Citizens and residents across the UAE are being encouraged to come together to celebrate the country's 51st National Day on Friday, December 2.
Preparations are gathering pace for this year's showpiece ceremony to mark the birth of a nation which millions of residents drawn from all corners of the globe call home.
Details of the National Day show are set to be revealed closer to the time, but organisers are already calling on the public to get in the party mood.
The official organising committee — led by the team which put together the Emirates's landmark Golden Jubilee event — is inviting government departments, private companies, schools and other organisations to download a special National Day kit, which will include the brandmark of the celebrations.
It will be made available on the UAE National Day website and more information will be posted on social media platforms.
“This year's ceremony will continue the legacy of bringing the nation and people together in a moment of unity and celebration of the UAE's modern-day pioneers and the creators of the country's collective future,” state news agency Wam said in a statement on Monday.
Citizens are expected to turn out in force in honour of the milestone date the Emirates united as one in 1971.
December 2, 1971: The first National Day — in pictures
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Sheikh Zayed, the Founding Father, raises the flag at Union House in Dubai on December 2, 1971, to mark the formation of the UAE. Photo: Al Ittihad -
Crowds watch a parade of the Armed Forces, held to celebrate the UAE's creation. Photo: Shaukat Ali Rana -
Sheikh Zayed signs the Federation Agreement on December 2, 1971, creating the UAE. On his left is Sheikh Rashid, then Ruler of Dubai. Behind them are Mahdi Al Tajir, Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid and Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid. Photo: Ramesh Shukla -
Sheikh Zayed receives well-wishes at Al Manhal Palace. -
Sheikh Zayed and the Rulers of Sharjah, Ajman, Dubai and Fujairah at Union House in Dubai on December 2, 1971. The Crown Prince of Umm Al Quwain attended the ceremony instead of the Ruler, who was unwell. Photo: Al Ittihad -
The signing at Union House in Dubai on December 2, 1971. Sheikh Zayed reads the Treaty of Friendship between the UAE and Britain, watched by Sir Geoffrey Arthur, who sent cables home that detailed his recollection of proceedings. -
Sheikh Zayed hosts a meeting at Al Manhal Palace in December 1971. -
Sheikh Zayed receives guests at Al Manhal Palace. -
The signing and speech at Union House. Ras Al Khaimah would join the union weeks later, in February 1972, completing the UAE as it is known today. Photo: Al Ittihad -
Somewhere in Abu Dhabi, Mercedes Benz vehicles wait to transport dignitaries. -
The circular building built in the late 1960s to serve as a meeting place for the Rulers as they discussed the new federation. It was later used for public lectures organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Photo: Alain Saint Hilaire -
Sheikh Zayed, who became Ruler of Abu Dhabi in 1966, was the driving force behind bringing the seven emirates together. -
Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, now UAE President, attends the flag-raising ceremony at Al Manhal Palace on December 2, 1971. Photo: Al Ittihad Newspaper -
The flag-raising at Al Manhal Palace on the day of the UAE's formation. Photo: Al Ittihad -
The first edition of Al Ittihad on October 20, 1969.
Last year, stunning Golden Jubilee celebrations took centre stage in Hatta before an assembled audience including Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, then serving as Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, both of whom could be seen at times recording the spectacle on their mobile phones.
December's festivities will also be momentous for the country.
President Sheikh Mohamed will oversee his first National Day as leader, having been elected in May following the death of Sheikh Khalifa.
Activities will also take place against the backdrop of significantly relaxed Covid-19 restrictions.
Requirements to wear masks outdoors were lifted in February, with mandates on face coverings in indoor settings removed in September.
Safety rules were eased following a significant decline in daily case numbers.
Cases dropped to below 300 on Monday, having surged above 2,500 at the start of the year.
