Abu Dhabi, 1955 — a small town consisting of a stone fort and palm-frond huts on the shores of the Arabian Gulf.
For foreign residents of the emirate, Christmas traditions such as carols and trees seemed very far away.
But on December 25 that year, a carol service and a speech from Britain's Queen Elizabeth II crackled through the wireless from London to the Abu Dhabi desert, bringing Christmas cheer and a sense of home to the handful of British residents listening in from very far away.
“I have spent … many a strange Christmas overseas,” wrote Roderic Owen in his book, The Golden Bubble, about the 1955 celebration. “But … nothing would compare with Christmastide in Abu Dhabi.”
Almost 70 years on, the festive season is in full effect across the UAE. Decorations light up malls and roads and people enjoy glitzy Christmas markets, tree-lighting ceremonies and lavish festive brunches. But it wasn’t always like this.
Swapping snow for sand
Some of the first proper Christmas celebrations in the modern-day UAE took place the home of Tim Hillyard, a representative of BP in Abu Dhabi who was overseeing the search for oil.
Hillyard moved to Abu Dhabi in 1954 and was joined with his wife and daughter in one of the few stone houses at the time.
Owen was a guest of Hillyard's in 1955 and he wrote they intended on making it a “real Christmas with turkey and plum pudding, a Christmas tree and all the accessories”.
“Christmas Day in Abu Dhabi dawned, clear and sunny,” Owen wrote. “By half-closing one’s eyes, the sand stretching away towards the town looked like snow, rutted with wheel tracks, powdery and sparkling.”
A special festive guest
Sheikh Shakhbout, Ruler of Abu Dhabi at the time, paid courtesy calls to Hillyard’s house. That Christmas morning in 1955, Owen recorded Sheikh Shakhbout commenting that they must be missing their church and he was sorry there wasn’t one in Abu Dhabi for them to attend.
When they replied, asking whether he would disapprove of a church, he answered: “Of course not. You need your religion as we need ours.”
Sheikh Shakhbout made several visits to the house over the next few years and listened to carols sung there. He paid increasing attention to spiritual needs, granted land for Christian churches and the first Christmas services were held by the mid-1960s.
A yearning for Yuletide over the years
Celebrating Christmas at the was largely private. Celebrations took place in people’s homes, military bases such as RAF Sharjah and facilities such as Abu Dhabi’s The Club and Dubai Country Club.
During the 1970s, expatriate communities were still small enough that UAE leaders often visited homes personally to say happy Christmas, and the courtesy was returned at Eid. Christian services began to take place across the UAE.
“My recollection is Christmas Day was not a holiday, although Dubai's merchants liked Christmas for obvious reasons,” said Len Chapman, who arrived in Dubai in 1971. “Shops were appropriately decorated — not all but many.”
A typical Christmas was going to services, followed by dinner at home. A familiar sight at schools and clubs was Santa arriving to dispense presents and Christmas cheer at schools across the country.
“We would decorate our villa, spray the windows with fake snow, crank up the AC, play Christmas tunes and cook a traditional Christmas dinner, all purchased from Spinneys in Jumeirah,” said Sally Brocklebank, who lived in Dubai with husband Peter from 1979 to 1985.
“But most important of all was to invite friends of all nationalities to enjoy the feast, pull crackers wear paper crowns, read silly jokes and finish off with a game of charades.”
John Jacobs, who lived in Sharjah from 1976 to 1983, with his wife, three children and nanny, said there wasn't much for sale.
"No decorations, postcards or whatsoever," said Mr Jacobs, who is from The Netherlands. Mr Jacobs brought his own decorations from home and managed to source a real tree though contacts in the aviation industry.
"Every year we managed to create a real Christmas ambiance in our house with a real Christmas tree, decorations and lights," he said. "Nice and sweet memories for us, the three children and the nanny."
By the 1980s in Abu Dhabi, artificial trees could be purchased locally and staff could even be hired to decorate it.
“The following year, we got out the same tree which, of course, needed decorating again,” said Harry Bonning, a British citizen who lived in Abu Dhabi from 1988 to 1999. “This was solved by a phone call to the shop where we bought it and they sent one of their staff to decorate it. Try that in England.”
By the 1980s, the Christmas spirit had been embraced by major hotels such as the Sheraton Dubai Creek and the now demolished Metropolitan Hotel. What had been a largely private affair was becoming more visible and commercialised.
