For the last six years, Ali Abid has been a bike messenger at Aster Pharmacy, delivering life-saving medication across Sharjah. His shift begins at 1pm, which means he spends most of his day on the road and breaks his fast on the job. On Wednesday, the first day of Ramadan, he got a call at around 6pm from a customer about needing emergency medication for blood pressure.

"He said that he needed to take the medication soon after iftar,” he told Khaleej Times. "He thought he had the tablets but had just realized that he had run out of it. He said he understood it was iftar time, but he would appreciate getting the medicine as soon as we could get it to him.”

Abid rushed to get the medicine to him and reached the destination, just minutes before the Maghrib azaan was called. “When I reached his house, he was so grateful to receive the medicine,” he said. “He invited me inside and gave me dates and fruits. He asked me to break my fast peacefully before leaving. It made me feel good that I was able to make a difference to him.”

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Abid said that his deliveries are often a matter of urgency

Abid is one of hundreds of delivery riders working day and night to meet the surge in demand for online deliveries during Ramadan. But unlike food delivery drivers, his cargo is often a matter of urgent need. He said that he always carries dates and water with him because he never knows when he will get a call. “These are sometimes life-saving medications,” he said. “In an emergency situation, getting the medicine to a customer is our biggest priority.”

According to Abid, unlike other delivery riders, he doesn’t face a surge in deliveries during iftar time but when he gets a call, it usually is something important. “Last year during Ramadan, we got a call from a lady who was outside my delivery area a little before iftar,” he recalled. “She had got the number of our pharmacy from somewhere and was calling because she needed medication for diabetes.”

Abid said that although it was outside his delivery area, he didn’t want to waste time locating the nearest outlet to the lady. “She was fasting but she was feeling uneasy,” he said. “It was critical to get the medication to her on time. So, I took it and raced to her apartment. When I got there, she was very grateful and said that she did not expect me to reach so quickly.”

Over the years, he's learned that no obstacle is too great. During the pandemic, his bike broke down mid-delivery. “I parked my bike and took a taxi to get the medicine to the customer,” he recalled. “I then took a taxi back to my bike and then proceeded to get it fixed.”

Ali Abid out on a delivery

Daily routine

Abid said that his day usually starts with a good pre-dawn meal in his room, along with his roommates. “We cook something and eat it together,” he said. “For the first day, we made chicken curry and had it with roti.”

He said the most challenging part was the last hour before iftar. “The afternoons are warm, and we get dehydrated by the evening,” he said. “The last hour before iftar is quite challenging but we push through.”

Between deliveries, he grabs dinner at whichever restaurant is closest. There are no elaborate iftars. Just the road, the bike, and the next call.

He said that he missed Ramadan at home with his parents, four sisters and brother, but as one of the family's breadwinners, he finds purpose in the distance. “Last year, when my mother fell sick, I was able to get emergency leave to go back and be with her,” he said. “This year, I am hoping to go home for Eid Al Adha. I am looking forward to it.”