What Eid Al-Adha looks like for workers far from their families

Dubai: For many people in the UAE, Eid Al-Adha means family, feasts, and time off. But for the thousands of workers who keep the country running through the holiday, celebration looks a little different and no less meaningful. Behind the festive lights, long lunches, and homebound travel plans, there are construction crews, delivery riders, cleaners, drivers, and service staff who continue their shifts so everyday life doesn’t pause. For them, Eid often arrives in quiet pockets of time, early morning prayers squeezed between schedules, shared meals in labour accommodations, or phone calls home that cross countries and time zones.

It is a day shaped by distance, but also by resilience, where small gestures of connection carry as much weight as grand celebrations.

A quieter Eid, but still an Eid

Abdul Rehman Ismail, a private driver, knows the feeling well. With his family back in Pakistan, the festivities here are more low-key. But the day still holds its rhythm. "Before Eid, we do shop, and for Eid, we do Namaz, and we eat something sweet," he says. "We make programs with friends, and for outings, we look at good places, and all our friends get together."

Dubai-based cab driver Faizan tries to fly home for Eid when he can. When work keeps him here, he starts the morning with Namaz, puts in a full day, and ends it the best way he knows how: a good meal shared with friends. As he says, he and his brother, Junaid, just want to celebrate with their close ones around. "After work, we celebrate," he says.

Serving others as a form of celebration

For Abdallah Awadh, a hotel team leader originally from Kenya, working on Eid is not a compromise. It is its own kind of observance. "I believe you can uphold those values even while working," he says. He plans to exchange greetings with colleagues and guests, share sweets on his breaks, and check in with his family when he can. "Serving guests with a smile and ensuring they feel safe and cared for is my way of honoring the spirit of Eid."

Abdusalam Para, a hotel supervisor from India, echoes that sentiment. For him, being present for others during the holiday carries its own meaning. "Being able to help others during such an important occasion is itself a meaningful celebration," he says.

The deeper message this year

Both Abdallah and Abdusalam acknowledge that this Eid carries extra weight. With conflict and hardship affecting communities around the world, the themes of Eid Al-Adha, sacrifice, compassion, and solidarity, feel especially resonant.

"It is a reminder to strengthen our connections, support those in need, and spread peace wherever we can," says Abdusalam.

Abdallah puts it simply: "While I cannot change global events, I can ensure that in my workplace, everyone feels respected and at peace."

For these workers, Eid is not something that waits until the shift ends. It travels with them.