UAE | General
Residents across UAE celebrate Eid with family and friends
Throughout the UAE yesterday, residents of all nationalities celebrated the first day of Eid Al Fitr with family and friends, offering prayers for peace and prosperity.
- By Nissar Hoath and Zoi Constantine Staff Reporters
- Published: 00:00 October 24, 2006
- Ayed Ali and his son Hamed listen as stall owner Ali Mohammad describes Saudi Arabian dates at the Ramadan and Eid Fair at Abu Dhabi International Exhibition Centre.
- Image Credit: Abdul Rahman/Gulf News
Abu Dhabi/Dubai: Throughout the UAE yesterday, residents of all nationalities celebrated the first day of Eid Al Fitr with family and friends, offering prayers for peace and prosperity.
For Muslims across the UAE, the day commenced at 6.40am, with Eid Al Fitr prayers held at mosques and Eid Mussallah (prayer) grounds, attended by thousands of worshippers.
Families and friends gathered at parks and beaches across the emirate, with adults busying themselves with barbecue preparations, while the children entertained themselves playing, in areas such as Airport Park, Khalidiyah Family Park and locations along Corniche Street.
The Eastern Ring Road Corniche was crowded with groups of expatriates exchanging Eid greetings, playing cards and board games, while others danced to the sound of traditional songs and drumming.
Community organisations and a number of embassies also held special programmes to mark the day.
Late yesterday afternoon, the Pakistani Embassy hosted an open house for the community to celebrate the day. Ambassador Ahsan Ullah invited community members to his residence in Abu Dhabi to exchange greetings and enjoy traditional Eid dishes.
Mini-cricket and football tournaments, picnics and barbecues could also be seen throughout Dubai and Sharjah, as people of all nationalities and backgrounds marked the beginning of Eid Al Fitr.
Hundreds of Muslim and non-Muslim families and friends spent the day at Safa Park in Jumeirah, with many women in new, brightly coloured clothes, men in traditional attire and children playing with their Eid gifts crowding inside the lush grounds in the brilliant sunshine.
"We are here with our family and close friends, marking the end of Ramadan and the beginning of Eid," said Habib, 32, who was celebrating with family and friends, all from the Pakistani Rajput tribe.
"We all live in different parts of the UAE - in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah and Dubai. But, we always come here to be together during Eid."
Egyptian Waleed Saleh, picnicking with three generations of his family, said that they were happy to be able to celebrate the holiday outdoors.
"We are lucky to have some family here in the UAE, so we normally meet with them, as we would back home. It really is a special day, especially for the children."
Some, such as 24-year-old Najab Aman from Afghanistan, spent the day with a smaller group of relatives and friends. Aman lives in Dubai with his brother and two cousins.
"We have spent the day joking and laughing and having fun together. Eid is very different here, because we celebrate more with friends than family, most of whom are back in Kabul. My brother, cousins and I called our families this morning and they were all together," he told Gulf News.
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