Onam 2026 UAE: Indian expats from Kerala celebrate at office, in desert and skies

Dubai: From pookkalams (floral carpets) and Thirvuathira dance at offices to a horseback ride in the desert and an Onasadhya served 35,000 feet in the air, Indian expats from Kerala in the UAE marked Onam 2026 in style, with colleagues from multiple nationalities joining in the celebrations.

This year's festivities carried extra significance because Thiruvonam, the most important day of harvest festival, fell on the 11^th day on Wednesday.

That meant many offices, gyms and healthcare establishments became the first stop for celebrations, with employees tucking into an Onasadhya at their workplace or restaurants before saving bigger family gatherings for the weekend.

Restaurants across the country, meanwhile, served the traditional vegetarian feast to hundreds of thousands of people, with queues forming outside popular eateries from as early as 11am.

The celebrations this year stretched from the desert sands to the clouds. The Royal Stallions Riders, a group of friends who regularly mark UAE and Indian festivals and national days on horseback, celebrated Onam for the first time with a special ride through the desert.

The riders wore traditional attire suited to the occasion.

"Though riding in a traditional saree was a bit challenging, it was a moment of pride for me since I had only recently learnt horse riding," said Thara Thankachan, one of the riders.

While that celebration unfolded in the desert, another took to the skies. Sharjah-based Air Arabia served Onasadhya to passengers flying to Kerala, bringing a taste of home to travellers at 35,000 feet.

As part of a campaign with Malayalam radio channel Gold FM, two UAE residents from Kerala who had not been able to travel home for several years were given the chance to fly back for Onam, said RJ Vysakh Somarajan.

They were among the passengers on an Abu Dhabi–Thiruvananthapuram flight who enjoyed the special in-flight Onasadhya.

Another Malayalam station, Hit FM, is treating a select group of listeners to a five-star Onasadhya this year, adding a touch of luxury to the traditional feast at Taj Hotel in Dubai.

For most people celebrating the festival, though, the Onasadhya on a working day was enjoyed at a restaurant.

Eateries serving the feast saw long queues, with customers collecting tokens and waiting their turn at popular spots such as Calicut Paragon in Karama and King Chef Restaurant in Dubai Investment Park.

Major restaurant groups and hypermarket chains, including Lulu, met the surge in demand by offering takeaway and bulk deliveries of Onasadhya.

Onam, Kerala's biggest harvest festival, marks the mythical homecoming of King Mahabali, whose reign is remembered as a golden era of unity, equality and prosperity.

With around 4.5 million Indians living in the UAE, of whom more than a million trace their roots to Kerala, Onam has grown into one of the country's most visible expatriate festivals, embraced well beyond the Malayali community.

In his special Onam message, the new Consul General of India in Dubai, Dr E Vishnu Vardhan Reddy said: "Onam is all about unity, harmony, prosperity, and the beautiful spirit of togetherness."

"Onam reminds us of our shared cultural heritage and the common values and traditions that bind us to our motherland, wherever we may be. May the spirit of Onam fill our lives with happiness, peace, and prosperity, and bring us all together, and further strengthen the bonds of friendship and community," he added.

Some workplaces, including a hospital in Dubai Silicon Oasis, served Onasadhya in their canteen as part of in-house celebrations.

"We had a vibrant Onam celebration with grand Onam-themed decorations. We had a Maveli and some Pulikkali performers, a lovely pookkalam and, of course, a sumptuous sadhya. It was nice to see our seniors and colleagues from different countries join the celebrations. It was heartening that non-Hindu colleagues won the competition for best traditionally dressed male and female participants," said a senior employee.

At a fitness gym in Beda Zayed, in Abu Dhabi's Al Dhafra region, partner Abdul Jabbar said Onam was the facility's first major celebration since it opened a couple of months ago.

"We had around 65 people, including members and their families, take part in the celebrations. We had games like vadamvali (tug of war), kaserakali (musical chairs) and a lemon-and-spoon race. We rarely get the chance to take part in cultural programmes in this area, so people here enjoyed it thoroughly. We are lucky to have the freedom and safety to enjoy all this even amid regional tensions, thanks to our leadership," he said.

At a clinic in Dubai, unit manager Rikku Cherian said celebrations were held in full swing after operating hours on Monday night. Though Onam has its roots in Hindu mythology, Rikku, who is Christian, said his family has always celebrated it back home too.

"It has been part of our customs since my childhood, and I am glad we expats are able to celebrate it in a big way, thanks to the religious tolerance, freedom and safety we enjoy here. We are always happy to celebrate with our colleagues from different countries," said Rikku, a Dubai resident of 11 years.

His colleague Sreedevi Nair, who helped organise the event, said: "We had a two-hour celebration from 9pm to 11pm that night. The sadhya and the pookkalam were the most essential parts. We also had a lot of fun with Onam games like vadamvali and sundarikku pottu thodal (pinning a bindi on a woman's picture)."

Paul Noman Cruz, from the Philippines, said he thoroughly enjoyed the festivities with his Malayali colleagues. "It's great to see our colleagues dressed traditionally, so I got a shirt in their traditional style too and joined in with the perfect ethnic look for Onam this time. These celebrations really have a way of bringing everyone together. It was a memorable event," he said.

Mohamed Nizar, a procurement manager at a facilities management company in Dubai, said Onam is among several festivals colleagues mark together and this time it was grand with pookkalam, sadhya and a Thiruvathira dance performance by his female colleagues.

"Onam is a festival of togetherness and unity for us Malayalis. It's a celebration beyond religion and borders, especially when we celebrate with colleagues from various countries here. Back home, people are celebrating both Onam and the Prophet's Birthday together today, while we are marking the latter here with a holiday on Friday," said Nizar, who had just returned from Umrah in Saudi Arabia.

Sreelatha Anoop, who works in the accounts department of a retail organisation in Dubai, said Malayali staff once again led the workplace celebrations.

"We have colleagues from different nationalities, and it's wonderful to see everyone come together and take part enthusiastically in our Onam celebrations."

"For us, it's much more than a festival: it's an opportunity to celebrate the rich culture and heritage of Kerala while sharing the spirit of togetherness, unity and prosperity that Onam represents," added Sreelatha.