PETALING JAYA: What began as an ordeal, an “extended stay” in the United Arab Emirates turned into a heartfelt blessing for a Malaysian family as siblings reunite to celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri together.
This year, senior manager Rizami Annuar, 51, and his wife Esza Rabaatul Adawiyah Md Eshak, 51, will be welcoming Syawal with his sister Rita Annumiza Annuar, 53, and husband Iskandar Mohd Zain, 54.
Rizami, who has been based in Dubai since 2012, said that he and his wife planned a quiet Hari Raya this year.
“Here, Raya is very simple. It’s not the same as in Malaysia, where you celebrate together with extended family and close friends. Here, it’s usually just me and my wife,” he said.
However, his sister Rita, who had initially planned to return to Malaysia earlier, has found herself spending Ramadan and now Aidilfitri in Dubai due to flight disruptions.
“I was supposed to return home two weeks ago, but then the conflict happened.
“Flights were cancelled and not rescheduled over the past two weeks. I’ve been here for a month now,” she said when contacted yesterday.
Despite the circumstances, Rita said the family members have made the most of their time together, even improvising traditional dishes with limited ingredients.
“I’m making cookies and rendang for Raya. I even bought an Arab-style baju raya. Luckily, my sister-in-law has stocked up some Malaysian ingredients, which makes things easier,” she added.
Rita also shared how the situation on the ground differs from what is often portrayed in the media.
“It’s not as alarming as you might imagine; we can still go out to buy things, but we remain alert,” she said.
For housewife Noor Badr Mudaliar, 53, who has been residing in Qatar for 13 years, Hari Raya Aidilfitri will be a quieter and family-oriented affair.
“There will be no visiting friends or hosting, which would normally be part of our celebrations,” the mother of four said.
Noor Badr said the decision to scale down celebrations was in line with government advice.
“This is only to follow the government’s advice to stay indoors and adhere to safety protocols. That said, some families are still planning small gatherings,” she added.
Despite the caution, daily life in Qatar continues with a sense of normalcy for Noor Badr.
“As a family of six, we still go out to enjoy dinner at restaurants. We are grateful for everything,” she said, adding that malls are mostly busy throughout Ramadan.
Civil engineer Aziz Zainal Seman, 55, who is based in Bahrain with his wife Haniza and their four daughters, said the festive season feels noticeably different this time amid the uncertainty in the Middle East.
“With the current situation still ongoing, we will be celebrating the first few days of Raya here in Bahrain with my family, mostly by spending time at friends’ houses close to us,” he added.
Aziz added that while the early days of the conflict were tense, conditions have since stabilised.
“The situation hasn’t been easy, especially during the first few days when things were quite tense. But now it’s a lot calmer, even though we still get occasional sirens and SMS alerts reminding us there are ongoing risks.
“That said, we still feel safe overall and life has more or less continued as usual. I’ve been going to work as normal while some others have been working from home since it all started,” he said.
For engineer Muhammad Syafiq (unable to disclose his full name due to work) and his family, this year’s Hari Raya marks a new chapter: their first Syawal abroad since relocating to Dubai.
Syafiq and his family moved to the UAE in November last year. He said that celebrating the festive season away from home has been both emotional and meaningful.
“We are trying our best to bring the Eid spirit to life here even though we are far from our families back home,” he said.
Syafiq said the family plans to recreate traditional Raya dishes that remind them of home, especially those prepared by his mother.
“We will also meet with other Malaysian families and friends living in Dubai and Abu Dhabi,” he added.
Like many Malaysians in the region, Syafiq acknowledged that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East has affected the festive mood. However, he said that Dubai still feels safe overall, even from the beginning of the conflict.
“We really appreciate the efforts of the UAE government in keeping the country safe,” he said.
