Saudi announces 4-day holiday for Eid Al Adha 2025
Saudi Arabia has announced a four-day holiday for private and non-profit sectors on the occasion of Eid Al Adha 2025.
The four days will begin from Thursday, June 5, which will be Arafah Day.
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Khaleej Times
an hour ago
- Khaleej Times
Eid Al Adha in UAE: Final preparations underway across neighbourhoods
As the sun sets on the eve of Eid Al Adha, a quiet buzz of anticipation sweeps through neighbourhoods across the UAE. From bustling kitchens to decorated living rooms, families are putting the final touches on preparations for a holiday rooted in faith, sacrifice, and togetherness. Vans filled with livestock made their final deliveries earlier on Thursday, June 5. Farmers and butchers say everything is in place for the Qurbani — the ritual sacrifice that honours Prophet Ibrahim's unwavering faith. 'It's a solemn moment, but also one of great meaning for us,' said Faisal Mohammed, a resident of Al Ain. As Eid draws near, the local supermarket comes alive with a festive buzz. The aisles are stacked high with dates, nuts, sweets, and dried fruits — each bundle wrapped in bright, cheerful packaging that seems to echo the excitement in the air. Near the entrance, trays of baklava, maamoul, and kunafa tempt shoppers with their golden layers and rich aromas, impossible to pass without a second glance. Families move through the store in joyful chaos — with kids darting ahead, elders offering suggestions, and shopping carts filled to the brim. The meat section is packed, as everyone queues patiently to get the freshest cuts for their holiday feasts. Over by the spice racks, the air is thick with the warm, familiar scent of cardamom, cinnamon, saffron, and cloves. Fresh herbs and produce — mint, coriander, lemons, green chilies — are disappearing fast. Banners in gold proudly wish everyone 'Eid Mubarak'. Every corner seems to hold something special — gift hampers, perfume deals, cooking sets, and shelves of prayer mats and attar. Kids linger wide-eyed near the toy section, clutching candy, while their parents carefully pick out final touches for their homes and dining tables. Palestinians in Dubai mark Eid with gratitude and reflection Meanwhile, an aid convoy from the UAE has reached Gaza, carrying more than 1,000 tonnes of essential food supplies to support families in need. The shipment is part of the UAE's ongoing Gallant Knight 3 operation, launched by President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to provide relief to civilians in Gaza. According to state news agency WAM, the convoy delivered around 1,039 tonnes of food and flour, aiming to help approximately 1.3 million people facing severe hardship. For Jordanian-Palestinian resident Sajida Al Bashir, this Eid is a mix of gratitude and concern. She said, 'My twin sister lives in Palestine, and it's hard knowing the mood there is so heavy,' she said. 'Here in the UAE, there's a festive spirit in the air, but it's very different over there. Still, no matter what's happening, we believe in celebrating Eid in a simple, meaningful way — to thank Allah for all His blessings and to keep others in our prayers — especially the unprivileged.' Bashir added, 'We remember those who can't celebrate Eid because of their difficult circumstances. One thing I always look forward to is giving Eidiya to the children in our neighbourhood — and to my son's friends who'll be stopping by. It's a small gesture, but 'giving' brings great joy.' Little hands ready to receive Eidiya Across the country, little hands are ready to receive Eidiya — the cherished tradition where elders gift money to the young. 'My little niece and nephew have been practicing how to say 'Eid Mubarak' all week just to charm the family into giving them extra,' laughs Saman Haziq, who will be visiting her brother's house tomorrow. But it's not just the children counting down. In homes and prayer rooms, the older generation readies for Eid prayers at dawn. Many will step out early, dressed in fresh clothes, eager to greet neighbours and friends, and share warm embraces after the sermon. 'Eid is typically a family-centric celebration. We usually complete our grocery shopping several days ahead, taking advantage of various in-store and online offers. I often prepare kebabs, curries, and sheer khurma for the occasion. The day starts with the traditional Eid prayer, followed by calls to family and friends to exchange greetings. Lunch is usually a family-only affair, and in the evening, we might head out to the mall,' said Abu Dhabi resident Zoya Shaikh. Families with loved ones on pilgrimage are feeling particularly blessed. 'My parents called from Makkah — their Hajj was accepted, and they're praying for all of us,' said Latifa Khoury, holding back tears. 'That made this Eid extra special.' Even as the heat lingers — the forecast nearing 45°C — the warmth of the occasion is what people are feeling the most. 'Eid is more than just a day,' said Aliyah Alam in Dubai. 'It's a feeling — of gratitude, of love, and of coming together.'