“Christmas was behind closed doors until the hotels got involved,” said Michelle Brown, a singer who performed at 1980s festive concerts in Dubai. “I believe these hotels were entrusted with trying out Christmas events appropriately, which were enthusiastically received by the public at that time.”
But it was still hard to get decorations. Ms Brown, who performed as a duo with Mark Lloyd, recounted one episode in 1987 where they could not find decorations for a Christmas-themed photo shoot. One supermarket, however, had a display inside the shop.
“So we went down in taxi, climbed into the display while a friend took picture of us from outside. We left before they realised what we were up to,” she recalls with a chuckle.
A more sobering Christmas took place several years later in 1990 during the Gulf War. Dubai was filled with troops from the US, France, UK, the Netherlands and more as Desert Storm — the operation to drive Iraqi forces from Kuwait — was weeks away. Tension was high. No one knew what was to come.
“That year was emotional as we all knew why the troops were building up in the area and we had no idea who would make it home afterwards,” said Ms Brown, who performed at the Hilton by the Trade Centre that year.
“It was very poignant. Young men lined up in their dozens snaking across the lobby waiting for five-minute call. People were in tears after it.”
By the mid-1990s, Christmas became a much more visible celebration, particularly in Dubai. Although not a public holiday, Christmas today has grown to a lengthy affair that caps a month of celebrations that also include the UAE’s National Day and Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights.
Christmas songs were even played in some Dubai malls in October this year, a far cry from that small, quiet celebration in Abu Dhabi in 1955.
A version of this article was first published in December 2022.
The Christmas season in the UAE — in pictures
'Gehraiyaan'
Director:Shakun Batra
Stars:Deepika Padukone, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Ananya Panday, Dhairya Karwa
Rating: 4/5
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
THE BIG THREE
NOVAK DJOKOVIC
19 grand slam singles titles
Wimbledon: 5 (2011, 14, 15, 18, 19)
French Open: 2 (2016, 21)
US Open: 3 (2011, 15, 18)
Australian Open: 9 (2008, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21)
Prize money: $150m
ROGER FEDERER
20 grand slam singles titles
Wimbledon: 8 (2003, 04, 05, 06, 07, 09, 12, 17)
French Open: 1 (2009)
US Open: 5 (2004, 05, 06, 07, 08)
Australian Open: 6 (2004, 06, 07, 10, 17, 18)
Prize money: $130m
RAFAEL NADAL
20 grand slam singles titles
Wimbledon: 2 (2008, 10)
French Open: 13 (2005, 06, 07, 08, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20)
US Open: 4 (2010, 13, 17, 19)
Australian Open: 1 (2009)
Prize money: $125m
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Company%20Profile
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Profile Periscope Media
Founder: Smeetha Ghosh, one co-founder (anonymous)
Launch year: 2020
Employees: four – plans to add another 10 by July 2021
Financing stage: $250,000 bootstrap funding, approaching VC firms this year
Investors: Co-founders
MATCH INFO
Arsenal 1 (Aubameyang 12’) Liverpool 1 (Minamino 73’)
Arsenal win 5-4 on penalties
Man of the Match: Ainsley Maitland-Niles (Arsenal)
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 640hp
Torque: 760nm
On sale: 2026
Price: Not announced yet
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Dubai Rugby Sevens
November 30-December 2, at The Sevens, Dubai
Gulf Under 19
Pool A – Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Jumeirah College Tigers, Dubai English Speaking School 1, Gems World Academy
Pool B – British School Al Khubairat, Bahrain Colts, Jumeirah College Lions, Dubai English Speaking School 2
Pool C - Dubai College A, Dubai Sharks, Jumeirah English Speaking School, Al Yasmina
Pool D – Dubai Exiles, Dubai Hurricanes, Al Ain Amblers, Deira International School
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
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The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Citizenship-by-investment programmes
United Kingdom
The UK offers three programmes for residency. The UK Overseas Business Representative Visa lets you open an overseas branch office of your existing company in the country at no extra investment. For the UK Tier 1 Innovator Visa, you are required to invest £50,000 (Dh238,000) into a business. You can also get a UK Tier 1 Investor Visa if you invest £2 million, £5m or £10m (the higher the investment, the sooner you obtain your permanent residency).
