It is no less than a ‘normal year’ for the United Arab Emirates nationals as despite Covid-19 norms being in place, the Christmas celebrations are so on point that people are loving this time of the year as they always have.

The nation has found the perfect balance between celebrations, fun and new activities for its citizens, and also abiding and adhering to the coronavirus pandemic norms. The gulf nations have a history of organising such events for every festival season which essentially highlights the diversity in the country and this time too, it did not let go of the Christmas and New year celebrations.

The nation, with the help of UAE authorities, is being able to attain the balance by regulating these celebrations to continue to curb the spread of coronavirus while also creating a happy and fun atmosphere for the visitors and the tourists. One of the best examples of management of such activities is restaurants and hotels being packed with a range of festivities while also taking Covid-19 precautions into view.

Residents are also expressing their views on the arrangements put up in the Emirate. One of them was Jennifer Adams, who was upset for not being able to spend her time with family due to Covid but is pleasantly surprised how UAE has organised everything. She said, “It is upsetting not to be with family on the holidays, especially with older relatives. We are very lucky to be in the UAE. The weather is beautiful, the situation is under control and there are many festive activities, especially for children.”

Experts and residents both have agreed that UAE might be the only country in the world to have attained some kind of normalcy in what any term as the strangest year. Especia;y after the deep economic crisis many of the countries were facing due to the pandemic. 

But even with the new travel regulations being in place, Dubai is making sure that those who are living away from their families get to at least enjoy Christmas in the nation.

Even for the United Kingdom when most countries have closed their travel coordinators with it due to the new found mutant strain, UAE continues to keep the travel open which was also confirmed by two of the UAE carriers Emirate and Etihad.

Another resident Teresa Geneloni is originally from Milan, Italy. She said that has been living with her family in Dubai for eight years but celebrates Chirtmas in Italy itself. But this year, she has decided to celebrate it in Dubai. “Everything we typically do in Italy we will do in Dubai this year,” Geneloni while talking to Arab News.

“It is also a special Christmas for us as it is the last Christmas that we will be all together before our son goes to university next year. We will cook traditional Italian dishes, listen to Italian music from the Eighties and Nineties, and watch films, just as we do each year in Liguria.”