DUBAI : In normal times, the crowds of young Southeast Asian workers jostling for a place in line outside the Sikh temple in Dubai would mean one thing: free meals.A core tenet of the world’s fifth-largest religion with over 50,000 adherents in the United Arab Emirates is “langar," the practice of serving hot, home-cooked vegetarian food to anyone in need.
It can be a lifeline in Dubai, where millions of low-paid workers from Asia, Africa and elsewhere power the service-heavy economy.But over the past few days, the Sikhs of Dubai have traded their spiced rice and dal for what has become a coveted prize: 5,000 shots of the Chinese-made vaccine offered to people of all ages and backgrounds.