Thousands of residents will participate in events commemorating the fifth International Day of Yoga led by the Indian missions across the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the media reported on Tuesday.

The Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Indian Consulate in Dubai, which are hosting the events, said they have received the support of the UAE authorities in all the emirates to host the event, reports Gulf News.

In Abu Dhabi, the event will be held at Umm Al Emarat Park at 7 p.m. on Thursday. Free entry, parking, yoga mats and T-shirts would be provided to all the participants on first-come-first basis.

Shaikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, the Minister of Tolerance of UAE, would be the chief guest, said Indian Ambassador to the UAE Navdeep Singh Suri.

During the celebrations, Common Yoga Protocol will be followed with other yoga demonstrations by yoga enthusiasts from different countries. 

The demonstrations will be followed by a cultural programme. The embassy will also be celebrating Yoga Day on June 28 at the Jahili Public Park in Al Ain.

In the run-up to the event, photo shoots of yoga enthusiast performing yoga at iconic locations of Abu Dhabi; Emirates Palace, Etihad Towers and Louvre Abu Dhabi Museum were organised with the support of Department of Culture, Abu Dhabi, the Gulf News reported.

The Indian Consulate in Dubai will hold the main event at Zabeel Park in Dubai at 6.30 p.m. on Friday, Consul General Vipul announced. 

Similar events will be held in Sharjah and Ajman on Friday. 

In Umm Al Quwain and Ras Al Khaimah, the celebrations will be held on Saturday.

The International Day of Yoga is celebrated annually since its inception by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015. Events are held across the world to mark the day. IANS