As Dubai churches stay closed, expats attend online Easter mass, visit Sharjah, RAK

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This year, Dubai residents celebrated Easter by attending services online or traveling to neighbouring emirates, after churches in the city remained closed during the important Christian holiday.

Since Friday, April 3, churches in Dubai have suspended all worship services and masses until further notice. This move came amid heightened precautionary measures in the UAE because of regional tensions linked to the ongoing US-Israel-Iran war.

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An earlier notice from the Community Development Authority (CDA) directed places of worship to conduct daily prayers and religious activities online. The CDA said this step aligned with its commitment to safeguarding worshippers.

The closures coincided with Passion Week, a period that usually draws large congregations. Christians worldwide observe the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ from Palm Sunday through Easter Sunday, which fell on April 5 this year.

Making the journey to faith

Speaking to Khaleej Times, Rem Sagarino, a Dubai resident of over 15 years, said that he attended the mass in Ras Al Khaimah, with most parishioners from Jebel Ali and other parts of Dubai travelling there. Some of his friends stayed in RAK from Good Friday until Easter, turning it into a staycation.

“My father and I drove down at 5am to attend the 7.30am mass at St Anthony of Padua Church, and then returned to Dubai. The drive took about an hour one way, which we took for Good Friday as well.”

Talking about the Easter spread, he added, “We are entertaining around 20 friends from the parish at our home this afternoon. We will host a feast featuring Filipino dishes such as pancit, lumpia, roasted chicken, and desserts. More guests are expected throughout the evening.”

American expat Natalia Miranda explained that her family celebrated at home after learning through their church WhatsApp group that services would be closed.

“They shared activities, readings, and a link for online services, but we chose to keep it simple, and I did readings at home with my son. We also went for an Easter brunch on Saturday to support local businesses, as there has been a big push for that. The Easter Bunny even came to our house. We prepared American-style Easter lunch, with mashed potatoes, green beans, and a meat dish,” she said.

Benny Thomas, a UAE resident for nearly 30 years, opted for mass in Sharjah. “We attended mass at St Michael’s Church — it was quite full, and as we were exiting, there was already a long queue for the next service. I went for the 8.15am mass with my wife and daughter.”

After attending mass in Sharjah, Thomas and his family had hoped to continue the celebrations with an Easter lunch out, but plans quickly changed.

“We had originally planned for a barbecue, but the restaurant was fully booked today, so we prepared a meal at home instead: a chicken dish, beef, and chicken cutlets,” he shared.

Creativity and community at home

Abu Dhabi resident and art studio owner, Art By Zoya, described a fun and interactive Easter celebration with children from different nationalities.

“We had a joyful time celebrating with our wonderful community. From creating adorable clay bunny sculptures to designing unique bunny money boxes, children's creativity was inspiring. The excitement continued with our fun Easter egg hunt. I also organised some special treats to make the day sweeter.r.

“We had 11 children from different nationalities, including Spanish, Russian, Indian and Chilean — and they all had a lovely time doing clay work and enjoying the egg hunt,” added Zoya Chhapra.