Dubai: As many as 60,000 residents celebrated Diwali, the Indian festival of lights, with shows, speeches, food and folklore at Dubai’s Zabeel Park on Saturday night.
Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, and Sunjay Sudhir, Indian Ambassador to the UAE, along with diplomats and key figures from the expat community, were part of the festivities titled ‘Ghar Jaisi Diwali’.
Organised by Emirates Loves India, the event was supported by the UAE Government Media Office and featured participation from Dubai Police. The popular park became a giant platform to celebrate Indian culture, music, art, food, and folklore, set against the backdrop of the iconic Dubai Frame. The proceedings began with live renditions of the UAE and India’s national anthems by students.
‘Special friendship’
In his address, Sheikh Nahyan emphasised that the UAE considers India a “friend and trusted partner”.
“The UAE is a society that highly values the cultural heritage of people everywhere. This evening, we not only celebrate Diwali but also rejoice in the special relationship of friendship and trust that exists between India and the UAE,” Sheikh Nahyan said, receiving loud cheers from the capacity crowd.
He described Diwali as a celebration of “the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil, and peace over conflict, as well as an occasion for spiritual renewal and goodness around the world”.
“Diwali gives us an opportunity to highlight our collective dedication to human unity and good work,” he added.
Indians honoured
One of the event’s highlights was a special segment recognising the achievements of outstanding Indians who have made significant contributions to the UAE’s development. Among those honoured were Dr Surendar Singh Kandhari, Nisha Jagtiani, Siddharth Balachandran, Rizwan Sajan, and Atif Rahman, and others.
Ambassador Sudhir highlighted the strong partnership between India and the UAE.
“This is a celebration of people coming together, and to see more than 60,000 people here at Zabeel Park is truly amazing. This celebration highlights the vibrant and deep relationship between our nations,” he said. The Ambassador also noted that the UAE is now home to 3.9 million Indians.
“More than 3.9 million Indians have helped shape the UAE. Last year, over 4 million Indians visited this country, which speaks to how welcoming the UAE has been to us,” he added.
Among the day’s most anticipated highlights were live performances by artists such as rapper-singer Badshah, Jonita Gandhi, and the Kerala-based band Avial.
