For decades tourists and residents alike flocked to a bustling Bur Dubai market in search of a taste of tradition and with hopes of a bargain.
Meena Bazaar comes to life during Eid Al Fitr, a festival that provides a welcome boost to hundreds of traders offering everything from clothes and tailoring services to jewellery.
The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic last year – bringing about stay-home orders and travel restrictions – prompted shops to temporarily close.
Now, owners are reporting that business is starting to return to normal, as customer numbers gradually increase.
The National visited the area ahead of Eid, which will be celebrated next week.
Nizamudheen Vattakkandi, the owner of a shop in Meena Bazaar that sells watches and perfumes, sees hope on the horizon as the holiday season approaches.
“Last year, it was a terrible situation,” the Indian citizen said.
“The shops were closed and we didn’t have any sales during this time, so we weren’t earning anything.
“Now, it is slowly getting better. There are more customers coming in every day and we can see it getting busier with Eid around the corner.”
Mr Vattakkandi said the situation for shop owners in the district “will only get better from here” as the number of tourists in the emirate increases.
He said shops would also get busier once flights from India resume, because Indian citizens are among the top buyers in Meena Bazaar.
The UAE extended the suspension of entry for travellers from India on all flights on national and foreign airlines, as the South Asian country contends with a record number of Covid-19 cases.
Residents in the Emirates are being urged to again celebrate Eid virtually to curb the spread of the virus.
"It will take some time, but business will pick up again," Mr Vattakkandi said.
“There are also lots of customers from Pakistan and other countries who are shopping here for Eid. The clothes shops, in particular, see a lot of customers during this time.”
Mohammed Amjad, a Pakistani sales clerk at a clothing shop, said it is not as busy as it once used to be during the Islamic holiday, but “it is still much better than last year”.
Mr Amjad has worked in the neighbourhood for the past five years.
“We all know that Meena Bazaar is one of the busiest areas during Eid,” he said.
“There were literally thousands of customers rushing to this area for their Eid shopping, but it also got really busy for other celebrations, such as Diwali.
“I don’t think the current situation can be compared to how it used to be, but at least customers have started to come in again. It’s much better than last year, when shops were completely closed and no one wanted to spend on things other than basic needs.”
Apart from stay-home orders and travel restrictions, people around the globe were also cutting back on extra spending, as many lost their jobs or faced a salary cut.
The labour market in the UAE has improved since then and old commercial districts are attracting more customers.
Manoj Kumar, from India, has been operating a clothes shop in Meena Bazaar for the past eight years.
“There used to be a countless amount of sales before the pandemic. We could easily get 200 to 300 customers per day during this time,” he said.
“Now, there are about 20 sales per day. But, things will improve once the pandemic is over.”
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Ultra processed foods
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 178hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 280Nm at 1,350-4,200rpm
Transmission: seven-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: from Dh209,000
On sale: now
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
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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
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Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
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Most wins by a trainer: Godolphin’s Saeed bin Suroor(9)
Most wins by a jockey: Jerry Bailey(4)
Most wins by an owner: Godolphin(9)
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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
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In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
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How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
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Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
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THE SPECS
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New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
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- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
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The specs: 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLE
Price, base / as tested Dh274,000 (estimate)
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Gearbox Nine-speed automatic
Power 245hp @ 4,200rpm
Torque 500Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined 6.4L / 100km
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
