Remember, Ramadan is a great chance to build up contacts to help in your job search

If you’ve managed to secure an invitation to a prominent iftar or suhour during this Ramadan period, the first point to bear in mind is that business should be off the table. However, it’s a great chance to meet some people that could open doors for your career in the near future.

During this quiet period of the year, you should look to network as much as possible. After all, a number of people in recruitment are away on vacation, and key people within financial services organisations are unlikely to sign off many new roles.

Getting the invitation may be the easy bit, but the harder part is knowing who’s likely to attend that could prove to be a valuable contact down the line. Research this and remember, on these occasions, they will be more receptive to your advances.

"The social part of Ramadan makes people more accessible. Their doors are open, you can walk into their majlis and they welcome you whereas during the rest of the year you would have to make appointments," Mohammed Ali Yasin, the managing director at Abu Dhabi Financial Services, the brokerage arm at National Bank of Abu Dhabi, told the National.

It’s a great way of making contacts in an informal setting, and a little discussion of market conditions can give you an insight into what prominent people in the financial sector are planning for the remainder of the year. However, it’s important that you don’t push your agenda during this occasion.

“These are time of celebration and often family and friends are present. Be respectful, and use it as an opportunity to connect, not pitch for business. Any follow up can be done later,” says Magdy El Zein, managing director of Boyden Middle East.