Khaleej Times
an hour ago
- Khaleej Times
From PCOS to chronic pain, can emotional healing transform women's health?
The womb, in ancient cultures has been revered as a sacred centre of creation. It is in a mother's womb that the seeds of entire humanity are first planted. But for the woman herself, the womb is more than a reproductive organ, it is also her emotional centre, balancing her hormones, nurturing her identity and fuelling her power. So, listen to the messages of your womb, says Sarmistha Mitra, Dubai-based psychologist and wellness expert. Womb healing, she reveals, can have a deep transformative effect on a woman's health. In her recently released book Whispers of the Womb, she offers a holistic approach to address the mind-body connection behind gynaecological conditions such as PCOS, endometriosis, fibroids, menstrual pain and infertility. The book was born out of her lived-in experience as a woman and a therapist. For years Mitra had watched her aunt live through the silent pain of infertility and her cousin endure years of exhausting IVF cycles, leaving her body emotionally and physically depleted. 'Even the first client who walked through my door was a woman navigating the emotional roller coaster of IVF. During the therapy sessions, we began uncovering her deeply buried beliefs, her feelings of not being enough, generational shame, ancestral grief that even she was unaware of holding on to for years,' says Mitra, who is also the founder of The Wellbeing Sanctuary, Dubai, a holistic health centre. As the client healed, something incredible happened — she conceived naturally soon after. 'That moment stirred something in me. I realised our wombs are not just physical organs, they are emotional archives. The womb is where life begins and also where unhealed pain hides. It carries the emotional residue of generations, stories we have inherited, shame we have absorbed and parts of ourselves we have forgotten,' she adds. Womb healing, is a process of reclaiming this sacred space from pain, trauma and suppression. Combining years of research based on personal and professional experience, Mitra chose to write, Whispers of the Womb, to explore the sacred feminine, ancestral healing and subconscious reprogramming to help women reclaim their feminine power. Through her writing she urges women to embrace their inner wisdom, sensuality and creativity to restore their physical and mental wellbeing through acceptance and practical everyday healing rituals. Generational trauma, a lesser explored factor, is an integral part of Mitra's book. She writes that just as physical traits are passed down from one generation to the other so are emotional experiences and societal conditioning. 'Ancestral trauma especially around gender roles, sexuality and oppression are inherited not just through stories but also through biology. Science calls it epigenetics. Our grandmother's grief, our mother's shame, their unspoken sacrifices live in our bodies, especially in our wombs,' points out Mitra. Through her work as a psychologist she has encountered a rising number of women struggling with womb-related disorders including fibroids, PCOS, endometriosis and early menopause. The more she listened to their stories, the more she realised that they were not just medical conditions but messages. 'I asked myself 'what if that what we are so desperate to fix, is actually trying to protect us.' That idea blew my mind and I began to see that these disorders were not random. The body, in its wisdom, was shielding us from perceived threats encoded over generations through angst, suppression and disconnection from our true nature. Imbalance, pain and disorders, are not flaws, they are reminders and signals.' The modern woman is often suppressing her feminine energy. While navigating her way through a highly competitive world, she often overcompensates by taking on masculine traits. Mitra calls it the masculine overdrive. She describes how many women are constantly pushing, proving, achieving and performing. 'The truth is that women today are exhausted because they are stuck in a constant tug of war between who they were programmed to be and who the world expects them to become. They were told to be caregivers, be selfless, quiet, accommodating, but today they are also called to be leaders, decision makers, breadwinners while still being expected to maintain emotional grace, beauty and balance.' The internal conflict between their outdated subconscious roles and the modern external demands, is not just stressful but it also dysregulates the nervous system showing up as anxiety, hormonal imbalance, burnout, thyroid issues, fertility struggles and emotional fatigue. 'A woman does not need to choose between her ambition and softness. She just needs to feel safe enough to be who she is.' Turning inwards through stillness and reflection, feeling instead of clamping down on emotions, and beginning a conscious dialogue with the womb are some of the ways, the author suggests that women can heal themselves. She retells the instance of one of her clients who was diagnosed with PCOS and was struggling with irregular menstrual cycles. During the counselling sessions, Mitra was able to help her client unburden her beliefs around self-worth and release her suppressed emotions. 