Thousands of healthcare workers create giant Onam Pookalam in Abu Dhabi

Dubai: Over 1,000 doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals have come together at Burjeel Medical City (BMC) in Abu Dhabi to create a giant Onam Pookalam, but this year, the colourful floral carpet carries a message that goes beyond the festival.

Spread across 250 square metres and completed in almost 20 hours, the traditional Kerala floral artwork has featured a prominent portrait of UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

At its centre has been a message of confidence and hope: “The UAE is strong and resilient and emerging stronger.”

The words, inspired by reassurance from Sheikh Mohamed, has become the central theme of this year’s Pookalam, bringing together the spirit of Onam with the values of resilience, unity, and progress.

From camel rides to Etihad Rail

The design tells the story of a country that has moved from its heritage towards an ambitious future. 

One of its most striking elements has been a visual transition from a traditional camel ride to Etihad Rail. The imagery has captured the UAE’s transformation, showing how strong foundations, long-term vision, and determination have helped the country continue moving forward.

The flowers have also carried smaller messages of their own. Elements representing unity and care have highlighted the strength that comes when people come together, while themes of healing, recovery, and compassion display the work of the healthcare professionals who created the artwork. 

At the centre of the BMC atrium, the permanent sand pendulum has taken on an added significance this year. Its movement has represented time, continuity, and the UAE’s continued journey forward.

One celebration

For the more than 1,000 healthcare workers involved, the Pookalam has been a reflection of the UAE itself, a country where people from different nationalities and backgrounds live and work together. 

Healthcare professionals from 35 nationalities have participated in creating the floral carpet, turning the annual Onam celebration into a showcase of the multicultural character of the UAE’s healthcare sector.

Ameera Al-Katheri, an Emirati national and assistant director of nursing at BMC, has noted that the artwork demonstrate the confidence people have in the UAE and its leadership.

“Resilience in the UAE comes from the confidence we have in our leadership and in each other. This Pookalam reflects our journey, from the values we inherited to the progress we continue to make together,” shared Al-Katheri.

Why Onam fits the message

Onam has been traditionally associated with renewal, hope, prosperity, and togetherness. Those themes have been woven into this year’s design to show how the values of the festival resonate with the UAE’s own story of facing challenges with confidence and continuing to progress.

Dr. Mujtaba Ali Khan, CEO of BMC, has bared that the diversity of those involved was an important part of the message. 

“This year’s Pookalam is a tribute to the strength and resilience that define the UAE. Bringing together more than 1,000 healthcare professionals from 35 nationalities to create it also reflects the unity and shared sense of belonging that make this country special,” stated Khan.

Resilience seen every day

For the healthcare professionals taking part, the theme has a personal meaning.

Dr. Malcolm Borg, a British national and consultant in emergency medicine at BMC, has mentioned that resilience is something healthcare workers encounter every day.

“In healthcare, resilience is something we witness every day. It is the ability to recover, adapt, and continue with hope. That is why this year’s theme has a particularly meaningful connection with our work and with the spirit of Onam,” said Borg.

Doctors, nurses, and other staff have worked together to arrange the flowers and bring the design to life, mirroring the same spirit of collaboration that is central to the festival.

The UAE in bloom

The giant Pookalam has become a major attraction of BMC’s annual community Onam celebrations. Each year, the floral carpet takes on a different theme linked to the UAE’s values, priorities, and aspirations.

This year, the story is one of resilience, told through thousands of flowers, the UAE’s journey from camel rides to modern rail, and the coming together of more than 1,000 people from 35 nationalities.

By the time the final flowers have been placed, the Pookalam has been more than a celebration of Onam. It had become a colourful portrait of a country looking ahead while staying firmly rooted in the values that brought it here.