A vendor waits for customers at the empty Al Seef market in Dubai on March 13.Fatima Shbair/The Associated Press
Across the Persian Gulf, the Eid al-Fitr holiday, normally one of the most festive times of the year, is approaching under the shadow of war.
Marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, beginning on Thursday Eid is traditionally celebrated with family gatherings, travel and large public prayers. But this year it is expected to be far more subdued, as the war between the United States, Israel and Iran continues to reverberate across the region with at least 2,000 people killed so far.
Festive events normally associated with Eid have also been cancelled, from fireworks displays to concerts, as governments and businesses adjust to the uncertainty.
Dubai, which typically draws large numbers of tourists during the holiday period and recorded nearly 20 million visitors in 2025, has been particularly affected. Visitors from across the Gulf region and beyond usually travel to the lively emirate to enjoy its sprawling entertainment venues and family attractions.
But Global Village, one of Dubai’s biggest seasonal attractions, has confirmed it will not host Eid celebrations this year. Other venues have also closed or cancelled programming, including Riverland Dubai, Dubai Parks and Resorts and the Wild Wadi Water Park.
Data from analytics firm AirDNA show that 80,000 short-term rental bookings in Dubai were cancelled in the first week of the war alone.
Umrah pilgrimages to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia are still technically proceeding. Unlike the Hajj, the pilgrimage most Muslims are required to make at least once in their lives, which takes place in the last week of May this year, Umrah is voluntary and can be performed at any time of the year.
But many international tours have been halted as airlines suspend flights on key routes amid continuing Iranian attacks on Saudi Arabia and the wider region. Others, including pilgrims from Qatar, are attempting to reach Saudi Arabia by land in a bid to continue the tradition.
Airlines have suspended some flights in the region, making it difficult for travellers to perform the Umrah pilgrimage to Mecca.Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters
Jamal Daoud, of Suhaib Al-Rumi Hajj and Umrah Campaign, a travel agency specializing in pilgrimages from Bahrain, said that this time of year tens of thousands would normally travel to Mecca. But Iran’s bombing of locations such as Bahrain International Airport has severely disrupted those plans.
“Nevertheless, travel to Mecca and Medina has not ceased entirely,” he said. “Some tour operators have transported pilgrims via the King Fahd Causeway, which connects Bahrain to Saudi Arabia. Additionally, many citizens and residents wishing to perform Umrah have travelled to the holy cities in their own cars or via flights from King Fahd International Airport in Dammam to Jeddah.”
The conflict is also reshaping how Eid will be observed across the Gulf.
In Bahrain, where two people have been killed since the war began on Feb. 28 and which has come under multiple daily attacks, including strikes on tourist locations such as the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Manama, authorities have restricted traditional gatherings.
This week the General Directorate of Sunni Endowments, Bahrain’s religious authority, announced that outdoor Eid prayer grounds would not open this year. Worshippers have instead been directed to attend prayers at designated mosques for safety reasons.
A building damaged in a reported Iranian drone strike in Seef, Bahrain.Stringer/Reuters
Bahraini geopolitical analyst Ahmed Alkhouzaie said the holiday period has shifted from one of celebration to uncertainty.
“Eid has always been a season of joy, reunion and celebration across the Gulf. Families plan months in advance for travel, weddings and public festivities, anticipating the warmth of shared meals and the excitement of cultural events.
“Yet this year, the war has cast a long shadow over the holiday, reshaping traditions and forcing communities to adapt in ways that underscore both resilience and disappointment.”
In Dubai Shaw Lash, the owner of Lila restaurants, which has three locations in Dubai, has already had to lay off five of her 35 staff temporarily, keeping their work visas open but sending them home on unpaid leave to ride out the storm.
“Homegrown and independent restaurants are really suffering, so we’re all trying to encourage people to feel comfortable,” she said. “I want the staff to feel safe, and we also need to keep the future safe for the business.”
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In Kuwait, where six deaths have been reported, authorities have banned concerts, plays, weddings and other large gatherings.
Qatar has taken similar steps, ordering museums, galleries, heritage sites and creative hubs to close until further notice while suspending Eid celebrations entirely. Restaurants, normally packed with families during the holiday, have been instructed to operate only through delivery services.
Daniella Hall, an Irish expatriate in Doha and mother of two, said her family hopes to depart on a repatriation flight before the holiday begins.
“We usually fly to Dubai for a long weekend during these Eid breaks as there is tons to do for the kids, but right now, we just need to be back home and have a break from all the uncertainty,” she said.
Others say leaving is simply not an option, particularly as the conflict is already rippling through the economy, with layoffs and pay cuts affecting many sectors.
Volunteers distribute an iftar meal in Doha on March 15.KARIM JAAFAR/AFP/Getty Images
Indian expatriate Sarita Kumar, an executive secretary based in Doha, said her family intends to remain in Qatar despite the disruption. “We are staying. I have a job in Doha to maintain, and we feel very safe here. We are just going on a staycation outside Doha for a change of air. We are bracing for a long wait until a ceasefire or truce is reached, with airports and schools closed in the meantime.”
The broader tourism industry is also beginning to feel the strain.
Formula One races scheduled for April in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have already been cancelled. The World Travel & Tourism Council has warned that the conflict is costing the regional tourism industry an estimated US$600-million per day.
Ross Veitch, the CEO and co-founder of online travel agency Wego, said travel patterns across the Gulf are diverging.
“The travel picture across the Gulf varies by market. In Saudi Arabia, travellers are continuing with outbound trips, while in the UAE we’re seeing a mix of international travel and local staycations as residents balance overseas holidays with domestic options. Kuwait has experienced more disruption to travel activity due to operational constraints,” he said.
But there are early signs of recovery, he said.
“Recent airline data shows that flight activity across Gulf carriers is gradually recovering from the sharp drop seen earlier in the month, with airlines steadily restoring routes and capacity. As connectivity returns, more travellers are moving ahead with overseas plans.”
With a report from the Associated Press