When Rush Hour Meets Prayer Time: A Daily Struggle Between Traffic and Prayer in the UAE.

Feature Article

When Rush Hour Meets Prayer Time: A Daily Struggle Between Traffic and Prayer in the UAE. 

By: Maitha Alzarra, Digital Media Student 

Date: April 5th, 2026

Dubai, UAE 

The adhan floats through the warm evening air, but instead of walking toward a mosque, you are gripping a steering wheel on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road. Cars are barely moving, and brake lights glow red in every direction. Maghrib is slowly slipping away, and you are still stuck between Dubai and Sharjah.

For many residents in the UAE, this is a daily reality. What should be a short drive home can easily turn into an hour or more, especially on roads like Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road. People leave work planning to reach home or a nearby mosque before prayer time ends. But accidents, and sudden congestion make that difficult.  

Over time, this situation becomes more than just frustrating. It starts to affect how people plan their day.  Some people start avoiding evening plans completely, knowing how unpredictable the roads can be. A simple suggestion to “just drive to Dubai” doesn’t feel simple anymore. While others might think it’s an exaggeration, the stress is real. Watching the sun set from inside your car, knowing time is running out, creates a quiet pressure that’s builds up over time.  

At the same time, many people try to adjust in small but practical ways. Some keep prayer mats in their cars so they are prepared if they find a safe place to stop if needed. Others rely on mobile apps to track prayer times more accurately and plan their journeys around them. 

In certain areas, small prayer spaces near workplaces or along main roads have become more common, giving people more flexibility during busy hours. These solutions may seem simple but they make a noticeable difference. These small adjustments show how people are trying to balance their daily responsibilities with their personal priorities. Even in a fast moving environment, there is still a strong effort to stay consistent. 

In the end, missing a prayer because of traffic is not always a failure of faith. It is often a result of living in a fast moving environment where time and distance don’t always go as planned. The sound of honking cars may drown out the adhan for a moment, but intention still matters.

(Word count: 360 )

Feature Article 2

When Replies Become an Expectation

By: Maitha Alzarra, Digital Media Student 

Date: May 2nd, 2026

Dubai, UAE

It always starts with something simple, as you open your phone to check only one message, suddenly you are getting pulled into five different conversations at once. A group chat is active, someone is asking where you are, and another message is waiting for your response. You hesitate, wondering which message to open and reply to first, but even that pause feels like you are wasting your time. 

Nowadays for many people being connected is a part of everyday life without even thinking about it. Phones are always nearby, next to you in class, in your hand at home, or right beside you when you sleep. Social media platforms like Whatsapp, Instagram, and snapchat make it easy to stay in touch. But because everything goes so fast, replies are expected to be just as quick.  When someone can see that you are online or that you have read their message but didn’t reply it can create expextations. 

It is not always the messages themselves that feel overwhelming, but whats comes with them. A delayed reply can lead to questions like “Are you ignoring me?” or “Why did you leave me on seen?” Group chats move quickly, and missing a chat or a conversation can make you feel left out. There is a pressure to keep up and to respond even when you do not have the energy. 

After a while it just gets tiring, you could be studying, trying to relax or just sitting with your family, and your phone keeps on pulling your attention back. It is not that you want to check it you just feel like you should. And when you don’t reply, you feel like you are ignoring someone or doing something wrong. Slowly, respoding stops feeling like something you choose to do and starts feeling like something you have to do. 
At the same time, more people are starting to notice this pressure and rethink how they can deal with it. Some just mute group chats for a while or switch off notifications so they can actually focus. Others take breaks from social media when things feel overwhelming, or simply reply when they feel ready instead of rushing. It might seem like small changes, but they really do make life feel a bit calmer and less crowded. 

Being connected is not the problem. It is the expectation of constant availability that makes it difficult, communication is meant to make life easier not more stressful. Messages can wait, and real conversations do not disappear just because they are delayed. 

In the end, it’s just about finding a bit of balance. Staying connected matters but so does giving yourself space to breathe. Even small moments away from your phone can help you feel more in control and less drained.

(Word count: 462)