Diwali 2026 · Abu Dhabi
Diwali catering in Abu Dhabi, with the date held before the menu.
Lakshmi Puja falls on Sunday 8 November 2026. Villa dinners on Saadiyat, Yas and Al Reem, card parties, office celebrations and satvik puja menus, from twenty guests upward.
Diwali in Abu Dhabi is a week of dinners rather than one. Dhanteras on the Friday, Choti Diwali on the Saturday, Lakshmi Puja on the Sunday, then Bhai Dooj on the Tuesday, with a card party or two in between. Every one of those evenings wants the same thing from a caterer: a chaat counter going as guests arrive, hot mains that hold through a late puja, and mithai that is worth the diet you broke for it.
Because the whole community celebrates on the same few dates, the kitchen's Diwali week fills before anything else in the year. So this page works the other way round from the rest of the site: hold the date first, with a name, a number and a rough headcount, and design the menu with us afterwards.
Abu Dhabi is where the group started, with Kwality in 1985, and our head office is at ADGM on Al Maryah Island. Prices are the same as in Dubai; nothing about the menu or the quote changes between emirates.
When
Diwali 2026 falls on Sunday 8 November.
The five days run from Dhanteras on Friday 6 November to Bhai Dooj on Tuesday 10 November 2026, with Lakshmi Puja on the Sunday. Diwali is not a public holiday in the UAE, so the parties land on the weekend: Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 November go first, then the Friday, then the weekends either side for anyone hosting early or late.
September is when the calls start. If you want a Saturday or Sunday in Diwali week, hold it now and settle the food in October; most hosts confirm their menu two to three weeks before the day. There is nothing to pay to hold a date, and your final guest count is due 72 hours before the event.
| Date | Day | What people book |
|---|---|---|
| Sat 31 Oct · Sun 1 Nov | Weekend before | Early Diwali parties, society and community events |
| Fri 6 Nov | Dhanteras | Family dinners at home, office Diwali lunches |
| Sat 7 Nov | Choti Diwali | The busiest party night of the week |
| Sun 8 Nov | Diwali · Lakshmi Puja | Puja dinners, satvik and Jain menus, family gatherings |
| Mon 9 Nov | Govardhan Puja | Annakut and temple-style vegetarian spreads |
| Tue 10 Nov | Bhai Dooj | Small family lunches and dinners |
| Sat 14 Nov · Sun 15 Nov | Weekend after | Late Diwali parties and corporate celebrations |
Formats
The Diwali evenings we cater.
- Villa Diwali dinners on Saadiyat, Yas and Al Reem: a chaat counter in the garden as guests arrive, buffet mains inside, live jalebi to close.
- Card parties: grazing food that holds for hours, kebabs and street food on rotation, and a late-night round.
- Lakshmi Puja dinners: satvik or Jain menus with no onion, no garlic and no root, cooked on a separate line.
- Office Diwali celebrations for ADGM and mainland offices: a lunch or an evening spread for mixed teams, veg and non-veg clearly separated.
- Community and society Diwali melas: live counters at scale, from the same operation that has served 3,500 at once.
- Bhai Dooj and family lunches: from twenty guests, with the plates, staff and setup included in the quote.
The menu
Chaat to open, mithai to close.
A Diwali menu is built around the counter people gather at. Pani puri, dahi puri and sev puri assembled to order, a tak-a-tak or tandoor station if there is garden space, then a buffet of the dishes the family actually asks for: dum biryani, paneer, dal makhani, kebabs for the non-vegetarians, breads from the tandoor.
It ends in sweets. Our mithai and plated desserts come from Chhappan Bhog, the kitchen that holds the 2019 Guinness World Record for the largest display of sweets, and a live jalebi and rabri counter is the single most requested station of the week. Mithai boxes for guests to take home can be added when we confirm the menu.
For the puja itself, satvik and Jain menus are cooked on a separate line rather than adapted from the main one. The kitchen does handle nuts, dairy, gluten and shellfish elsewhere, so we cannot guarantee the absence of traces.
Nothing added later
Eighty guests at an Abu Dhabi villa for Diwali, start to finish.
Eighty guests at home on the Premium package at AED 180 per head is AED 14,400 of food. Four waiters at AED 150 is AED 600, the catering setup is AED 500, and the total before VAT is AED 15,500. With 5% VAT that is AED 16,275, staffed and set up, with one live station included in the tier.
