Waiting in long abattoir lines a worthy sacrifice, residents say
Traders see brisk business as people queue up early to buy and slaughter sacrificial animals
Traders at Dubai’s livestock market in Al Ghusais, which also has an abattoir, did brisk business on the first day of Eid Al Adha yesterday as residents lined up to buy and slaughter sacrificial animals.
The crowd steadily built up from as early as 7am. Winding lines of vehicles carrying sacrificial animals could be seen entering the abattoir till as late as 2pm, with many hoping to get their animals cut, cleaned and packed in time for a lunch of biryani or barbecue with family and friends.
Sacrificing animals — mostly goats and sheep as well as oxen and bulls — is an Eid Al Adha ritual, which commemorates Prophet Ebrahim’s willingness to follow God’s command and sacrifice his son Esmail.
Traditionally, people keep a portion of the meat for themselves, distribute the rest among friends and donate to the poor.
Egyptian expat Omar Salem, 26, who bought a bull for sacrifice, planned to keep only a small portion for himself. “I will only keep a small portion of the meat for a feast with family and friends, the rest will go to charity. This is my idea of sacrifice. When we are celebrating, we should remember the poor who can’t afford the blessings we enjoy. This is what our Prophet Mohammad taught us,” Salem, a banker, said.
Pakistani expat Muaz Humayun turned up early to buy a goat, hoping to complete the process in time for a family feast. “I came here at 10am and it has been two hours since I bought the animal. The queue is moving steadily. I can’t wait to get the meat and go back home, where we have people waiting for a biryani feast,” he said.
Another expat, Mir Javed, who has lived all his life in the UAE, said he comes to the abattoir every year during Eid Al Adha. “Waiting in the queue is just a small sacrifice as we commemorate the noble gesture of Prophet Ebrahim,” said Javed, as he sat with his animal in the open pick-up truck, little bothered by the heat.
Traders made the most of the annual hike in demand, with goats and sheep selling for between Dh3,000 and Dh5,000, while bulls and oxen fetching between Dh5,000 and Dh10,000.
“The demand is better than last year. I have already sold half the 1,000 heads of goats and sheep I imported, and I hope to sell the remaining half in the next two days,” said Noor Mohammad, owner of Al Shindagha Cattles.
Another trader, Mohammad Shahid, also seemed happy with the market situation this year. “Our first day has been better than expected. We are doing brisk business and we hope to sell out by tomorrow [Wednesday],” said Shahid, who runs his father’s 35-yearold cattle business.
This year, buyers can choose from a greater variety of cattle, as Pakistani animals — a much sought of after breed — are available after an absence of more than five years.