Hundreds of cars lined up bumper to bumper outside Dubai International Airport on Friday, as residents dialled into vacation mode at the start of a possible nine-day break for Eid Al Adha.
Many planned their trips months in advance to book tickets to their home countries, while others took advantage of late-saver deals for holiday getaways.
Airport authorities are geared up for the travel rush expected during Eid Al Adha and the start of the summer holidays.
The peak day for outbound travel will be Saturday June 24, when about 100,000 are expected to fly out from Dubai.
In Abu Dhabi, Etihad Airways said this weekend will kick-start a busy summer period, with more than four million passengers expected to travel through the emirate's airport until September 30.
Dubai resident Aslim Anwar, 50, picked up his daughter and they were at Terminal 3 in time to catch a flight home to Sri Lanka.
“My daughter finished school a couple of hours ago and I’m taking her with me as my family has already left for Sri Lanka,” he told The National.
Living in the UAE for more than two decades, Mr Anwar was thrilled to travel for Eid Al Adha with his family.
“It is a good chance to celebrate Eid in my home country with family and friends,” he said.
“The Eid holiday adds extra days to my one-month vacation.”
Aneela Ijaz, the mother of twins aged two, is taking no chances for her flight to India early on Saturday.
“We have been asked by the airlines to come in at least four hours earlier so I can only imagine how busy the airport will be,” said the 43-year-old who works for a finance company.
“The last time during the Eid break we almost missed our flight because the road to the airport was so full of traffic.
“I’m even thinking of taking the Metro to the airport instead of a taxi just to be sure we reach there on time.”
Top 10 destinations for Mena travellers - in pictures
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1. Egypt is the most sought after destination for Mena travellers for the ninth consecutive year, according to online travel company Wego. AFP -
2. Saudi Arabia: Tourists visit the ancient archaeological site of Hegra in AlUla. Bloomberg -
3. India: Tourists visit the Taj Mahal during early morning in Agra. AFP -
4. UAE: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque on a cool evening in Abu Dhabi. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
5. Kuwait: The skyline and central business district of Kuwait City. Getty Images -
6. Turkey: Hot-air balloons fly over Goreme Historical National Park in central Turkey's Cappadocia region. AFP -
7. Pakistan: The ancient ruins of Kafir Kot, Hindu temples in Dera Ismail Khan, Punjab province. AFP -
8. Jordan: The ancient city of Petra, south of Amman. Reuters -
9. Thailand: Tourists enjoy Phra Nang Beach in Krabi. AFP -
10. Qatar: The Gekrose sculpture by Austrian artist Franz West, at the Doha seafront. AFP
Spending the Eid break with family is a tradition the Ijaz family had followed since moving to the UAE more than a decade ago.
“My daughters love spending time with their grandparents and cousins and that connection with home is so important since we are far away,” Ms Ijaz said.
“We book the Eid tickets way in advance and this time it is great because it’s perfectly in time with the school vacation.
“There is nothing really that beats spending time with family when you have young kids.”
Planning ahead
Arham Ali, 25, from Pakistan checked the large screens inside Dubai airport for information about his flight to Jinnah International airport in Karachi.
“The Eid Al Adha timing was perfect for me as I can go home to see my parents,” said Mr Ali who planned the trip months ago when the Eid Al Fitr dates were announced.
“After Eid Al Fitr, the days of Eid Al Adha can be expected and I was lucky to book my ticket two months before.”
Monther Tawfiq, 34, from Jordan was at the airport early for an evening flight to Istanbul, where he planned to meet college friends for a reunion.
“The Eid holiday gives me a good nine days off as my company agree to give me [next] Monday off,” said Mr Tawfiq who works in the information technology sector.
“I finished work early on Friday to be able to catch the flight to Istanbul.”
Exploring the region
Stephanie Major was also looking forward to an extended vacation with friends in Turkey.
“The weather is still great so we can do a lot of walks and sightseeing,” said the British national who works in the hospitality sector in Dubai.
“I usually never went away for Eid but this time I decided it was time to see the region.
“I plan on making this a regular thing that I pick different countries around here so I get to know the place more.”
She will be meeting university friends for a catch-up before one of the group gets married later this year.
“I have usually enjoyed staying in Dubai for Eid but this time I thought I really needed to do something different.
“We have a long list of places to visit in Turkey, naturally Cappadocia is high up on the list,” said the 35-year-old of the rock-cut architecture and caves in central Turkey.
"We plan to also go paragliding and it will just be good to take some much-needed time off with friends.”
