Look: From zombies to Maleficent, Dubai residents step out to celebrate Halloween after Covid curbs ease

Most houses were decorated for the season with fences and driveways draped in cobwebs, bats, and pumpkins

Published: Mon 31 Oct 2022, 9:29 PM

Updated: Tue 1 Nov 2022, 11:08 AM

By
Ehaab Qadeer

Residents dress up to celebrate Halloween. Photos by Ehaab Qadeer

As the curtain comes down on the spooky season in Dubai, exuberant residents gather together to celebrate Halloween for the first time after most Covid restrictions have been eased in the country.

Families across the emirate celebrated the festival with great excitement. From Tokyo in Money Heist to the imposter from 'Among Us, adults and children were seen dressed up as a wide range of characters from movies, TV shows and even video games.

Most adults were encouraged to step out after witnessing Dubai's melting pot of culture. Manisha Minocha, an expat from London, is a fan of the multiculturalism in Dubai.

"People in Springs are doing an incredible job. I have never seen a Halloween House like this before - neither in London nor in Dubai. So, in Dubai, we're having a blast," Manisha said while speaking to Khaleej Times.

Most houses in the street were decorated – with one even featuring fences and driveways draped in cobwebs, bats, and pumpkins.

Marta Marques, who hails from Portugal, was an immaculate representation of 'Maleficent'. Marques said that the weather in her country does not allow her to enjoy Halloween as much as she does in Dubai.

Marta Marques (R) as Maleficent.

She believes in giving back to the community. As a marketer at Drs. Nicholas & ASP, Marques distributed bamboo toothbrushes to children at the event. She encouraged children to collect and eat candy — but wanted to drive home the message of brushing twice a day.

On the other hand, children were pumped to dress up as their favourite characters to go trick-or-treating in their respective localities after the pandemic.

Halloween is a night when one can either look their best or worst, and nobody can 'cast an evil eye' on you.

Wendy, Loulou and Chunhe (aged 13, 12 and 8, respectively) brought their culture to the fore by dressing up as zombies from Chinese culture.

Whereas Elias Ghrayeb, a nine-year-old expat from Lebanon, dressed up as an 'Among Us' character. Ghrayeb said that he dressed up as the popular video game character because "it's really fun to play".

Halloween is all about trick-or-treating, carving jack-o-lanterns and donning costumes.

Daniel, an expat from Slovakia, has been residing in the country for a decade. He explains the difference in culture, saying, "People in Slovakia go around in cemeteries and light candles." Regardless, he did not hesitate to say that he and his family were enjoying Halloween "very much".