A table set with decorations is seen at Iranian restaurant Abshar in Dubai March 20, 2013. The Iranian New Year, called Nowruz, the country's most important holiday, is rooted in ancient Zoroastrian culture and marked by large family gatherings, gifts for children, vacations and spring cleaning (called "house shaking" in Persian). Nowruz, which falls on March 20 this year, is typically a time when tens of thousands of Iranians, Pasha's main customers, cross the Gulf to enjoy the city's glitzy hotels, luxury shopping and many beaches. But the number of Iranian tourists heading for Dubai's shores has slowed significantly this year. Nowruz this year caps 12 months of high inflation and unemployment and comes with no sign of an end to Western sanctions on Iran's energy and banking sectors that have halved the country's oil exports and made it difficult to conduct trade. To match story IRAN-NOWRUZ/ REUTERS/Jumana El Heloueh (UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - Tags: ANNIVERSARY SOCIETY BUSINESS)