All UK residency visas get approved in 90 to 120 days and are valid for 3 years. After 3 years, the applicant can apply for extension of another 2 years. Once they have lived in the UK for a minimum of 6 months every year, they are eligible to apply for permanent residency (called Indefinite Leave to Remain). After one year of ILR, the applicant can apply for UK passport.
The Caribbean
Depending on the country, the investment amount starts from $100,000 (Dh367,250) and can go up to $400,000 in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take between four to five months to receive a passport.
Portugal
The investment amount ranges from €350,000 to €500,000 (Dh1.5m to Dh2.16m) in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take a maximum of six months to receive a Golden Visa. Applicants can apply for permanent residency after five years and Portuguese citizenship after six years.
“Among European countries with residency programmes, Portugal has been the most popular because it offers the most cost-effective programme to eventually acquire citizenship of the European Union without ever residing in Portugal,” states Veronica Cotdemiey of Citizenship Invest.
Greece
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Greece is €250,000, making it the cheapest real estate residency visa scheme in Europe. You can apply for residency in four months and citizenship after seven years.
Spain
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Spain is €500,000. You can apply for permanent residency after five years and citizenship after 10 years. It is not necessary to live in Spain to retain and renew the residency visa permit.
Cyprus
Cyprus offers the quickest route to citizenship of a European country in only six months. An investment of €2m in real estate is required, making it the highest priced programme in Europe.
Malta
The Malta citizenship by investment programme is lengthy and investors are required to contribute sums as donations to the Maltese government. The applicant must either contribute at least €650,000 to the National Development & Social Fund. Spouses and children are required to contribute €25,000; unmarried children between 18 and 25 and dependent parents must contribute €50,000 each.
The second step is to make an investment in property of at least €350,000 or enter a property rental contract for at least €16,000 per annum for five years. The third step is to invest at least €150,000 in bonds or shares approved by the Maltese government to be kept for at least five years.
Candidates must commit to a minimum physical presence in Malta before citizenship is granted. While you get residency in two months, you can apply for citizenship after a year.
Egypt
A one-year residency permit can be bought if you purchase property in Egypt worth $100,000. A three-year residency is available for those who invest $200,000 in property, and five years for those who purchase property worth $400,000.
Source: Citizenship Invest and Aqua Properties
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Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Westminster, London
- Camden, London
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Islington, London
- Kensington and Chelsea, London
- Highlands, Scotland
- Argyll and Bute, Scotland
- Fife, Scotland
- Tower Hamlets, London
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
more from Janine di Giovanni
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
U19 WORLD CUP, WEST INDIES
UAE group fixtures (all in St Kitts)
Saturday 15 January: v Canada
Thursday 20 January: v England
Saturday 22 January: v Bangladesh
UAE squad
Alishan Sharafu (captain), Shival Bawa, Jash Giyanani, Sailles Jaishankar, Nilansh Keswani, Aayan Khan, Punya Mehra, Ali Naseer, Ronak Panoly, Dhruv Parashar, Vinayak Raghavan, Soorya Sathish, Aryansh Sharma, Adithya Shetty, Kai Smith
PROFILE OF CURE.FIT
Started: July 2016
Founders: Mukesh Bansal and Ankit Nagori
Based: Bangalore, India
Sector: Health & wellness
Size: 500 employees
Investment: $250 million
Investors: Accel, Oaktree Capital (US); Chiratae Ventures, Epiq Capital, Innoven Capital, Kalaari Capital, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Piramal Group’s Anand Piramal, Pratithi Investment Trust, Ratan Tata (India); and Unilever Ventures (Unilever’s global venture capital arm)
Results
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 2,200m, Winner: Zalman, Pat Cosgrave (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Hisham Al Khalediah II, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash.
6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh85,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Qader, Adrie de Vries, Jean de Roualle
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Championship Listed (PA) Dh180,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Mujeeb, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: AF Majalis, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh90,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Shanaghai City, Fabrice Veron, Rashed Bouresly
8pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (T) 1,400m, Winner: Nayslayer, Bernardo Pinheiro, Jaber Ramadhan
The five pillars of Islam
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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FIXTURES
Saturday
5.30pm: Shabab Al Ahli v Al Wahda
5.30pm: Khorfakkan v Baniyas
8.15pm: Hatta v Ajman
8.15pm: Sharjah v Al Ain
Sunday
5.30pm: Kalba v Al Jazira
5.30pm: Fujairah v Al Dhafra
8.15pm: Al Nasr v Al Wasl
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
