Dubai: While most residents enjoy the Eid Al Adha holidays with family and friends, there are those who are required to heed the call of duty with a smile.
Gulf News combed the emirate to see how essential workers heeded the call of duty during Eid while the rest of their family and friends celebrated at home.
Many said they woke up early to join in the celebrations before heading to work.
Among them was M.D. Suhail, a taxi driver.
“I woke up at 4am to freshen up and prepare for the morning prayers at the mosque. After that I took some sweets and shared them with my friends here,” Suhail, who has been working as a cab driver in Dubai for six years, told Gulf News.
He admitted that he misses his family on Eid day but said there are many more good things to be thankful for.
“I am totally happy today because I am not sick and I can work. Although it could be hard sometimes, I don’t mind working because I enjoy dealing with customers,” he said.
Delavar Hussain, a Bangladeshi who works at a car wash bay, said he had no issues working during Eid as well.
“I’m fine working during Eid because there are five of us Muslims working here today anyway. When our shift ends at 3pm, we will call our family and then spend the rest of the afternoon to ourselves,” Hussain, 30, said.
Gulf News spotted Mohammad Jalamuddin cleaning Meydan road before his shift ended at noon. The Bangladeshi cleaner expressed his excitement about going home after work.
“We will go home to prepare some meat so we can have dinner at home. We will play cricket, too,” the Bangladeshi said while waiting for his bus.
“It’s our duty to clean this place. We’re here to do our job. Eid or no Eid, we have a duty to do,” Jalamuddin told Gulf News.
Like Jalamuddin, not working isn’t an option for Naseer Daaha. The Pakistani owner of a meat shop in a labour accommodation in Al Quoz said closing his shop would not only mean income loss but also a loss of an opportunity to “make people happy.”
“We’re selling something to them that’s part of their celebrations. We cannot not open today because this is the only big meat shop here in this area that’s [accessible to the workers],” Daaha told Gulf News.
“Eid Al Adha is a big celebration for us Muslims. People have been coming to our shop as early as 4am. We need to make sure we are giving them good quality meat,” he added.
Daaha said sitting in the shop and seeing people happy brings him happiness just the same.
“I want to give good service to the people here. If people are happy, then I’m happy.