'Over time her menstrual cycle was naturally regulated and her hormone levels became balanced,' shares Mitra. 'What changed was not her body but her relationship with herself.' Readers will discover several daily rituals in the book that can be practised including womb breathing, pelvic bowl journaling, warm castor oil compress, dancing or hip circles and mirror work. The author's own journey of healing and transformation began over a decade ago. As a stay-at-home mum, Mitra's world collapsed when her only son went abroad for college education. Her empty nest triggered a deep emotional upheaval. Eventually, she healed her pain by training to be a wellness practitioner, learning transpersonal psychology, clinical hypnotherapy and several other therapeutic modalities. A firm advocate of building one's mental muscles, she has designed the DecodeYou therapy, a KHDA accredited course, to help people recalibrate their subconscious mind. 'As a stay-at-home-mum, I was outwardly fulfilled but inwardly unravelled,' she adds. 'My healing was not just about learning psychology, it was about rewiring the nervous system. In doing so I was able to become the woman, my younger self needed. The woman who finally birthed the truth and now teaches others to do the same because when we heal our womb physically, emotionally and spiritually it not just bears life, it also gives your life back to you.'
Khaleej Times
an hour ago
- Khaleej Times
Virtual companions, chatbot-therapists: Is AI replacing human connections?
I was listening to the radio on my way to work when a well-known RJ on one of the channels here in the UAE mentioned how she couldn't sleep the previous night, so she chatted with ChatGPT until she finally drifted off. The point of mentioning this isn't to debate insomnia remedies (as the show did), but to highlight something deeper — our growing emotional and cognitive reliance on digital solutions. While social media platforms offer 'free' services quietly shaping our behaviours, the market constantly convinces us we need the latest smartphone, algorithms trap us in filter bubbles, feeding us only what aligns with our existing views. And now, artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots and virtual companions are being designed to fulfill human desires, companionship, validation, and even therapy. Yet as a society, we are experiencing a disconnect like never before. The question is no longer just whether technology is replacing human connection, but how much of our emotional lives we are willing to outsource. As loneliness surges, so do our efforts to fight it. It's instinct. With digital platforms around us so much of the time, we naturally turn to it. A 46-year-old woman living in a family-friendly neighbourhood shared her struggle with loneliness on social media. People had plenty of solutions, including making an AI friend. A growing number of AI-powered virtual companions are now available online, offering round-the-clock support without fear of judgment. These digital assistants have become a valuable resource for individuals hesitant to share their emotions and concerns with others due to social anxiety or fear of criticism. These services aren't just for early adopters anymore, they are going mainstream fast. Among them, Replika has gained significant attention and popularity. Marketed as 'the AI Companion who cares, always here to listen and talk, always on your side', the app's reassuring message has resonated with users. Several reputable news outlets have featured the program as well. Social media apps promote connectivity, but studies show that regular users frequently experience loneliness, indicating that the sense of connection may be superficial. The benefits of AI characters come with significant risks, particularly for adolescents. Emotional dependency on AI can erode real-world social interactions and coping skills, potentially isolating users from familial and communal networks. AI remembers every detail of the conversation and gives the illusion of being a sincere friend, says Dr Jihene Mrabet, a psychologist with academic expertise in AI. She elaborates that these mental health applications are capable of diagnosing psychological issues and even providing coaching advice. 'However, the concern is always about to what extent one can rely on these chatbots, since we don't know who is behind the technology, what their understanding of human psychology is, or how confidentiality is maintained in such interactions. We do not even know if the designers have proper guardrails,' Dr Jihene explains. A Florida mother, Megan Garcia, is holding AI accountable for her 14-year-old son's death. In a lawsuit against the company, Garcia alleges deeply personal AI exchanges contributed to her son's suicide. She's demanding accountability to shield other families from similar devastation. As we increasingly turn to AI for companionship, we must ask: Are we creating a world where technology replaces human connection. And if so, at what cost? Developers, policymakers, and mental health experts must collaborate to enforce ethical safeguards, especially for vulnerable users.
