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19 March 2024

72-hours of fun ways to celebrate Eid break in UAE

Published
By Bindu Rai

With the Eid Al Fitr break here, snap out of that sulk that you were unable to take that long promised holiday to Turkey and spend the next three days exploring some of the fun times the UAE has to offer.

Over the next 72 hours, play Sherlock Holmes for a day, watch the Apes take over the world, marvel at the jaws of one of the oldest living species on Earth or even sing away the blues with your mates.

Spending in Eid in town? No problem. Emirates 24|7 has a fix for you:


Take a HintHunt


Move over Sherlock Holmes; it’s time to put on your own thinking caps as you step back in time and play detective for a day, racing against the counting down clock to escape the office.

Those of you who have played escape games online will be familiar with the concept of HintHunt, which finds you and a bunch of friends trapped in a room with an hour to escape using the clues you will find there.

After doing the rounds in London, Paris, Cape Town from its original headquarters in Hungary, the puzzling room escape game makes is now in Dubai at the Times Square Center and makes for a unique Eid holiday activity.

Ahmad El Saheb, a partner at HintHunt, stated: “Dubai has always pioneered in bringing and developing world class concepts and destinations.

“No wonder that it is the first in the region to host the very interesting HintHunt game that is ranked the number three top attraction in London and number one in Paris on TripAdvisor.”

HintHunt costs Dh110 per person and has three identical game rooms to make the event more competitive for larger groups.



Movie Marathon

All of you who’ve been eagerly waiting for the Eid break for local cinemas to kick out of slumber and release the highly anticipated summer blockbusters of the season are in for a treat over the holidays.

Three of the films currently holding the top spots at the US box office will be coming to a theatre near you from day one of Eid Al Fitr, namely ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’, ‘Transformers: Age of Extinction’ and Melissa McCarthy’s ‘Tammy’.

Kids can make an Eid play date out of it by hunkering down with a big tub of caramel popcorn to catch ‘Planes: Fire & Rescue’, while the teens can indulge in the 3D dance movie, ’Step Up: All In’.

Bollywood’s King of Eid is back again this year with ‘Kick’ and his Salman Khan magic, which is already being touted as a strong contender for the biggest opening for an Indian film yet.

Plus, what’s an Eid without an Arab film to showcase its finery at the box office?

Ahmed Helmy and Yasmin Raeis will take to the screen in ‘Made in Egypt’, a comedy that narrates the tale of a young man who’s cursed and his body swaps with that of a toy panda.

Grab those tickets now and enjoy the Eid movie marathon.



Surf up for a staycay


With the Eid holiday approaching, shift gear for some fun in the sun or tee off while the surf’s up at neighbouring Yas Island.

Motorsports enthusiasts can race into Yas Marina Circuit with its year-round selection of driving thrills, complete with instruction, and is available in motorcars including the iconic Aston Martin GT4.

Once the adrenaline is all juiced up, hop on to the world’s fastest roller coaster at Ferrari World or head over to neighbouring Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi where surfers can perfect their technique on ‘Rush Rider’ or ‘Bubbles Barrel’ to hone the ultra-cool skill of riding the waves.

Yas Island’s special Eid activities are part of Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority’s Abu Dhabi Summer Season that runs until August 31.

Sing away the blues

Stuck here in sunshine city while your friends ‘selfie’ their way through Europe?

Why not sing away those blues with a fun night out with those who share a similar fate by hopping over to a local karaoke club to enjoy yourself with glee this Eid?

The hugely popular Japanese lounge, Harry Ghatto’s at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers, is always a great place to to summon up your inner Diva or belt out a Bohemian Rhapsody.

The singing kicks off at 10pm, so you've got plenty of time to muster up your courage and pick a song to wow your friends with.

Meanwhile, both Time Café at Ramee Royal Hotel in Bur Dubai and 1UP at Boutique 7 Hotel in Tecom offer karaoke rooms in the back for a few giggles and heart laughs.


Meet the King and Queen

As Dubai’s hottest new celebrity couple to move into a mall, the Australian outback’s King and Queen crocs – namely Jock and Missy – are a perfect stopover for a family Eid meal at the Dubai Mall with the family.

Homed at the Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo, King Croc has impressive credentials that will awe visitors.

At over five metres long and weighing an imposing 750 kg plus, equivalent to the weight of over 15 fully-grown men, King Croc is 40 years old and has the potential to grow even bigger in the next 50 years of his expected lifespan.