15 photos and videos that sum up the spirit of Eid Al Fitr in Dubai

Eid is a special time in Dubai that’s about a lot more than shopping (although the malls do get very busy).

Here are 15 Instagram posts that show the diverse and inclusive Eid Al Fitr celebrations that took place in Dubai this weekend…

Eid Mubarak!

The first prayer of Eid Al Fitr was at around 6am on Sunday. This saw almost all of the city’s worshippers head out to their local mosque. This amazing photo was taken in Deira:

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Different church leaders from around Dubai went to the Ruler’s Palace to visit H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai, on the first day of the Islamic holiday. A gesture of good faith all around…

Freddy the Labrador is a Dubai legend. As is this home, right next to the Waitrose on Al Thanya, which always has a positive message written on a chalkboard outside of it. We love it, and we love that Freddy wished everyone an Eid Mubarak:

Here’s a snap taken inside the beautiful Zabeel Mosque in Dubai…

The Indonesian embassy held a celebration of Eid Al Fitr, or what they call Idul Fitri (click to play):

The centuries-old traditions of henna is as intrinsically connected with Eid as it is with weddings, and so you’ll see a lot of people with intricately decorated hands over the next few days:

Eid is also a time for glad rags, and we are obsessed with this gorgeous dress from Anotah Fashion:

The streets were filled with activities and performances, like these khandoura-clad stiltwalkers spied in JBR (click to play):

Sheikh Mohammed spent a lot of the Eid weekend with his grandchildren:

And while Eid Al Fitr is all about family, for many of us in Dubai who live far from home, our friends become our family:

The city’s malls were very, very busy. Here’s a snap taken at Dubai Mall’s Aquarium over the weekend:

And a video showing the crowds streaming by:

And, of course, there were fireworks. These ones were in Dubai Festival City:

Most of these photos were taken over Ramadan, but this collage from the Sheikh Mohammed Centre of Cultural Understanding’s iftars and talks (they also opened up the Jumeirah Mosque over Eid) makes us happy, so we just had to share. Click to play:

Also, even if you’re back at work today, remember: three day week!