UAE: Expats from war-torn countries 'dream' of celebrating Eid Al Fitr back home
With the arrival of Eid Al Fitr just around the corner, a sense of bittersweet yearning fills the hearts of expatriates hailing from war-torn nations residing in the UAE. The sense of loss is tangible from the celebrations they left to get here to the saddened heartache of separation from family and custom.
But for 21-year-old Ahmed, a Palestinian expat who has never travelled to Gaza, the sentiment is sharper still. "I do not experience the feeling. But now that the truce is broken, I have no clue if there is even Eid this year in Gaza.
March 18 saw the world wince as the cease-fire in Gaza came crashing down and Israel unleashed all its military fury. The toll was horrific: more than 400 dead, the added hundreds injured, numerous still ensnared and the rubble. Instead of planning for Eid, Assad and all those like him are glued to their phones, hoping for news of family members.
Dubai resident: 'I've never been to Gaza for Eid' Instead of writing a list of what gifts to take with me to my family in Gaza, I am stuck to my phone hoping I will hear they are okay.- Ravi K.
These expats have few choices in where they can spend Eid, unlike many who have now called the UAE 'home' for some time. Syrian expat Ghassan Aboud, 51, misses his native city Aleppo. Even after 21 years, he dreams to celebrate the Eid there.
I bet so much had changed, but I think the spirit was the same. Eid in Syria was one of the joyous occasions — Families would gather under one roof with laughter filling the hearts and the smell of the delicious food in the air. My mom made the best kibbeh and baklava.'
His son, Ahmed, who has never been to Syria, sits and listens. He said: “I have always longed to perform Eid in my hometown. We do our best to try to make it feel homey, with my mom cooking and people come and home.
The political scene inside Syria is still shifting, nearly six years after the removal of the Assad regime on 8 December, 2024, but Ahmed is not losing hope of one day enjoying Eid in a peaceful Aleppo.
Regrets and longing
Some expats who were forced to stay away from their countries for years, would still rather spend Eid in their homeland. Sudanese expat Yasir said: "I was going back to Sudan every year previous to 2023 but never for Eid." I always return on New Year because it is the time when everyone goes back home. But I now wish I had gone to Eid. The Sharjah resident said: "I wish I made the effort".
He recalls the spirit of Eid in Sudan: “After the Eid prayer, we would visit each other, greet one another and share ‘Eid iftar. Every home had these signature plates, but I am also forever appreciative of the desserts my great aunts used to do. The scent of incense — bakhoor — drifting through the streets was simply unforgettable.
Instead, Yasir stays in touch with home through his news feed on social media. "This afternoon the army forces are tightening their control over Khartoum … and still there are places which are witnessing total insanity. It is a dirty war, but I still have a dream to be able to go back home on the occasion of Eid Al Adha.”
Comments