What is Commemoration Day 2022 and why is it celebrated in the UAE?

The next public holiday in the UAE follows Commemoration Day, an annual event to remember those who lost their lives serving the country.

This year, the event, also known as Martyrs Day, will be the first of three days dedicated to celebrating the UAE's 51st year since unification.

As preparations gather pace for National Day, here is all you need to know about this year’s Commemoration Day.

When is the UAE's Commemoration Day?

Commemoration Day in the UAE is marked by a minute's silence on Wednesday, November 30, and celebrated with a public holiday on Thursday, December 1.

The day officially falls today, November 30, but has been marked with a public holiday on the following day in recent years, a move that is being repeated this year.

This means Commemoration Day is the first of three consecutive days of public holiday in December, because it is immediately followed by UAE National Day on December 2, with employees who work on Saturdays also given December 3 off.

Employees who work on Sunday will also have the day off, returning to work on Monday, December 5.

Why does the UAE celebrate Commemoration Day?

Commemoration Day is held every year to recognise the dedication and sacrifices of the UAE’s military and civilian service people, and to honour those who lost their lives while serving the country.

The late President Sheikh Khalifa introduced Commemoration Day in 2015.

It originally took place on November 30 to commemorate the death of Salem Suhail Khamis, who died on the same date in 1971 fighting against Iranian forces on the island of Greater Tunb. He is thought to have been the first Emirati to be killed in military service since the formation of the UAE that year.

In 2019 and 2020, the public holiday was held on December 1, a move that was repeated in 2021 and 2022.

Marking last year’s Commemoration Day, Sheikh Khalifa spoke of the sacrifices of the nation’s heroes.

“We will always remember as people and leadership, with appreciation and gratitude, our children who sacrificed their lives in defence of the nation,” he said.

What events are planned for Commemoration Day 2022?

Every year, the UAE observes a nationwide minute of silence to remember those who lost their lives while serving the country.

This year, the one-minute silence is taking place at 11.30am on November 30.

In previous years, UAE leaders commemorated the country’s fallen servicemen at Abu Dhabi’s Wahat Al Karama memorial, which translates to Oasis of Dignity in English, and is dedicated to Emiratis killed in service.

UAE leaders observe a minute’s silence at Wahat Al Karamah in Abu Dhabi for Commemoration Day.
Members of the UAE Armed Forces observe a minute’s of silence during a Commemoration Day flag raising ceremony at Wahat Al Karama. Hamad Al Kaabi / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi
A member of the UAE Armed Forces salutes the flag. Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi
UAE citizens honour UAE's fallen at Wahat Al Karamah. Mohamed Al Hammadi / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi
Representative from the UAE Armed Forces reflect on UAE’s fallen martyrs during the ceremony. Hamad Al Kaabi / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, attended a solemn ceremony held at the Wahat Al Karama monument in Abu Dhabi.
“We stand tall with the sacrifices of our righteous martyrs,” said Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed. Saeed Al Neyadi / Crown Prince Court
“We remember their altruism, their contributions and heroic deeds in terms of the great value that remains everlasting across generations, pushing them to preserve the inheritance of the martyrs and follow their loyalty.” Mohamed Al Hammadi / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi
Commemoration Day was first introduced in 2015 as Martyrs Day, which is still the holiday's name in Arabic. Saeed Al Neyadi / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi

Last year, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, who is now UAE President, called the country’s martyrs heroes.

“Their courage and sacrifice will inspire future generations and their memory will live forever in the history of the UAE,” he said.

“We salute their families and we pray that they rest in peace.”

*This article was originally published on November 16, 2021.

Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015

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The biog

Title: General Practitioner with a speciality in cardiology

Previous jobs: Worked in well-known hospitals Jaslok and Breach Candy in Mumbai, India

Education: Medical degree from the Government Medical College in Nagpur

How it all began: opened his first clinic in Ajman in 1993

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”