100,000+: Dubai’s Zabeel Park rocks with ‘UAE’s largest Indian party’

Zabeel Park transformed into a massive cultural carnival on Sunday, as more than 100,000 members of the Indian community and UAE residents came together for a high-voltage celebration of heritage, music, spirituality, and unity.

According to the UAE Government Media Office, the event, organised by ‘Emirates Loves India,’ drew a crowd of “more than 100,000 people, making it the largest celebration of its kind in the UAE.”

The sprawling grounds throbbed with energy as families, youth, children and seniors soaked up a festival atmosphere unlike any other – complete with peppy Bollywood hits, bhangra beats, classical rhythms and regional folk colours.

The mega event returned for its second year with a spectacular scale-up and a powerful message of friendship between the UAE and India.

The celebration was held in the presence of Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of State, who praised the Indian community’s contribution to the UAE and won hearts with her Hindi, and A. Amarnath, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of India to the UAE. Diplomats, officials, business leaders and cultural heads also joined thousands of residents in marking the vibrant occasion.

Rashed Al Tamimi, Director of Emirates Loves India, said the event grew beyond expectations this year, transforming into a “melting pot” of culture and emotion.

“It’s an event where we see a beautiful mixture of Indian heritage, music, gastronomy, art and language come together in the UAE,” Al Tamimi said.

Crowds began gathering at Zabeel Park even before gates opened, forming long queues of excited families waving Indian flags, draped in regional attire from every corner of India – from Kerala kasavu sarees to Punjabi kurtas, Rajasthani turbans to Maharashtrian nauvari sarees. The festival transformed the venue into a cultural tapestry reflecting India’s unity in diversity, right in the heart of Dubai.

India’s Deputy Chief of Mission, A. Amarnath, highlighted the UAE’s role in supporting cultural harmony.

“For 4.3 million Indians who call the UAE their home, events like these make this a home away from home,” he told Gulf News.

“This celebration sends a message to the world – diversity is strength and tolerance is the future. At a time when parts of the world are divided by conflict, Dubai stands out as a model of peaceful coexistence,” Amarnath said, noting that Dubai alone is home to more than half of the UAE’s Indian population.

Bollywood took over the night as popular Indian singers Neha Kakkar, Mika Singh, Neeraj Madhav (bringing the Kerala factor) drove the crowd wild with electrifying live performances. Adding an unexpected twist to the party atmosphere, yoga guru Baba Ramdev took the stage before the musical acts, sharing his trademark breathing routines and yogic moves to stay fit. There were also classical performances by children from Dubai, with the line-up celebrating every shade of Indian rhythm.

The venue offered something for everyone – handicraft stalls, artisan exhibits from Indian villages, henna corners, regional food stalls and an entire children’s zone.

“We are blessed to have our students perform classical dance here,” said Anjana Sajeev and Rajeshwari Kannan, who run a dance school in Karama. “Events like this connect our children to their roots.”

The large-scale event was made possible with support from Dubai Municipality, RTA, Dubai Police and Dubai Civil Defence, ensuring seamless transport, security and crowd control throughout the evening.