You won’t miss the snow in Dubai this Christmas

By Zoe Sinclair (Staff reporter)

21 December 2007

DUBAI — The snow of England to the sand dunes of Dubai is a vast change for Lindsay Amro and her family celebrating Christmas this year.

Although many families may be a long way from home, malls and hotels have spared no effort in celebrating the season even if it is against the backdrop of the desert.

An enormous 40-foot Christmas tree, glittering in fairy lights, stretches to the roof at Wafi City Mall while around Dubai, hotels are wrapped in tinsel, decorated for the festive season as Dubai’s large expatriate community settles in to celebrate the family time.

Lindsay came to Dubai 16 years ago. After meeting and marrying an Emirati, she is this year celebrating Christmas with her 18-month-old twin girls, four-year-old and seven-year-old boys.

“Since my oldest son’s first Christmas, I’ve missed Christmas at home and I wanted to go home,” she said.

“But I don’t think it would make a difference as long as we’re together.”

Lindsay said the festive spirit was still strong because of the efforts all the malls and hotels had made.

“There are fantastic services for Christmas in Dubai and the hotels and malls really cater to the young children with brunches and bouncy castles and Santa of course.”

Her family was Muslim and recognised the religious spirit of Eid but also the special family time surrounding Christmas.

“In the world today they can celebrate so many different cultures and religions,” she said.

“Children are children and they have no bias and to celebrate both is fantastic.”

The only thing she misses is the snow but there is certainly enough look-alike snow going around the malls and hotels, not to mention the closest thing to a white Christmas with Santa at Ski-Dubai, Mall of The Emirates.

Wafi mall staff have been planning decorations and festivities for the centre since February and a team of five staff from UK company Seasonal Displays travelled to the mall and spent one week setting up the display.

From November 29, it has become a spectacular display of snowflakes, lights, and tinsel.

The theme of the winter wonderland of Narnia has transformed the mall with the Ice Castle — the home of the evil Queen of Narnia — and animated displays including Mr and Mrs Beaver and other characters from the story “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe”.

Delighted children enter through the enchanted wardrobe to see Santa, all the way from the Santa Claus Village in Finland, at the Secret Grotto or they can dare to meet the Ice Queen inside her castle.

The decorations will stand until January 6 while carols, music, festive food and shopping promotions abound at malls and hotels across the region.

Meanwhile, some of the popular Christmas gifts are proving to be technology related with Elie El Massih, Marketing Manager of Virgin Megastore, rating the iPod and the Playstation 3 as some of the most sought after presents.

Sheraton Dubai Creek Hotel Communications officer Caroline Ismail said the hotel had a long-standing tradition of dressing up the hotel and organising festive events for Dubai’s community — even the hotel’s staff spend a month auditioning and practising to sing carols in the lobby.

“There are loyal guests who have been visiting for 25 years,” Ismail said.

The restaurants are already about three quarters booked for Christmas Eve and Christmas day celebrations.

Source: Khaleejtimes.com

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