“There is always something to do in Sharjah,” said Mr. Rabaté, out for a Saturday busman’s holiday with his wife and two small daughters.

“As a chef in a restaurant, going away to cook was a busman’s holiday, but really a joy,” Silverton said.

“It’s a busman’s holiday, really,” said Ann Stock, a former White House social secretary in the Clinton administration, of what has become an annual ritual.