Dubai is set for a festive retail surprise this Eid Al Adha as Dubai Retail introduces its new Dubai Retail Gift Card alongside a citywide gifting activation offering shoppers the chance to receive complimentary Dhs250 gift cards.

Running from May 27 to 30, the initiative will span seven major Dubai Retail destinations, turning the long Eid weekend into a citywide treasure hunt for visitors. Shoppers across participating malls and lifestyle locations may be randomly selected to receive the complimentary cards, which can be used across an extensive network of retail, dining, and leisure venues.

The move is part of Dubai Retail’s broader push to enhance visitor experiences during key holiday periods, while also promoting the newly launched multi-destination gift card product.

Eid surprise across Dubai malls

At the heart of the activation is a roaming “Gift Card Concierge,” who will travel through participating destinations carrying a trolley of gift boxes. Inside, lucky visitors will find Dhs250 Dubai Retail Gift Cards handed out on the spot.

Read more-Dubai Retail launches city-wide gift card covering 40 malls and 5,000 stores

The concierge will appear across Al Khawaneej Walk, The Outlet Village, Bluewaters, Palm Jumeirah Mall, Palm West Beach, Ibn Battuta Mall, and Nad Al Sheba Mall. Visitors are encouraged to keep an eye out throughout the Eid weekend, as distribution will take place across different times and locations.

Dubai Retail has positioned the activation as a spontaneous and experiential form of gifting, designed to add an element of surprise to the Eid shopping experience.

For full schedule details and timings, visitors are directed to Dubai Retail’s official Instagram page.

Flexible spending across 40 destinations

The Dhs250 gift cards are part of Dubai Retail’s newly launched digital gifting platform, which was first announced on May 13.

Dubai Retail, a major retail network under Dubai Holding Asset Management, introduced the product as a flexible alternative to traditional single-store vouchers.

The Dubai Retail Gift Card can be used across 40 malls, retail destinations, and lifestyle centres across the city, covering more than 5,000 participating stores and venues. These include fashion outlets, beauty brands, dining experiences, entertainment spots, and wellness services.

The idea behind the card is to give recipients freedom of choice, allowing them to decide where and how to spend their balance. Whether used for shopping trips, dining experiences, spa visits, beach clubs, or family outings, the card is designed to reflect the wide range of lifestyle options available across Dubai.

Dubai Retail has described the offering as a shift toward more personalised and experience-driven gifting, moving away from fixed-location vouchers toward citywide usability.

Concierge-led activation across the city

The Eid campaign is being rolled out as a physical activation across key destinations, with the Gift Card Concierge acting as the face of the initiative. The roaming format is intended to increase engagement and create moments of surprise for visitors during peak holiday footfall.

Dubai Retail said the activation aims to make gifting more interactive and memorable, particularly during a period when malls and leisure destinations typically see high visitor traffic.

The campaign also highlights Dubai Retail’s continued focus on blending physical retail experiences with digital convenience, creating hybrid engagement models for residents and tourists alike.

A multi-use, visa-powered gift solution

Powered by Visa, the Dubai Retail Gift Card is valid for 12 months from the date of purchase and supports both partial and multiple redemptions. This allows users to spread their balance across different occasions and destinations rather than spending it all at once.

Cardholders can manage balances and security settings through the official platform, while load values range from Dhs50 to Dhs3,500, catering to both individual gifting and corporate use cases.

Dubai Retail has emphasised that the card is designed for convenience, security, and flexibility, making it suitable for everyday use as well as special occasions.

More information, including purchases and account management, is available at giftcard.dubairetail.ae.

A survey by Middle East financial technology company Tabby found that 88 per cent of parents in the UAE experience financial strain when school fees are due, highlighting mounting pressure on household budgets as education costs rise.

The survey, released on Wednesday, showed that half of UAE parents struggle to pay tuition fees in full upfront, while 90 per cent said spreading payments over time would allow their children to participate in extracurricular activities and programmes they currently forgo.

The findings come as Tabby announced its expansion into the education sector through a partnership with zenda, a school fee payment platform operating across the region.

Under the partnership, schools and educational institutions will be able to offer Tabby’s instalment payment plans through existing payment systems used by parents and administrators.

Families will be able to spread tuition fees, transport costs and extracurricular expenses over periods of up to 12 months without hidden fees, the companies said.

The survey also found strong demand for flexible payment options, with 97 per cent of respondents saying they would likely use a service such as Tabby if offered through their child’s school.

Service live at more than 100 educational institutions across the UAE

Tabby said the service is already live at more than 100 educational institutions across the UAE, including Amity School Dubai and University of Sharjah, covering schools, universities, nurseries and professional training centres.

“Families across the UAE are already doing the work of managing education costs carefully, moving money around, planning ahead and making trade-offs,” Zarik Nabi, chief commercial officer at Tabby, said in a statement.

Haseeb Ahmed, co-founder of zenda, said the addition of Tabby would give parents “more choice and flexibility” in managing education-related payments.

Founded in Saudi Arabia and headquartered in Riyadh, the BNPL platform operates across Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait. The company said its latest secondary share sale implied a valuation of $4.5bn.

zenda said it works with 450 educational institutions across 15 countries and processes around $1.5bn in payments.

The survey was conducted among 2,814 UAE parents with children enrolled in schools, universities or nurseries.

