AJMAN, United Arab Emirates – Kazem, the famed Palestinian ice cream shop that closed in war‑torn Gaza in 2023, has found a new home in the UAE, bringing both frozen treats and bittersweet nostalgia to Ajman’s residents.
The parlour, best known for its citrus-flavoured barrad, a traditional Palestinian slushy drink, opened in Ajman, about 45 km north of Dubai, chosen for its established Palestinian community. For many, each sip and scoop recalls memories of summers in Gaza before conflict reshaped their lives.
“Every time they come here, visitors say it brings back memories of 30, 40 years ago,” said owner Mohammad Kazem Abu Shaban, whose father founded the business in 1950. “It brings back memories of the days when they used to go to Gaza and drink the barrad that I’m famous for.”
Kazem’s Gaza branch briefly reopened earlier this year, but chronic shortages and instability forced it to shut again. Abu Shaban, who has endured the loss of close family members during the war, said bringing the shop to the UAE was a way to preserve Palestinian culture. He now hopes to expand to Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Customers say the move resonates beyond taste. “I mean, it is special,” said Dubai resident Mohammad Khamis Ali Al Mazrouei, after trying Kazem’s signature offerings.
For Abu Shaban, each cone and cup carries the weight of memory. “It is an indescribable feeling,” he said. “Your family, relatives and friends come, and they bring back the memories we lost in Gaza.”