Home services: AC and cleaning requests before Eid guests arrive.
Questions customers ask most during Ramadan
Add answers to these questions to your knowledge base before the month starts. They come up in almost every trade, and a clear answer saves a long back-and-forth late at night.
- "What time do you open after iftar?" Give an exact time, not "after iftar", because iftar time shifts by a minute or two every day.
- "Are you open on the last nights of Ramadan?" Many businesses extend hours before Eid. Say so clearly, and say when bookings for those nights open.
- "Do you take walk-ins?" In peak weeks, most salons and barbers move to bookings only. Tell customers early.
- "Is there a Ramadan or Eid offer?" If you run one, state the price and the dates. If not, say so politely.
- "Will you be open during the Eid holiday?" Give the exact closed days and the reopening time.
- "Can I bring my children?" Family visits rise before Eid; answer with your policy.
Tone during the holy month
Keep messages warm and respectful. Use greetings such as "Ramadan Kareem" or "رمضان كريم" at the start of a conversation, not at the end of every reply. Avoid heavy sales language during the day, and keep offers for the evenings and the run-up to Eid, when customers are planning. If your assistant replies, give it the same tone guidance you would give a new receptionist, and check a few conversations in the first week of the month.