Dubai: From holidaying abroad to having guests at home, UAE residents have made a variety of plans for spending the Eid Al Fitr break, which ranges from a minimum of four days to a maximum of nine days.
The length of the break, in general, varies between the private sector (shorter) and public sector (longer) and work arrangements at the individual level.
Holidaying in Austria
Indian expat Priyadarshee Panigrahi, 46, who works in a senior position at a private company in Dubai, said he and his family are going on holiday to Austria. “We are a family that loves the outdoors. We are heading out to Vienna and the Salzkammergut region. We plan to spend a day soaking in the beauty of the capital city and then renting a car to Salz-burg and its surroundings. This region is a beautiful part of the Austrian Alps and has great opportunities for hikes and other outdoor activities,” he added.
Panigrahi said the family is looking forward to the long break as they have not taken one in a long time.
Exploring Abu Dhabi
Dubai-based Pakistani expat Imran Badshah, 32, is heading to Abu Dhabi to see the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and The Louvre. “I am so happy about the long break. My friends and I will drive down and explore Abu Dhabi to the fullest. We plan to stay over-night in the city so we can ex-plore the city more,” he said.
Rural retreat
Iranian expat Rahelah Pumpina, a musician based in Dubai, has booked a stay at a farm in Abu Dhabi for the break. “We will be surrounded by horses, and an amazing vegetable and poultry farm. I’m looking forward to this long overdue break for me,” she said.
Sand and surf
Lebanese expat Juliana Khalil, an entrepreneur in Dubai, plans to head to the beach with her friends. “We will swim and chill by the beach,” she said.
Khalil, who is fond of classical Arabic music, will also spend Eid holidays exploring shows in Dubai. She and her friends are heading to the Dubai Opera for a musical show in honour of Umm Kulthum, the late Egyptian legendary singer. “She was the voice of Egypt. And her music still lives on.”
The musically-inclined expat is all set to enjoy a night out at a local Lebanese restaurant where another artist Rita Michael will be performing. “All in all am ready for a chilled week with friends,” she added.
Kitchen hobby
Lebanese expat Joyce Mrad, a marketing specialist and food blogger in Dubai said she is going to take advantage of the long Eid break to do some cooking. “I’ll take advantage of the long break to spend more time in the kitchen. As a food blogger and having a full time job, I barely have time to enjoy my hobby which is cooking and spending time in the kitchen. I love cooking and testing new recipes. I will be spending my time creating new desserts, testing new recipes and baking,” she added.
‘Creating memories’
For South African expat Ross Terrance Horwitz, it will be a working Eid. “I am a food and beverage manager at a renowned five-star resort hotel in Abu Dhabi. During the Eid Al Fitr holidays, I will be working at the hotel to serve the community and make the holidays special and memorable for all those celebrating. Hotels during this time are extremely busy so typically hoteliers get to spend their time with loved ones after the festivities are over. It is my absolute pleasure to be a part of creating these memories for others and I thoroughly enjoy the atmosphere at the hotel around this time,” said Horwitz.
