Salman Khan makes fleeting appearance in Dubai as huge crowd waits
Hundreds packed DWTC, but some fans missed the actor's delayed entrance
Dubai: Salman Khan was in and out of Beautyworld Middle East in Dubai on Tuesday, making a brief appearance to inaugurate a new fragrance brand before leaving without addressing the crowd.
The Bollywood star was chief guest at the launch of Kenz de Rasasi, a new fragrance house from Dubai-based Rasasi Perfumes, at Dubai World Trade Centre. He arrived later than scheduled at 4 PM, unveiled the brand and left shortly after, saying little to the hundreds of fans who had gathered to see him.
A packed exhibition floor
By 2.30pm, fans had packed the aisles of Za'abeel Hall 6 around the brand's booth, standing shoulder to shoulder between exhibition stands. Rasasi's Instagram had listed a meet and greet for 1.30pm, while the official launch was scheduled for 2pm.
Many in the crowd had their phones ready, and those who managed to get close enough captured his brief entrance on camera.
'He is our bhai'
Not everyone was lucky enough to see him. Maha Noor, a Pakistani resident, had been waiting for the actor, but because of his delayed arrival she missed him.
She said her love for the star goes back a long way.
"I have been a fan since I was a baby. I like him because he is handsome, he is funny, he has a charisma, and he is our bhai," she said. (Bhai, meaning brother, is a nickname fans often use for the actor.)
Mohammad Imran and Samama Rayees had come to the fair specifically to see Khan, and waited for his entrance. Imran managed to record a clip of the actor as he arrived.
"I love him because he is the king of Bollywood, and I watch his movies," he said.
A trade show turned fan event
Beautyworld Middle East is usually an industry event. For a short time on Tuesday afternoon, though, much of the exhibition floor's attention turned to a single booth.
Khan has a large fan base in the UAE, and his public appearances regularly draw big crowds. His visit comes days after he praised flydubai pilot Captain Smit Machchhar on X for his bravery during a mid-air security incident, writing that it would be "a pleasure to fly with u".
