70-year-old Gazan ice cream parlour opens new branch in the UAE
Beloved Palestinian ice cream parlour Kazem, forced to shutter its doors in 2023 as Israel’s war on Gaza escalated, has opened up in the United Arab Emirates, offering not just frozen treats, but a taste of nostalgia to the local community.
Kazem is now serving scoops of ice cream and its famous barrad — a traditional Palestinian slushy drink with citrus flavours — in Ajman, a small emirate roughly 45 kilometres north of Dubai, the region’s tourism and business hub.
Owner Mohammad Kazem Abu Shaban, whose father founded the business, said he chose Ajman for its established local Palestinian community.
“Every time they come here, [visitors] say it brings back memories of 30, 40 years ago,” Abu Shaban said. “It brings back memories of the days when they used to go to Gaza and drink the barrad that I’m famous for.”
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