todays sunsex

Today's Sunset Time in the UAE: What the Law Actually Cares About

If you're searching for today's sunset (sunsex looks like a typo for sunset) in the UAE, you're probably trying to figure out something legal or religious tied to it — prayer windows, fasting hours, driving with headlights, or a court or tenancy deadline that runs to "sunset." This page sticks to the legal angle.

Quick answer

The UAE doesn't publish a single binding "today's sunset" time for legal purposes. For prayer and Ramadan fasting, the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments (Awqaf) publishes the official Maghrib (sunset) timetable for each emirate.^[1] For aviation, marine, and traffic rules that reference "sunset" or "night," the operative time is the astronomical sunset for your exact location, which shifts by a few minutes between Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Fujairah and Al Ain. If a contract or court order says "by sunset," check whether it references Awqaf's published time or local civil time. Most don't say. That ambiguity matters.

Where "sunset" actually shows up in UAE law

A few places, and they don't all mean the same thing.

Federal Traffic Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2024) and its executive regulations require headlights from sunset to sunrise, and in low-visibility conditions.^[2] "Sunset" here means actual sunset for the location — not a fixed clock time. Fines for driving without lights at night sit at AED 500 under the 2024 schedule.

For Ramadan, working hours are reduced by two hours per day for all employees under Article 65 of the Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 on labour relations and Ministerial Resolution No. 1/2022.^[3] Iftar — and the end of the fasting workday for many — is tied to Maghrib as published by Awqaf, not to a generic "sunset."

Civil procedure deadlines almost never run to sunset. They run to the end of the working day or to midnight, depending on the court. If you've been told a filing or payment is due "by sunset," ask for that in writing with a clock time. Honestly, most clients get burned here by assuming.

How to find today's official sunset time

For religious or Ramadan-related purposes, use the Awqaf prayer timetable — it's the only source UAE courts and employers treat as authoritative for Maghrib.^[1] The Dubai Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department (IACAD) publishes a parallel timetable for Dubai that matches within a minute or two.^[4]

For traffic, marine, or aviation rules, the National Center of Meteorology (NCM) publishes sunrise and sunset times by emirate.^[5] Use the city closest to where the incident or activity occurred. The difference between Fujairah and Abu Dhabi can be 8–10 minutes — enough to argue about in a headlight fine appeal.

For contracts: if the document says "sunset" without defining it, the default under UAE Civil Code (Federal Law No. 5 of 1985) Article 265 is that ambiguous terms are interpreted by reference to custom and the nature of the dealing.^[6] In a religious or Ramadan context, that points to Awqaf. In a commercial context, it points to NCM's astronomical sunset. Frankly, the safer move is to renegotiate the clause to use a clock time.

When the exact minute matters

Three situations where I've seen the precise sunset time decide a case:

Traffic fines for no headlights issued in the dusk window — drivers successfully contest these by producing NCM data showing the sunset was later than the officer recorded. Bring printed timestamps, not screenshots.

Ramadan eating-in-public complaints under Article 313 of the Federal Penal Code (Federal Decree-Law No. 31 of 2021), as amended — the offence ends at Maghrib.^[7] If you were stopped at 6:47 pm and Awqaf's Maghrib for that emirate that day was 6:45 pm, that's a defence.

Tenancy and commercial deliveries with "by sunset" clauses — rare, but they exist in older Arabic-language leases. The Rental Disputes Centre will look at custom and the contract's other timing references.

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Sources

^[1] General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments (Awqaf), Prayer Timings — awqaf.gov.ae ^[2] Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2024 on Traffic Regulation, and Cabinet Resolution on traffic fines (2024 schedule) — moi.gov.ae ^[3] Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Employment Relations, Art. 65; MOHRE Ministerial Resolution No. 1/2022 — mohre.gov.ae ^[4] Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department (IACAD), Dubai — iacad.gov.ae ^[5] National Center of Meteorology (NCM) — ncm.ae ^[6] Federal Law No. 5 of 1985 (UAE Civil Code), Art. 265 ^[7] Federal Decree-Law No. 31 of 2021 (UAE Penal Code), Art. 313