‘Three times to Syria in 27 years’: Syrian expats unite at Dubai’s Expo City event

For many Syrians in the UAE, home has been a distant place – visited rarely, remembered always. Some have returned only three times in nearly three decades.

But on Saturday, that distance felt smaller as thousands of expats gathered at the Dubai Exhibition Centre in Expo City, turning it into a colourful festival of music, heritage and gratitude under the banner of the “Emirates Loves Syria” initiative.

The venue pulsed with peppy music, folk drumming and the aromas of traditional dishes as families, students and young professionals celebrated the culture they carry with them. The event offered the community not just a taste of home but a chance to share their stories of resilience, longing and hope.

Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, attended the gathering and praised the strong ties between the UAE and Syria, noting the UAE’s long-standing support for diverse communities that call the country home.

A journey home

For many attendees, the celebration was deeply personal.

Ghazal Kasim Ali, a 27-year-old Sharjah-born Syrian, said the event felt like a reunion of memories she has rarely been able to revisit.

“I was born here in the UAE. I like this event filled with many celebrities, music bands, good vibes and it’s well organised too,” she said.

When asked how often she had visited her homeland, she paused before offering a quiet truth: “I have been home only three times. It was only after the political transition that I visited Syria again,” she said referring to the December 2024 political shift in Syria.

Longing across generations

Others echoed the same sense of distance.

Ola Dayoub, attending with her one-year-old son Rashed Alabbar, said she hadn’t been able to return to Syria for three years.

“The UAE has been our family here. Yet my son hasn’t met his grandparents or relatives back home,” she said, her voice carrying both gratitude and longing.

Youth embrace heritage

For the younger generation, the event was a chance to stay connected to their roots while celebrating the life they have built in the UAE.

“This environment, the music, the food – everything brings hope and happiness,” said Esraa Al Dabbas, a 21-year-old Ajman University student. “It feels like home.”

A roaming troupe of musicians lifted the energy across the halls with folk songs and rhythmic drums, drawing crowds into spontaneous dance circles.

Nearby, a “community wall” filled quickly with handwritten messages: “Miss you Syria”, “Hope we will be as we wish”, “Long Live Syria”, each one a reminder of what the crowd carried in their hearts.

As the music echoed through Expo City, one sentiment connected the thousands in attendance: despite years away and journeys interrupted, home lives on in memory, in culture, and in moments like these when a community comes together as one.