Dubai residents don matching t-shirts for their fun run on Kite Beach. SUPPLIED

A group of Dubai residents ran for a cause in Kite Beach to “make karak Dh1 again”, with a video of the event going viral on Instagram. A video of the fun run on Saturday (January 6) featured around 25 people taking the 24km run to advocate for a reduction in the price of karak tea, which sells for around Dh1.50 or Dh2. Karak means “strong tea” and is a popular beverage in the UAE as it is in south Asia where it originated. It is made of black tea, milk, and spices like cardamom and ginger. Adam Eddine, a 19-year-old Dubai resident, launched the fun run as a “personal challenge” with a few friends. His family also joined the run with him. Karak arrived in the UAE in the 1960s with the Indian diaspora. Locals adapted the beverage and named it karak chai. The hot drink is served in many roadside cafes and has become part of the UAE’s food culture. ICA/Expat Media
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