Fifteen day celebration kicks off in Dubai

A general view of Dubai Beginning today, Dubai will engage in a 15-day celebration for residents and tourists alike, leading up to the great Muslim feast of Eid al-Adha, or Feast of the Sacrifice, celebrated to honor Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael in obedience to God.
Called Eid in Dubai - United in Celebration, the two-week event leading up to the October 26 feast day, which symbolizes togetherness, peace and mutual respect, was decreed by Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum, who is the prime minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the ruling monarch of Dubai.
''Eid in Dubai is the space of harmony between Islam and modernity. It is an homage to the physical spirit of the city, and to the foreign residents who call it home,'' organizers said in what is not just an empty slogan, given that 80% of the population of the EAU is made up of at least 200 different ethnic groups.
The celebration kicks off on Thursday night with a fireworks display, and continues with an international concert series, from Enrique Iglesias to Gregorian chants, and with a selection of Arab, Indian and Iranian musicians.
Visitors will be able to engage in a non-stop shopping marathon, as all the major shopping centers will stay open uninterruptedly from Thursday to Saturday, or flock to the great open-air Global Village fair, with its pavilions reproducing countries from Saudi Arabia to Thailand, from the Philippines to Yemen, from Europe to Morocco. Last but not least, the emirate is also proposing lotteries with millionaire prizes. (ANSAmed).