Watch: Eid Al Fitr 2025 in UAE turns special for Indian expats from Kerala at Ajman Eidgah

Ajman: Eid Al Fitr 2025 became an extra special festival for thousands of Indian expats from Kerala as they attended the first-ever Eidgah, an open-air enclosure used for Eid prayers, in Ajman with Khutbah (the sermon) delivered in Malayalam on Sunday.

More than 3,200 worshippers, including women and children, arrived at the Eidgah arranged at Habitat School in Al Jurf to offer Eid prayers.

The special prayer gathering was organised with the support of Ajman Awqaf, the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments, to cater to the large number of expatriates from the south Indian state of Kerala, said Shamsu Zaman CT, managing director of Habitat Group of Schools.

“Special arrangements were made for women and children to offer their prayers comfortably. The school premises also provided ample parking space, ensuring convenient access for worshippers from Sharjah, Umm Al Quwain, and other nearby emirates as well. Many people of different nationalities also attended,” he said.

More than 4.3million Indian expats call the UAE home and majority of them hail from Kerala. Special Eidgahs with sermons in Malayalam, the mother tongue of Keralites, who are also known as Malayalis, are arranged at a few locations in Dubai and Sharjah. Several Malayalis in Ajman used to visit those Eidgahs previously.

One of the attendees in the Ajman Eidgah on Sunday, Mujbeer KS, said this is his first Eid Al Fitr after his family joined him in Ajman. “Usually, I used to visit the Malayalam Eidgah in Dubai or Sharjah with my friends. This time, I came here after I got to know about the first Malayalam Eidgah in Ajman. It was a different experience. I was happy to see many people known to me and share Eid greetings with them and listen to the sermon in Malayalam,” he said.

Ashidha Nowshad, who arrived with her family including two children, said: “My family used to go to the Eidgah near the Sharjah Cricket Stadium earlier. We had to get up at 3.30am to reach there on time. This time, we came late as it is nearby. Listening to the Khutbah in our language is a special experience. The prayer gathering eventually became a big family Eid reunion for many Malayali families in Ajman.”

The congregational Eid prayer was led by Ustadh Junaid Ibrahim, an imam from Ajman Awqaf. The sermon in Malayalam included prayers for the UAE leaders and people.

Marking the special occasion, many Malayalam TV channels broadcast the Eid prayers live.