The photo has been used for illustrative purposes.

Tanvir Usman, Staff Reporter

After observing the Holy Month of Ramadan, the faithful in the UAE are geared up for the Eid Al Fitr celebrations.

The festive and joyous mood can be witnessed in every nook and corner of the country.

Expatriates have always been an integral part of the celebrations and this time too they are celebrating Eid with religious zeal.

Some of the expats shared their thoughts on Eid with Gulf Today.

Nooreen Shah, a student residing in Ajman, said: “Henna, new outfits, outing with friends and a long drive is always on top of the list in my Eid plans. This time, there is double delight for me, I have recently got my driving licence and will drive my friends to Abu Dhabi for a visit to Sheikh Zayed mosque.”

Ahmed Sher, a Pakistani resident of Sharjah, said: “Eid is a gift from the Almighty to his servants who observe fast during the month of Ramadan to get His blessing. Meeting friends and relatives on this day is one thing that makes me happy.”

Faiz Ullah, a resident of Dubai from Pakistan, said: “Ramadan teaches us to feel the pain of the underprivileged, the pain of those who don’t have enough resources to feed themselves and their children. We should not forget our brothers who struggle to make their ends meet.”

For Ahmed, a Dubai-based engineer from India, the excitement of meeting friends / family and going for a long awaited outing on Eid is too much to conceal.

He said: “This is my fourth Eid in the UAE and like every time, a new excitement of meeting friends / family and going for a long awaited outing to a ‘different place’ than last time is keeping me awake for the past couple of days.

“Thanks to amazing hospitality and expat friendly environment of the UAE, I never felt left out or alone here.

“May Allah accept all our Duas during the month and bring peace and prosperity to all humankind. I would like to wish all my fellow residents of the UAE Eid Mubarak and fantastic time ahead.”

Shazia, a housewife who lives in Sharjah, said: “Eid Al Fitr is a special gift from Allah and we all should try to make the day more memorable. We should not forget the teachings of Ramadan once Eid is over, in fact we all should strive to be as virtuous as we were during the Ramadan throughout the year.”