UAE: Early Eid Al Adha celebrations for workers as 2-week festival begins at Labour Park

Instead of going straight back to his room at Sajaa Labour Camp, Pakistani expat Javed Khan now comes back from work to enjoy riveting performances at the Eid Al Adha festival.

Running from June 30 till July 15, the first-of-its-kind event is being held by The Labour Standards Development Authority in Sharjah at Labour Park in Al Sajaa Industrial Area.

The festival includes fun-filled cultural and entertainment programmes, flea markets, food stalls, educational sessions, medical examinations, and awareness workshops.

Khan said that he has a flair for writing and believes that this is a platform to showcase his "hidden talent".

He added that his colleague encouraged him to participate in the talent show, making his dreams of being a poet come true as he "got a chance to recite ‘shayari’" in front of hundreds of his friends and colleagues.

Another resident of the area, Jahangir Shaikh, used to sing in school. “I got a chance to recreate moments of my childhood which made me nostalgic,” he said.

Shaikh, a mason, said that he has a "habit of singing while working" and is looking forward to sing at the festival.

Attendees have been delighted to walk into the venue to watch their friends and colleagues perform.

“This is the first time we are having an event like this. We are tired after working the whole day and this event is like a stress buster for us,” a resident of Sajaa labour Camp said.

Salem Yousef Al Qaseer, chairman of the Labour Standards Development Authority in Sharjah, said that they received a great response from workers at the opening ceremony of the festival, which is being held for the first time ever.

“The event aims at boosting social and cultural ties among workers in Sharjah who come from different nationalities. By bringing them together in one place we encourage them to exchange their customs and traditions related to Eid," he said.

Al Qaseer added that the authority will continue organizing labour events and activities in coordination with the concerned government departments and with the private sector, especially the companies employing many workers to boost the relationships in the work environment in Sharjah.

The festival is held in cooperation with government Departments, the private sector, and the Indian Association in Sharjah. During the festival, awareness lectures, motivational sessions, and legal consultations will be held to enhance workers’ morale and social spirit. The artistic, musical, and entertainment program will escalate until it reaches the climax in the days of Eid Al Adha, to include bands and programs from Bollywood, Punjab, Bengal, Africa, and Arabs.

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