Making the UAE tick during Eid

Abu Dhabi/Sharjah: While Eid festivities continued across the country on Monday, it was work as usual for some residents.

Putting off their celebrations, these hardworking residents continued their routine tasks to make others' lives easier.

"It may be Eid, but it is a busy time for those in customer service. So I came to work as usual on the first day of the festivities, and will be here every day throughout the break," said S. Hassan, a 29-year-old mall attendant in the capital.

With most residents in the UAE taking advantage of their Eid breaks, malls and public areas saw large crowds of people enjoying their days off. However, the first day of Eid involved nine hours of work for Hassan.

"I would love to stay at home with my wife and parents, but I understand that people need my help, especially since the mall has so many customers during the holidays. We get so many phone calls, and a lot of visitors asking for help," the Sudanese expat told Gulf News.

"Still, after work today, I want to head to Dubai with my wife and celebrate this occasion properly," he added.

Abdul Gafour, the Keralite owner of Al Bahar Grocery in Sharjah, runs the family shop.

He told Gulf News that he did not have the luxury of taking a single day off this year.

"When people are on holiday and the schools are closed, that is the best time for business. I worked on the first day of Eid but I do not mind because I cele-brate it with my customers," he said.

After closing the shop at 10pm, Abdul Gafour did, however, celebrate the occasion with friends.

"My friends have time off from work during Eid, so after I was done for the day, we met up in Dubai and went for a movie, and then another day we went to Al Majaz Park," he said.

Abdul Aziz Abdullah, owner of a bakery in Sharjah, also said his store saw a rush of customers, prompting them to open for business at dawn and close at midnight.

Like Hassan, S.H., a 24-year-old taxi driver from Pakistan, also resumed his daily routine on Monday.

"I decided not to work during the first day of Eid, and instead visited Al Ain with my friends. Today, however, I need to be back serving people on the roads, especially as I want to earn enough money to send to my parents in Pakistan at the end of the month," S.H. said.

"I do miss the celebrations at home, but we all have responsibilities."

The taxi driver said he had spoken to his parents and relatives yesterday.

It was also business as usual on the second day of Eid for small shops and family-run stores, where spirits remained high and employees greeted their customers with an "Eid Mubarak" and a broad smile.