A family celebration for Sahil Sajan and Hana Khan turned into a two-day destination event in Salalah, bringing together more than 400 guests from the UAE and several countries for the couple’s engagement.
Hosted by Sahil’s father, Dubai businessman and Danube Group Vice Chairman Anis Sajan, the celebrations took place on August 7 and 8 at Club by Fanar in Hawana Salalah, combining traditional Indian festivities with a destination setting during Oman’s Khareef season.
The event marked the engagement of Sahil Sajan, Director of Milano by Danube, and Hana Khan, with family members and close friends travelling to Salalah from across the UAE, the wider GCC and countries including India, Australia, the UK, Canada, Pakistan, Bangladesh, China and Italy.
A destination celebration
The choice of Salalah gave the celebrations a different setting from the UAE, particularly during the annual Khareef season, when the region experiences cooler weather, light rain and greener landscapes.
Located less than two hours by air from Dubai, Salalah provided a convenient destination for guests while offering a change of scenery for the two-day family gathering. The event was held at Club by Fanar, part of the Hawana Salalah resort destination.
The celebration was planned over nearly two months, with the family focusing on bringing together relatives and friends from different parts of the world for the engagement.
Despite the size of the gathering, Anis Sajan said the focus was on family rather than the scale of the event.
“For Sajan events, we usually have Bollywood stars, but for me, the biggest superstars have always been my family and friends. They are the ones who truly bring an occasion to life and make every celebration memorable,” Anis Sajan said.
Two days of festivities
The celebrations opened on August 7 with a Sangeet night, a traditional pre-wedding celebration that featured music, dance and performances by family members and friends.
The following day began with a daytime pool party. Guests made use of the resort surroundings, with games, music and food forming part of the programme. The event also benefited from Salalah’s relatively mild Khareef weather, with temperatures around 25 degrees Celsius.
The engagement ceremony took place on the evening of August 8, bringing the two-day celebration to its formal conclusion and marking the couple’s official engagement as they begin preparations for their marriage.
Family at the centre
While the event brought together hundreds of people from around the world, the Sajan family described the occasion as a gathering centred on those closest to the couple.
Sahil Sajan said the effort put into the celebration by his family made the occasion particularly meaningful.
“I feel incredibly blessed to have a father and a family who have gone to such lengths to make this milestone so special for Hana and me.”
The Salalah engagement is expected to be the first major celebration ahead of Sahil and Hana’s wedding, with further festivities planned in the coming months.
For the families involved, the two-day gathering in Oman served not only as an engagement celebration but also as an opportunity to bring relatives and friends from different countries together before the next stage of the couple’s wedding celebrations.
tanvir@dubainewsweek.com
