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Shoppers can enjoy first mask-free Dhanteras and Diwali after Covid-19 pandemic
Shoppers crowd a jewelry store in Abu Dhabi. — photos provided
Celebrations of India’s “Festival of Lights” Diwali are in full swing in the UAE. For the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic began, the market was bustling with happy shoppers enjoying the festival without masks.
Some jewelers are reporting a 50-75% increase in customers at Dhanteras, which marks the start of the five-day Diwali festival, considered the most auspicious occasion to buy gold. The precious metal fell to AED184.50 on Friday, compared with AED188.75 on Saturday.
Industry veteran Tushar Patni said all the jewellery stores were packed with customers.
“Gold prices rose by Dh4 to Dh188.75 on Friday from a one-year low of the previous day, but we have good customer traffic. Compared to previous months when prices reached above Dh200, prices are still Lower. Buying gold during Dhanteras is auspicious and brings good luck. So people are buying gold and silver,” said Patney, managing director of Ajanta Jewelers in Abu Dhabi.
“This year is better than the previous two years, but we are still not at pre-Covid-19 levels. Dhanteras will last until the first half of Sunday, so we are expecting more customers. All the stores are packed. Good promotion. We are making an offer for a fee.”
Diwali sales at a jewelry store in Abu Dhabi.
During the festive season, there is fierce competition among jewellers to try to lure customers with enticing deals.
The largest showroom of Malabar Gold and Diamonds in Abu Dhabi’s Mazyad Mall was packed throughout the day on Saturday.
“This is the first Dhanteras after Covid-19. We have the largest stockpile of gold available for the occasion and have a wide variety of collectibles. Keeping Dhanteras and Diwali in mind, we launched our prepaid plan last month. Many customers have benefited from this program that runs until Sunday. We are also giving away a free gold coin with every purchase worth AED 3,000. We have seen double traffic and expect more on Sunday customers,” said Arun Kumar, branch manager of Malabar Gold and Diamonds at Mazyad Mall in Abu Dhabi.
Diwali Mela at Madinat Zayed Mall Lulu.
Meanwhile, malls and shops are adorned with lights. Abu Dhabi’s Madinat Zayed Mall is the hub of the weekend’s festivities, with music, dance and food stalls part of Lulu’s Diwali Mela.
“This will be the first time since 2019 that we will celebrate Diwali without a mask. Our team is just as excited to celebrate the occasion as the rest of the community. We decorated our mall and hosted events that attracted Huge crowds. All our hypermarkets also have special Diwali counters. We are taking every precaution to ensure safety during the festive season,” said Nandakumar, Marketing and Communications Director, Lulu Group.
Celebrations on Al Reem Island.
As part of the festivities, more than 200 community members on Reem Island in Abu Dhabi hosted different events on Saturday night. There are kids dancing, handing out candy and lighting up lights to celebrate the holiday.
“We have several activities to attract families. Such activities are very important to ensure that children, especially this generation, understand our culture and traditions,” said resident Anil Kumar Kejriwal.
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