The National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) and the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) have affirmed the UAE’s preparedness to respond to any health developments or emerging situations, including Ebola, stressing that the national surveillance and response system is continuously evaluated and reviewed in line with international standards and best practices.

The discussions took place during a meeting chaired by Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, Minister of Health and Prevention, under the oversight of NCEMA, bringing together relevant entities and strategic partners, a WAM report said.

Public health readiness

The meeting reviewed the latest developments related to Ebola, alongside the UAE’s approved national health surveillance and response systems, the precautionary measures currently in place, and coordination and integration mechanisms with relevant entities at local, national, and international levels.

NCEMA and MoHAP reaffirmed the continued implementation of precautionary monitoring measures as part of the UAE’s proactive approach to strengthening public health preparedness and communicable disease response systems, while ensuring healthcare facilities and medical teams remain fully prepared to respond efficiently and effectively to various health situations when required.

Surveillance and coordination

They also stressed the importance of relying on official sources for information and refraining from circulating or publishing inaccurate information, reaffirming the UAE’s longstanding commitment to safeguarding public health and strengthening community health awareness.

Officials said the UAE will continue enhancing preparedness, strengthening inter-agency coordination, and ensuring rapid response capabilities remain aligned with global health security frameworks to protect the community from emerging infectious disease threats in line with national priorities and global standards continuously.

The UAE is set to witness mostly fair weather conditions through May 24, although residents can expect dusty skies, strong winds and fluctuating sea conditions over the coming days, according to the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM).

In its latest forecast, the NCM said weather conditions across the country will remain generally stable from Wednesday through Sunday, with occasional dust and sand blowing across exposed areas due to active winds, a WAM report said.

Sea conditions are also expected to shift between slight, moderate and rough in both the Arabian Gulf and the Oman Sea.

Read more-Unusual weather system to bring clouds and rain to UAE

Wednesday’s forecast points to fair weather overall, although dusty conditions are likely during the daytime alongside a slight rise in temperatures. The NCM said northwesterly to southwesterly winds will remain light to moderate but are expected to freshen at times, reaching speeds of up to 40 km/hr and causing blowing dust in some areas.

“The sea will be moderate in the morning, becoming rough in the Arabian Gulf,” the NCM said in its statement, adding that conditions in the Oman Sea will become rough by evening.

Temperatures to fluctuate through the week

On Thursday, temperatures are expected to decrease slightly while fair weather continues across the UAE. Winds are forecast to remain active, with speeds ranging between 10 and 25 km/hr and gusts reaching 40 km/h. Forecasters warned that blowing dust may reduce visibility in open areas at times.

By Friday, temperatures are expected to rise slightly once again, with fair but dusty daytime conditions continuing. Winds will shift from southwesterly to northwesterly and could reach up to 35 km/h, while sea conditions are expected to remain slight to moderate.

Saturday’s outlook suggests another dip in temperatures accompanied by dusty weather and fresh winds. The Arabian Gulf is forecast to turn moderate to rough, while the Oman Sea will remain slight to moderate.

Looking ahead to Sunday, the NCM said skies will be fair to partly cloudy at times, especially in eastern regions where low clouds are expected to appear. Winds are likely to continue freshening periodically, with rough conditions forecast westward in the Arabian Gulf during the morning before easing later in the day.

Authorities have advised residents, particularly motorists and seafarers, to stay updated with the latest weather advisories during periods of reduced visibility and rough seas.

Etihad Rail has completed construction of its first passenger station in Fujairah, marking a major milestone ahead of the gradual launch of passenger rail operations later this year.

Located in the Madinat Al Hilal area, the Fujairah Passenger Station spans 51,900 square metres and is set to become a key transport gateway connecting the emirate with Dubai and Abu Dhabi, a WAM report said.

Adhraa Al Mansoori, executive director of Commercial for Etihad Rail, said the station’s strategic location places it close to several major landmarks and tourist destinations in Fujairah.

Read more-11 places Etihad Rail will connect across the UAE by end of 2026

“The station is around 12 minutes from Fujairah International Airport, six minutes from Umbrella Beach Corniche, and five minutes from Sakamkam Fort,” Al Mansoori said.

Faster travel, new opportunities

The launch of the passenger rail network is expected to significantly improve connectivity across the UAE while opening new economic and investment opportunities in multiple sectors.

According to Al Mansoori, travel time between Fujairah and Abu Dhabi will be approximately 105 minutes, with trains operating at speeds of up to 200 km/hr. Each train will accommodate up to 400 passengers.

She added that the first phase of operations will include the simultaneous launch of three routes connecting Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Fujairah. Official travel schedules are expected to be announced closer to the operational launch date.

Al Mansoori also highlighted the project’s contribution to the local economy, noting that 70 percent of the materials used in developing the national railway network were sourced locally through 97 domestic suppliers.

Modern passenger experience

Passengers travelling through the Fujairah station will have access to a range of modern facilities and services, including retail outlets, a VIP lounge, high-speed Wi-Fi and onboard dining carriages.

The station also features integrated passenger facilities, directional signage, waiting areas, automated payment machines and dedicated customer service offices designed to ensure a smooth travel experience.

Officials said the development reflects the UAE’s broader vision to enhance public transportation and establish a world-class rail network across the country.