UAE Flag Day is celebrated every year on November 3. It marks the ascension of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who became president of the UAE in 2004.
Every year, flags are hoisted countrywide and the nation unitedly celebrates Flag Day. Now, if you are wondering if it’s a public holiday – no, it’s not, sorry!
Sheikh Mohammed calls on establishments to raise UAE flag at 11am on November 3
This year, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, urges all the residents and citizens to raise the UAE national flag on Nov.3 at 10:00 am to mark the National Flag Day.
“Brothers and sisters, as we are accustomed to every year, we celebrate Flag Day on Nov.3. We celebrate the flag of the homeland, the flag of our pride, dignity, and glorious union,” wrote Sheikh Mohammed on his X handle.
“We call on all ministries and institutions in the country to raise the Emirati flag on Nov.3 at 10:00 in the morning, simultaneously and with united feelings,” he said.
“We call on all the people of the country to participate in this occasion… an occasion in which we express our renewed determination and our firm will to work to keep this flag flying high and expressive. About our achievements, our union, and the pride of our country,” Sheikh Mohammed concluded.
What is UAE Flag Day?
The UAE Flag Day was first celebrated in 2013, a national campaign launched by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to honour the country’s past, present and future.
The event was conceived by Sheikh Mohammed to celebrate the accession of the late Sheikh Khalifa as President of the UAE in 2004.
The day is marked by schools, government offices, businesses and individuals, who hang the national flag outside their homes and workplaces. Flag-raising ceremonies, in which the national anthem is played, are also held to mark the occasion.
Other celebrations over the past few years included the UAE flags laid out at the Kite Beach Jumeirah to form the faces of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and H.H. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nayhan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, when viewed from above.
What do the UAE flag colours mean?
The flag of the United Arab Emirates contains the Pan-Arab colors red, green, white, and black. The main theme of the flag’s four colors is the unity of Arab nations.
Red represents strength and courage and the sacrifices of previous generations. The vertical red band can also be interpreted as binding all the other meaning together in unity.
Green symbolises hope, joy, and prosperity and cultural renaissance. White represents the nation’s charitable contributions as well as peace and honesty, while black represents the strength of mind.
The UAE flag was designed by a young Emirati, Abdullah Mohammad Al Maainah. He later on went to become the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The flag was first used on December 2, 1971, and it was first hoisted by Late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
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