Dubai: With a list of festivities lined up for Eid Al Adha, a large number of residents and visitors from across the world, and especially from GCC countries, have travelled to the UAE to celebrate the special occasion.
The 10-day ‘Eid in Dubai–Eid Al Adha’ celebrations, which will run until October 19, has drawn residents as well as visitors to the emirate to enjoy indoor and outdoor activities along with the Dubai shopping experience as retail outlets are pulling out all stops to woo shoppers with promotions, discounts and deals.
With the 48-hour non-stop shopping experience taking place this year, visitors will be able to visit seven malls across Dubai at any time during the first two-days of Eid.
“I am here with my mum for the week and we’ve mainly come to shop and it’s been a success,” said 19-year-old Amal Al Saudi, a Saudi Arabian who is visiting Dubai for the first time. “We are enjoying the festivities, the shopping and the people.”
The Dubai shopping experience was also at the top of the Ali family’s to-do-list this Eid. Cem Ali from Turkey, who is visiting Dubai with his parents and sister, explained that while it is his family’s first time in Dubai, his mum and sister have already gone on shopping sprees and are overwhelmed by all the shopping malls. Describing Dubai as “a modern city with Arabic flavour,” Cem said that the mixture of nationalities in the emirate is what makes it a unique city.
“The blend is like the colourful fireworks, which we have discovered by mere coincidence and that the show is on every day during the Eid in Dubai–Eid Al Adha celebrations,” he said.
While many GCC residents consider the UAE their second homeland, Naseema Al Flaij from Kuwait is a frequent visitor to the emirate and is one of many Kuwaiti families spending the holidays in Dubai. “The special Eid programmes are fascinating to our children,” she said. “We shop, dine and leave the children at the entertainment centres with the maid without having to worry about the kids, as we know Dubai is a safe place and enjoys a high level of security,” she said.
Naseema, who is in Dubai with her sister, nieces and nephew, added that her family is looking forward to visiting the Wild Wadi water park and the Zabeel Saray hotel.
Um Mani from Saudi Arabia, another regular visitor, said that while her family first celebrated Eid in Dubai three years ago, they have come back to the emirate every year to re-live the experience. “We are very busy, my husband and I, and we hardly go out together with the kids in our hometown, Makkah,” she said. “We love to shop all day, dine at different outlets and take the kids to theme parks.”
Her husband, Mohammad Ebrahim, added that he also feels a sense of security in the country and enjoys experiencing Eid in Dubai. “Dubai is clean, well-organised and safe,” he said. “My son loves to spend his day at Kidzania, my eldest daughter loves shopping, and my youngest daughter adores the metro.”
With large crowds vacationing in Dubai between October 10-19, hotels across the emirates are expected to achieve 95 to 100 per cent occupancy during Eid, said the vice-president of a French hotel group. Considered one of the busiest Eid holidays, hotels are also expected to post higher room rates and achieve increased revenues.
UAE residents are also celebrating the spirit of Eid by flying their families over to Dubai for the week.
Hisham Kiwan, a Lebanese who has spent more than 19 years in Dubai with his parents, was out enjoying Eid with his wife and two little girls, five-year-old Reem and three-year-old Sara.
“We love celebrating Eid Al Adha in Dubai as most of our relatives usually come over to stay and visit us to celebrate and tour Dubai,” he said. Like many other families the Kiwans are spending a lot of their time shopping and enjoying the Eid activities at the malls.
Another Dubai resident, Ahmad Othman from Oman, said his family has also come to Dubai for Eid. “It’s a good change for my family, they really enjoy dining out and watching the fireworks at night every Eid — it has become a tradition,” he said.