A second live counter, the jalebi say, is a fixed setup fee rather than a per-guest charge. The AED 500 catering setup covers transport, setup and clearing, chafing dishes, plates and cutlery, and soft drinks are AED 12 per guest. Every one of these numbers is what the booking engine charges; build the menu online and the total updates as you choose.
| Line | Calculation | AED |
|---|---|---|
| Food | 80 guests × AED 180 | 14,400 |
| Service staff | 4 waiters × AED 150 | 600 |
| Catering setup (transport, setup, chafing dishes, plates, cutlery) | Flat | 500 |
| Subtotal | 15,500 | |
| VAT | 5% | 775 |
| Total | 16,275 |
How to book
Hold the date now. Choose the food later.
- Reserve the date with your name, WhatsApp number, the date and a rough guest count. It takes under a minute and nothing is charged.
- Gaurav Varma, our Chief Executive Officer, looks after Abu Dhabi bookings directly from the ADGM head office.
- Island and gated communities on Saadiyat, Yas and Al Reem usually need vehicle access cleared with security beforehand. Tell us the community when you reserve and we will send the details your gate needs.
- Design the menu whenever you are ready, online with the live price, or with us over a call.
- Full payment in advance confirms the booking once the menu is agreed. Final numbers are due 72 hours before the event.
Common questions
Answers before you ask.
- When is Diwali 2026 in Abu Dhabi?
- Diwali, the day of Lakshmi Puja, is Sunday 8 November 2026. Dhanteras is Friday 6 November, Choti Diwali Saturday 7 November, Govardhan Puja Monday 9 November and Bhai Dooj Tuesday 10 November. It is not a public holiday in the UAE, so most parties fall on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 November.
- How early should I book Diwali catering?
- Hold the date as soon as you know it. Diwali weekend is the first to fill in the kitchen's year, and it goes in September and early October. The menu can be settled later; most hosts confirm it two to three weeks before the day.
- Can I reserve a date without choosing a menu?
- Yes. Reserve with your name, WhatsApp number, the date and an approximate guest count, and we hold it while you decide on the food. There is no charge to hold a date; full payment in advance confirms the booking once the menu is agreed.
- How much does Diwali party catering cost in Abu Dhabi?
- Packages start at AED 140 per head for Classic, AED 180 for Premium and AED 210 for Luxury. On top of that you pay AED 500 transport, service staff at AED 150 per waiter, one per 20 guests with a minimum of two, and 5% VAT. Eighty guests on Premium come to AED 16,275 all in. The minimum booking is 20 guests or AED 2,500, and the prices are the same as in Dubai.
- Do you cater a satvik or Jain menu for Lakshmi Puja?
- Yes. Jain menus with no onion, no garlic and no root, and satvik pure-vegetarian menus, are cooked on a separate line. We can run a satvik puja dinner on the Sunday and a mixed veg and non-veg party on the Saturday for the same family.
- Can you set up live chaat and jalebi at home?
- Yes, given open space. Live counters need room for a chef and equipment, so they work in villas, gardens and halls rather than apartments. Premium includes one live station and Luxury two; each extra counter is a fixed setup fee.
- Do you do Diwali celebrations for offices?
- Yes. A Diwali lunch or evening spread for a team, with vegetarian and non-vegetarian lines kept clearly apart, and a chaat or dessert counter if the office has the space. In Abu Dhabi that includes ADGM and mainland offices.
- Can guests take mithai home?
- Yes. Mithai boxes from Chhappan Bhog can be added to the order when we confirm the menu, packed for guests to take away at the end of the evening.
Keep reading
Related to this page.
- CateringHome & villa party catering in Abu DhabiPrivate party catering at home in Abu Dhabi. Birthdays, Diwali, majlis dinners and villa parties from 20 guests and AED 140 per head, staff and setup included in the quote.
- CuisinesIndian catering in Abu DhabiIndian caterers in Abu Dhabi since 1985. Dum biryani, live tandoor and chaat, curries and Indian sweets for home parties and weddings, from AED 140 per head.
- CuisinesStreet food & chaat cateringLive chaat and street food catering in Abu Dhabi. Pani puri, papdi, sev puri, kathi rolls and tak-a-tak, assembled in front of your guests.
- CuisinesJain & vegan cateringJain and vegan catering in Abu Dhabi, cooked on a separate line. No onion, no garlic, no root, and fully plant-based menus for weddings, festivals and corporate events.
- GuidesWhat catering costs per person in Abu DhabiWhat catering in Abu Dhabi includes and what it comes to all in: about AED 10,448 for 50 guests and AED 20,213 for 100, with staff, setup and VAT.
- CateringDiwali party cateringDiwali catering in Dubai: live chaat, jalebi and Chhappan Bhog mithai at home or the office. Diwali is Sunday 8 November 2026. Hold your date now.
Ready when you are
Hold the date now, plan the menu later.
A name, a number, the date and a rough guest count. Nothing to pay to hold it, and the menu can wait until you are ready.