Abu Dhabi gears up for upcoming Eid al-Adha celebrations

The Eid al-Adha holiday in the UAE will begin on Friday, June 8, which will coincide with the festival of Al-Aafah on the Islamic calendar. Eid al-Adha will be celebrated in the UAE on Saturday, July 9th, and will continue until Tuesday, July 12th.

Abu Dhabi Police said in a statement today that they are implementing an integrated security system to enhance security and provide support where necessary. There will be increased patrolling on all streets and traffic checkpoints, and more patrolling personnel will be deployed near commercial centers, malls, parks and other strategic locations to control the increased traffic flow over the holiday.

Meanwhile, police are urging parents not to let their children play around the streets unsupervised, and urging young motorists to drive with caution, especially around residential areas. Police added that reckless road stunts and racing must be completely avoided to keep everyone safe and avoid accidents during the celebrations.

Meanwhile, three public slaughterhouses in the city of Abu Dhabi – Bani Yas, Al Wathba and Al Shahama – prepared to welcome Eid al-Adha customers. The slaughterhouse will be open after Eid prayers and will continue to serve customers until 7pm daily with qualified butchers and veterinarians ensuring the safety of the slaughtering process and meat. The processed meat will be conveniently delivered to customers by car.

However, Mina Zayed’s automated slaughterhouse was closed this Eid al-Fitr. As such, the Abu Dhabi Municipality is urging residents to submit slaughter requests through a smartphone app. This will ensure that processed meat is delivered to customers’ premises and reduce the risks associated with crowding in public facilities.

Residents can place orders through the dedicated Uduhiya app, including Zabehaty, Dhabayeh UAE and Halal. The Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) also allows residents to make slaughter requests on its EmiratesRC app, and the meat will be delivered in the UAE and abroad. The ERC had earlier said that it expects around 100,000 people in the UAE alone to benefit from its services this year.

Meanwhile, the Abu Dhabi Food Safety and Agriculture Authority (Adafsa) reiterated that residents should insist on ritual slaughtering at designated slaughterhouses. It warns that relying on itinerant butchers or slaughtering on their own property increases the risk of animal-to-human or human-to-animal disease transmission.

Public health is also an essential element of safety, and Tadweer has enhanced municipal and solid waste collection and transport services. Authorities will also ensure the cleanliness of public facilities, including roads, Eid prayer places, slaughterhouses, bridges, markets, mosques and pedestrian tunnels, and conduct intensive daily cleaning activities in these areas.

A total of 248 additional cleaners were deployed for cleaning services and 260 additional waste containers were installed. Tadweer also made sure to have extra cleaning vehicles and equipment on hand to meet its Hari Raya holiday goals.

In addition, Tadweer is currently conducting intensive pest control throughout the emirate. These pest control activities were carried out by 1,354 workers and involved 1,091 mosques, 20 slaughterhouses, 90 parks, 247 residential areas and some markets.

It assured that the authorities will also ensure the availability of emergency response teams during Hari Raya.