'Barbie' Becomes a Dream Come True for UAE Residents
A wave of excitement and nostalgia swept through UAE residents as they eagerly awaited the release of the much-anticipated Barbie movie, with many determined to catch the first screenings in the country.
Harriet, a British expat residing in Dubai, fondly recalls her childhood centered around Barbie dolls. "I used to have a big set that I used to play with all the time," she shared. "So, when I heard about the Barbie movie, I knew that I wanted to watch it. I am still a big fan of the doll, and everything related to it."
Her anticipation for the movie release in the UAE led her to deliberately avoid any spoilers when it premiered globally. "It came at the perfect time too because I am traveling next week. I am so happy that I can watch the movie here before I travel."
At the Mall of the Emirates theatre, Harriet was joined by her friend Lorraine. "I am not a big Barbie fan, but all this hype has me intrigued," said Lorraine. With the excitement in the air, the two friends posed for photos before entering the theatre to immerse themselves in the film.
The release of Barbie in the UAE has been nothing short of a blockbuster success, breaking records in terms of ticket sales and generating unmatched enthusiasm. The demand was so high that many theatres had to add additional showtimes to cater to the crowd.
Tanisha, who is about to begin university in September, felt that watching Barbie was a dream come true. "As a child, I was obsessed with Barbie," she admitted. "I used to spend a lot of time and money on Barbie, so I had to watch the movie."
Accompanied by her mother and aunt, Tanisha made sure they were all dressed for the occasion. "I made them all dress up," she revealed. "I wanted to make sure they all got into the groove of it."
She had heard only positive feedback about the movie and was prepared for an emotional experience. "A lot of them told me to go prepared to cry so I have my tissues ready as well."
For filmmaker Neha and her friends Nadiya and Aamna, watching Barbie was a clear decision. "We all grew up together here in the UAE and we have loved Barbie right from our childhood," Neha said. "Also, as a filmmaker, I am a huge Greta Gerwig fan. I think she is an absolute rockstar and I am keenly waiting to watch the film and study its nuances. I think it is also going to be a great learning experience for me."
As for their plan, Nadiya shared, "As soon as I saw that the movie was releasing here, I sent it to these two and asked them when to book the tickets. We decided that we wanted to watch it on the very first day so we pre-booked the tickets immediately. It was a happy coincidence that all of us had a day off today. So, everything just fell into place.
