They're dancing the night away, here of all places. While it might be normal to see men offering to buy women at the bar a drink, that hasn't always been the case in this city, where such establishments were once shut down during the second intifada and remain controversial among Palestinians.
As of\ late, however, the scene is hot, albeit perhaps limited to the more well-to-do and certain locations here, where Palestinians go to shake off the stressful economic and political situation. Restaurants and hotels featuring bars are found mainly in this city, which has become a mecca for such entertainment, drawing Palestinians from throughout the Palestinian Authority.
A case in point is "Level 5," the newest such establishment and considered a hotspot for yuppie Palestinians.
A restaurant by day, its party scene starts Thursday evening, with a DJ spinning a mix of Arabic and international music, and drinks and food available. There's a fully-stocked bar, lounges, tables and stools and an inviting fifth-floor terrace overlooking Ramallah.
The place was hopping on a recent night, an overflow crowd filling the dance floor. Part owner Nadim Noursi was mixing drinks and keeping an eye on the staff as patrons danced to the beat. "We are not branding ourselves as a bar," he insists. "We have more traditional customers who come in the day and more liberal ones who come at night," he told The Media Line, adding that business is booming since a September opening.
Still, the bar appeared to draw a mostly upper-class crowd. "We are the elite of Ramallah. We can wear what we like, dance or get drunk and still feel safe," customer Rana, a Bitzeit University research assistant, told the Media Line. Wearing a formal green dress and stiletto heels, she said this is the norm for her and her friends.
Some come from a distance to escape a less permissive scene. In her glittery sequined knee-high dress, Nablus engineer Yasmeen explained she and a colleague drove an hour to Ramallah because such a scene is culturally unacceptable in her town.
Others said it's more typical to go out in groups or couples rather than alone, but all agreed that it is still not easy to talk about their weekend clubbing, fearing society might criticize them.
Indeed, in the past during times of conflict the entertainment venues were forced to shut down by certain armed factional brigades. During the second intifada, the popular consensus was that all forms of entertainment were unacceptable during a time of struggle. Now they have the freedom to keep their doors open, employing their own security personnel to keep the party peaceful.
For those willing to break social, cultural and religious customs there are plenty of options available, Bar owners estimate there are about 10 bar-like venues open all year round, with other hotels and restaurants running seasonal parties and karaoke events year round.
"Sparkles," another popular spot, is a club in heart of the five-star Movenpik Hotel, and is also strictly for those who can afford its $8 cover charge. With a circular bar at its center, and lounge chairs on the perimeter, it attracts a more mainstream crowd. Many don't even come for the booze, but just the party scene. Imad, a 30-year-old university employee, said he doesn't come to drink or hit on women. "I don't like to drink alcohol, but I can come with my friends to dance and have fun," he told The Media Line.
Having driven an hour and a half from Bethlehem, whose mostly Christian residents organize parties Saturday nights since they don't work Sundays, businessman Robeer was enjoying the party with his wife Hiam. "Ramallah is more open than Bethlehem, where the scene is a more family setting," he explained, adding they enjoyed Ramallah's Thursday and Saturday night offerings.
For those who can't afford the trendy nightspots, however, Ramallah residents have many other options to get out. Bowling, web cafes – particularly popular with the young, who also enjoy walking in the center of Ramallah Square -- and watching Arab and foreign movies at the Al Kasaba Cinematheque, the only movie theater in town, are a few. The Ramallah Cultural Palace offers concerts and films, and summer brings a host of international festivals including the Birzeit Festival, the Taybeh Beer Festival and the largest of all, the International Palestine Festival.
Indeed, as popular as the bar scene is among many well off Palestinians, some say it doesn't reflect the way all Palestinians live. "The media shows Ramallah as if it's a big nightclub. These places are for those who can afford to pay $8 for a glass of wine," Maram, a Ramallah businessman told The Media Line.
She added this gives an illusion of prosperity contrary to the difficult economic situation for most Palestinians, with unemployment high. The Palestinian Bureau of Statistics estimated unemployment in the fourth trimester of 2012 at 20% on the West Bank. Youth between15-29 make up 30% of the population, and the trendy bar scene is off limits to most of them.
Nonetheless, others insist that the throbbing beat of the Ramallah bar scene reflects an important cultural and financial phenomenon, offering hope to the youth that thriving city life is possible in the Palestinian Territories.
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