Dubai: Groups of ‘bachelors’ were out in full force to enjoy the Eid break, thronging malls, parks and restaurants across the UAE.
Expatriate blue-collar workers whose immediate families are not with them in the UAE, are sometimes colloquially referred to, by themselves and others, as bachelors.
The two-day private sector holiday for Eid Al Fitr followed Ramadan, which ended on Sunday.
Groups of friends and colleagues headed out to town from their housing facilities, sharing the taxi fare or boarding packed buses.
Despite the heat, many headed to parks and beaches, taking group pictures and sending the images back home to families.
Malls too were busy, with food courts teeming with people.
“I’m going to Jumeirah beach with my friends. I spent the first day of my Eid break resting in my room, cooking meals for the day. It’s now time to have some fun too,” said Ali Hassan, 20, a Pakistani worker.
His countryman, Javed, added: “Some people only got one day off, with their boss saying ‘you’ll get overtime on the second day’. I would rather go out than work for extra money during Eid.”
The rush was a boon for taxi drivers who flocked to labour housing areas such as Sonapur (Al Muhaisnah 2) and Al Quoz.
Calls by cabbies filled the air. Stepping out of their taxis, some drivers could be heard yelling “Sharjah” or “Ajman” to let workers know where they were going.
Parking lots were choked with taxis.
“It’s really busy, the workers want to go everywhere today — malls, parks, friends’ places, shopping districts, other emirates,” said Enayt Rasul, a taxi driver.
“Taxis are in high demand, many labourers don’t want to wait for buses even though buses are cheaper.”
However, some workers decided to stay at home and catch up on sleep, napping away the hot midday hours. A cleaner from India said he would use the free time to clean his room and cook meals.
Meanwhile, some workers continued to work through Eid. Qadir, a carpenter from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, said he worked a ‘half day’ on the first day of the holiday.
“What to do, it’s my job and it has be done on time,” he said.
Many workers who worked on Eid said they being were given compensatory time off or overtime pay.
