Shoppers get in line early for Eid offers
Shoppers in Dubai turned out in large numbers to take advantage of special offers over the Eid holidays.
Eid Al Fitr is a major date for shoppers in the Gulf hoping to catch a bargain or two and make the most of indoor concerts and family entertainment.
This year was no different at Dubai Mall. Eid shoppers were there early yesterday to beat the crowds and be first in line for the best deals.
Indian expatriate Dan Thapa made sure he arrived early to buy a special present for his girlfriend’s birthday.
“I came here today because of the Eid offers. It is the perfect time to go shopping for a present,” Mr Thapa said. “There are a number of offers that you would not get any other time, so I want to take advantage of that.”
Restaurants and cafes were especially busy and some of the retailers pulled out all of the stops.
At Hamley’s, the toy shop, crowds stopped to watch the staff performing a song-anddance routine, much to the delight of families.
But Marwa Abdelaziz, an Egyptian who works in Dubai, had other things on her mind.
“I want to take this chance to refresh my wardrobe for work,” Ms Abdelaziz said. “It’s not often you get time off to relax, so it’s the perfect opportunity to shop.”
While Eid is usually synonymous with time spent at home, cross-country road trips to UAE malls during the Eid sales season have become an annual ritual for many in other Gulf states.
“I am not after anything in particular in terms of shopping, but if I see a good offer I will consider it,” said Hasan Ahmed, who had driven from Oman to enjoy Eid in Dubai. “Eid is such an important time of the year and I wanted to spend it in a special place like Dubai.”
Maria Qassem came from Saudi Arabia specifically for Eid shopping.
“There are a lot of great offers on for Eid which will make shoppers happy,” Ms Qassem said.
Toni Usman came all the way from the border with Saudi Arabia to spend Eid shopping with his family.
“We came down specially to pick up bargains and special offers,” he said.
While Eid is time for the family, cross-country road trips to the UAE for the sales are popular