These fines have been enforced since the introduction of Cabinet Resolutions No. 56 and 57 of 2024, which target deceptive telemarketing practices
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Every holiday finds a unique expression in Dubai, and Christmas is no different.
In a city where cultures intertwine, and many expatriates are far from home for the holidays, new traditions are bound to form.
This has distinct meaning for young Christians, who are discovering that the true essence of Christmas lies in reflection, faith, and the community it fosters.
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Church, therefore, has become their sanctuary of peace and connection, especially during the holiday season.
“For us Christians, December is the one month of the year where God is normal and accepted,” said Marisa Kazwey who is 23 years old and from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
She loves that expression of faith is encouraged, and people who might otherwise not attend services come together under the word of God.
For 27-year-old Sri Lankan Joy Reinhart Prabagar, his church group helped him share spiritual struggles, find security, and deepen friendships as a result.
“Church is the only place where my mind actually shuts down, and I can just pray and be calm,” said Pakistani Michelle Amar, who is 23.
She attends St. Mary’s Church in Dubai, and even though she often is seated next to strangers, she feels that their faith and common love for Christmas brings them together.
Tosin Akinyemi, 22 and from the UK, also finds strength in her time at the Evangelical Christian Church of Dubai (ECCD).
“It’s where I can be fully myself and find joy in serving others,” she added.
The diversity is what makes Christmas in Dubai particularly special, said Kazwey.
“When you gather with people from different cultures, it feels richer, more beautiful. Everyone brings something unique, but we’re all celebrating the same thing.”
In the DRC, Christmas is a national celebration for the country’s predominantly Christian population. Therefore, Kazwey’s traditions were centred around family, food, and prayers growing up.
In Dubai, however, it has been a completely different experience.
“It is a minority here, but I get to gather with people my age and find peace in worshipping together. This made me realize that it's not about the country, it is about the people.”
Both Akinyemi and Amar echoed this sentiment.
“At first it was a shock, not having Christmas off. I guess it was a narrow-minded expectation I had. But Dubai is so much more welcoming than many other places,” said Akinyemi.
Her British Christmas traditions were also intimate and centred around her nuclear family.
“We’d wake up early, open presents in our pyjamas, have a big breakfast, and spend the day watching Christmas movies together,” she recalled.
Akinyemi first moved to the UAE at 16-years-old with her family, but she didn’t consider herself Christian at the time. It was only in 2020, when the pandemic hit and she was struggling with her mental health, that she made the decision to pay heed to the gospel and be baptized.
Joining ECCD, a church that is very multicultural, introduced her to a new community and new ways of celebrating Christmas.
“Now, my family has grown to include my church family, and we have people over at home every year. It has made me see Christmas in a much less selfish way,” she said.
For Amar, who has spent the last 14 years in Dubai, her Pakistani Christmas traditions have evolved.
"Christmas in Pakistan was actually contradictory to the pre-notion that people might have," she shared.
Despite being a minority, she fondly remembers attending midnight mass on Christmas Eve with her family, greeting friends, and then opening presents by the warmth of heaters.
“Now, instead of only Pulao and my dad’s hunter beef on the dinner table, we have Mandi and Arabic sweets alongside,” said Amar.
The holiday guest list has also changed, and instead of only having Pakistanis at home, Amar’s family now has their Lebanese, Armenian and Syrian friends join.
These interactions have deepened Michelle’s understanding of Christianity.
“I never knew there were this many types of Christians in the world until I met some of these friends. It has really broadened my understanding of my own religion,” she said.
For both Amar and Prabagar, Christmas serves as a time of reflection and prayer for those facing hardship.
Michelle shared that at the end of every mass in St Mary’s Church, there’s a prayer for peace, especially for the people of Gaza.
Donations are also collected for Christians in Gaza, who have struggled to celebrate Christmas amidst Israel’s war on the strip.
“At home too, it’s something that my family truly feels helpless about,” Amar noted.
“We can do our part, which is to boycott and to spread awareness, but other than that, it’s just that there’s not enough impact.”
Prabagar also emphasized the importance of praying for peace worldwide, drawing from his personal experiences with the civil war in Sri Lanka.
“We always keep them in our prayers, in fact we don’t only pray on a Christmas day for these people. We pray in general for peace and help for everyone,” he said.
In many Churches, it is customary to collect funds and items like food and clothes to help those in need.
“Christmas is, for us, giving to this entire world because God gave his only son for us,” he explained.
Marisa Kazwey initially struggled to find a Christian community when she moved to Dubai at the age of 19 to pursue higher education.
“I remember seeing my Muslim friends pray together, go to Jummah together, and being like I want that too. I prayed about it, and asked God for community.”
Her prayers manifested in 2023, when a friend unexpectedly invited her to the Bible study group he attends.
“It took me a while to be a part of it, but once I committed, it started to feel like home. Christmas is festive again because the church makes sure we don’t miss out on anything,” she said.
Being part of this group has brought her closer to a support network.
"It really provides you with people to look up to, people to keep you accountable, people to check up on you and see how your faith is going," she explained.
Akinyemi has also benefitted from sustainable friendships and community at her church. She outlines that this is because now, Christ is at the centre of everything.
"This allows me to show compassion, care, and empathy for others."
She believes that this growth in Christ and spiritual development comes from consistently being at church, where she is "renewed with the word each week."
Since becoming a member of ECCD, Akinyemi has also embraced serving others, something she never considered before becoming a Christian.
"Every week, I serve tea and coffee after church, and this has become a natural extension of my faith."
Christmas is also a time for reflection, marking the beginning of the story of salvation.
"As I've grown older, I’ve learned to appreciate the scripture behind Christmas. The coming of Jesus to guide us on the right path, and ultimately to sacrifice himself for us," Amar echoed.
She believes that faith is not about what you can see, but what you believe in your heart.
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