Over 25,000 Sri Lankans gathered at Zabeel Park, Dubai on February 9 to take part in the Sri Lankan Day 2018, which was the first of its kind ever taken place in the UAE.
Sri Lankans, Emiratis and other nationals across the UAE participated in this family-oriented event.
The ceremony commenced with the blessings of religious leaders, representing four main religions of Sri Lanka. The event coincided with the 70th Anniversary of Sri Lanka’s Independence and 25th Anniversary of the establishment of Sri Lanka’s Consulate General in Dubai and the Northern Emirates.
Five Sri Lankan restaurants offered unique Sri Lankan delicacies to the crowd. A Sri Lankan food photographic competition called “Suupachaya” was held with the aim of promoting Sri Lankan food/cuisine.
Stalls selling Sri Lankan items such as tea, handicrafts and batiks etc. were located. Experts representing the property developers of Sri Lanka provided tailor-made property solutions. Providing services especially focusing the blue-collar workers, such as opening up NRFC, other bank accounts and etc, the stalls of local banks such as National Savings Bank, Bank of Ceylon and Commercial Bank also added a quintessential commercial flavor to the event.
Free medical camps were established in the park where Sri Lankan and international doctors provided medical assistance to participants. Over 20 doctors representing 6 nationalities rendered their volunteer services. Moreover, over 380 free spectacles along with lenses were donated to the needy. The blood-donation camp at the event was also a highlight. A free mobile dental camp was also established in the site by the University of Sharjah.
A special entertainment programme was held during the daytime. Over 10 pre-selected upcoming singers had the opportunity to show their singing skills. Other attractions such as bouncy-castles and an arts competition for children were also held.
Over 2,500 Sri Lankans representing various groups, associations, organizations and schools held a walk – ‘UAE- Sri Lanka friendship walk’, which was highly applauded by the foreign crowd.
The UAE- Sri Lanka friendship walk concluded leading to the formal national day celebrations that included the evening cultural show, organized by leading artist guilds across the UAE, and enriched with “up country” and “low country” traditional dances together with Tamil and Malay dances. An opera type drama portraying the history of Sri Lanka was also staged.
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