The heat is breaking, the evenings are cooling, and Halloween is just over two weeks away. In the UAE, that can only mean one thing: the great pumpkin hunt is on.
Pumpkin patches may be hard to come by, but you don't need one. UAE supermarkets and online grocers stock pumpkins in every size, shape and shade, from big orange carvers to striped, warty and pint-sized ones that are better on the table or in the soup pot.
Here are four places to find yours, with prices where we could get them and tips to keep your pumpkin fresh until October 31.
1.Locally grown pumpkins and carving supplies
Spinneys has previously featured locally grown Halloween pumpkins from Elite Agro, a UAE agricultural producer based in Al Ain. In a seasonal feature on its website, the supermarket reported that the farm planted its pumpkins in July and grew large, ribbed orange varieties suited to carving. .
However, pumpkin varieties and origins can vary, so check the label if buying locally grown produce is important to you.
Where: You can browse pumpkins in person, or check the site and look for Halloween decorations and other seasonal products, such as pumpkin-shaped goodies and sweets, or even a pumpkin-shaped cake.
Price: Spinneys has listed Halloween pumpkins in different sizes in previous seasons. Prices and availability vary, so check the Spinneys website or your local store before visiting.
You can get creative too as there's even a knitted pumpkin for sale! Sign us up.
2. A traditional Halloween pumpkin
Monster pumpkin anyone? That's for around Dh97.75, and if you still want the fairytale touch with a Halloween feeling, there's the white pumpkin for around Dh97 on the Waitrose website.
Beyond the real thing, there's a wickedly fun haul of pumpkin decorations: buckets, piñata sets, pumpkins that make sounds, and plenty more. There's even a pumpkin headband, in case you want to dress the part while you carve.
Where: The Waitrose website.
3. Pumpkins delivered to your door
Want a pumpkin without the supermarket hunt? Fresh Leaf lets you order one straight to your door, whether you’re after a petite tabletop pumpkin or a doorstep beast that could swallow a small child’s Halloween candy stash.
Its website lists the following prices:
1kg: Dh32
2.5kg: Dh80
3.7kg: Dh118
5.5kg: Dh176
10kg: Dh320
Fresh Leaf also sells other pumpkins for cooking, including locally grown options.
Where: You can choose a size online and arrange home delivery.
4. Pumpkins and personality
If your Halloween doorstep deserves more than one orange pumpkin, Kibsons has a whole cast of characters. We mean tiny white pumpkins the size of tennis balls, knobbly Warty Minions, striped Sparkler pumpkins and painted faces that look ready to judge your costume. Prefer something big? You can go all the way up to a 7–9kg pumpkin, although your doorstep will need to earn its keep.
Here’s what to look out for:
Large Pumpkin (7–9kg): Dh209 – for a seriously oversized jack-o’-lantern.
Medium Pumpkin (5–7kg): Dh145 – substantial enough to make a statement.
Small Pumpkin (3–5kg): Dh89 – small is relative, apparently.
Sparkler Pumpkin (750g): Dh21.95
Lil Tiger Pumpkin (550g): Dh18.95 – small, striped and rather cute.
Wee-be-little Pumpkin (350g): Dh16.50 – a pocket-sized pumpkin
Mini White Pumpkin: Dh8.50 – tennis-ball-sized and ready for its close-up.
Yellow Mini Pumpkin (around 250g): Dh15.95 – a sunny little addition to your spooky display.
Warty Minion Pumpkin (1.3kg): Dh40.95 – bumpy, gloriously odd and hard to ignore.
Painted Face Pumpkin (around 1.3–1.5kg): Dh74.95 – already wearing its Halloween expression, so you can skip the carving drama.
Mystical Jack Pumpkin: Dh89.95 – for a little mystery on your doorstep.
Pie Pumpkin (around 1.6kg): Dh40.95 – the edible option if you would rather turn Halloween into dinner. Kibsons also lists a White Pie Pumpkin (1.1kg) for Dh55.95, marked edible.
Halloween Bundles: Dh37.90, Dh93.50 or Dh98.75 – assorted pumpkins for anyone who believes one pumpkin is never enough.The striped pumpkin and ornamental gourds are options for a decorative display, while the Hokkaido variety can be used in cooking.
Prices and stock can change, so check the listings before ordering.
Where to buy: Kibsons UAE.
Carving in the desert: survival tips
October in the UAE is still warm, and a carved pumpkin starts to rot the moment you cut it. Time it right and it will still be grinning on the 31st.
Buy early, carve late. Uncut pumpkins keep for months in the right conditions. Elite Agro's farm team advises carving just two or three days before Halloween.
Keep it cool. Store it indoors in the air-con, not on a sunny balcony. A shaded doorstep only on the night itself.
Use what's in the drawer. A sturdy spoon or salad scoop clears the pulp better than you would expect; any sharp knife does the cutting.
Skip real flames. A battery tea light is safer and does not cook your pumpkin from the inside.
Eat the evidence. Roast the seeds and turn the flesh into soup. Local carving pumpkins are grown to taste good too.
Sold out everywhere? The old UAE hack is to carve a watermelon instead. It looks great and you get juice afterwards.