Istabsir - Weekend at Dibba

The National's Galen Clarke spent a day at Fujairah's Dibba beach, where a village of tents went up along the shoreline during the Eid holiday, with families drawn to the warm waters and relaxed atmosphere.

A mother with her son on the family beach just south of Dibba.

The family beach south of Dibba was a popular spot on the Gulf of Oman during the Eid holidays.

The waterfront was a whirl of quad bikes and dune buggies, jet skis and kites, swimmers, sand castles, shell collectors and barbecue. Behind the beach, cars and bikes went off-roading, remote-controlled cars zipped by, and young people climbed hills for better views.

Tents and tarpaulin sheets erected all along the top of the beach created camps and a village-like feel. Almost all wired their tents for electricity and some even brought their own water towers for running water.

Children swam or rode on child-size quads, older children performed tricks on their bikes or jet skis. Parents and grandparents relaxed in the sun. In a tender moment, a man kissed his mother on the head.

So popular was the destination that temporary restaurants popped up behind the beach serving Arabic food. And yet most people chose to cook their own meals.

After Eid, the tent village will disappear and all that will remain will be tyre tracks and a scattering of stones on the hard-packed earth that once held in place the tarpaulin sheets.

To experience the holidaymakers' lively beach outing, view the latest entry in our Istabsir series here.