Christmas marked with fervour in UAE

Dubai: Christian expatriates in the UAE marked Christmas on Friday with fanfare and fervour.

Thousands gathered in churches across the UAE for midnight mass, while people also visited various churches for the morning and evening prayers.

In Dubai, traffic tailbacks in the vicinity of churches on Oud Metha road and in Jebel Ali could be seen for several kilometres.

People celebrated the occasion with families and friends at home, in restaurants as well as in parks.

“I attended the midnight mass at St Mary’s Church. It was overcrowded but the experience of being there was worth the trouble. The atmosphere is so good and the weather was nice. In the morning we went to a park for a picnic,” said Elsa Sebastian from India.

On Friday, Church leaders across the UAE gave a message of peace, love and friendship to the faithful, urging communities to close the gap and come toghether.

Malls across the country also wore the Christmas look, with Christmas trees, decorations and Santa Claus entertaining children.

“I love the atmosphere in the UAE. This place is so tolerant and peaceful. This is one of the best Christmases I have had. There is so much fun you can have here,” said Roberto Bautista, a Spanish visitor.