UAE residents enjoy extended Eid festivities

For many residents, Eid celebrations this year are special with holidays extending up to almost a week. 

After family get-togethers and feast at home on the first day of Eid, many residents chose to go out to their favourite spots on Wednesday. 

Pakistani national and school teacher Zeenath Iqbal chose to head over to her favourite shopping mall to celebrate the second day of Eid Al Fitr.

Her family of three were at The Dubai Mall to watch the Dubai Fountain show and enjoy Eid revelries in the mall. "It was very crowded. But I wanted to take advantage of the discounts and get some shopping done before the Eid offers ended," said Zeenath.

The mall's VR theme park games was a popular attraction, where people were seen jumping off buildings and fighting robots. "We don't usually go to malls during Eid since it is so crowded. This year, our family decided to experience something different," she explained.

Yas Mall in Abu Dhabi hosted all day virtual reality (VR) tournaments on Wednesday for enthusiasts of all ages. The festival featured gaming zones, competitions, cosplay, and stage activities.

Many residents, in a bid to beat heavy traffic, avoided the dense locations in the city, and went on long road trips instead. Rashid Khan, an airlines professional, left with his extended family on a road trip towards Sharjah's desert region. "On the second day, we drove towards the desert area in Madaam. There, we had tea, some snacks, watched the sunset in the desert and drove back," said Rashid.

Nasreen Abdulla, an Indian resident in Dubai, said: "Usually the first day of Eid is at home. The second day is for long drives and eating out. We exchange gifts and decorate the house. Lunch is usually home-cooked biryani and it is a very elaborate affair. This year, we were about 20 people. The kids were running around and the whole mood was, as usual, very festive. "

Many residents take advantage of the long holidays by travelling to different destinations.

Aqsa Rizvi and a group of her friends plan on leaving for Beirut on Wednesday night. "We need to get back to work only on Sunday. Beirut is a great destination for a three-day holiday. I and a group of friends planned this a few days ago and booked tickets immediately," she said.

Based on internal Airbnb data for bookings in listed properties from May 30 to June 8 this year, the UAE is the third most popular destination for Airbnb bookings. Italy and Spain took the first two spots. Staycations are trending over the Eid period, with travellers from right here within the UAE accounting for the most local bookings on Airbnb, said the online company in an official statement.

The US and the UK complete the top three countries of origin for guests who have booked an Airbnb stay in the UAE over this period. Visitors from Saudi Arabia and France are also selecting the country over the Eid period, rounding out the leading five countries for inbound travel.