Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, has sent a message of “joy and peace” to Christians in the Emirates and across the world.
Sheikh Mohamed wished residents and their families well in a post on social media.
“To those celebrating the occasion, both in the UAE and around the world, I wish you a happy and merry Christmas. May this be a time of joy and peace for you and your families,” Sheikh Mohamed wrote.
Worshippers attended Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services in churches, with clergy expressing wishes for hope and healing amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Christmas decorations and lights have adorned roads and homes across the UAE, as residents join in the celebrations.
Malls in Abu Dhabi and Dubai have put up Christmas trees and set up winter holiday markets – complete with Santa Claus and his elves greeting children and handing out presents.
Shoppers have posed for photographs in malls decked out with reindeer, polar bears, snowmen and gingerbread houses.
Christmas decorations in the UAE – in pictures
