At 10am on Friday, citizens and residents across the UAE will mark Flag Day.
It will be the 11th year in which the annual celebration has taken place.
But what is Flag Day and how did it start? And what rules exist around flying the UAE flag?
The National explains.
What is Flag Day?
Flag Day was first celebrated in 2013.
The idea was conceived by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to celebrate the accession of Sheikh Khalifa as President of the UAE in 2004.
It is commemorated every year on the anniversary, November 3. It is not a public holiday.
Sheikh Mohammed recently tweeted urging citizens, companies and ministries to mark the occasion.
“We call on our citizens, organisations, and ministries to hoist the flag simultaneously on November 3 at 11:00 am to express the unity of our home and our destiny,” he wrote.
How the UAE flag should be flown
The UAE has strict laws regulating the flying of the country’s flag.
Standards set by the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology say the flag should be rectangular in shape, its height half of its width and the colours in the correct order.
The owner must check on the flag’s condition every 45 days to ensure it is not damaged and it must be changed every six months.
The rules apply to situations where a flag is hung permanently at government buildings or embassies.
But there are regulations to govern the short-term use of flags as well. They stipulate that the flag should be made of nylon and it must weigh more than 122.5 grams per square metre.
The penal code includes fines and even jail for those who abuse the flag.
According to Article 176, “anyone who publicly insults the President, flag or the national emblem of the State, shall be punished by detention".
Article 3 of federal law No 2 for 1971 says whoever uses the flag inappropriately will face a jail sentence up to six months, and / or a fine; “as the country’s flag should be treated with dignity and respect, and should not be insulted, and not raised below any other flag or banner.”
What happens on Flag Day?
Flag Day is marked by schools, government offices, businesses and individuals, who hang the country’s banner outside their homes and workplaces.
Flag-raising ceremonies, in which the national anthem is played, are also held to mark the occasion.
The flag holds a special place in Emirati culture, and if you want to fly one there are special considerations you must keep in mind.
Who designed the UAE flag?
Abdullah Al Maainah, after entering a competition in Al Ittihad newspaper to design the flag in 1971, inspired by the poet, Safi-u-ddin Al Hali.
The young Emirati intended the four colours to represent Arab unity, as described in poetry written by Al Hali.
His submission beat more than 1,000 entries to be selected to represent the new nation.
Mr Al Maainah was 19 at the time, and later went on to become the minister of foreign affairs.
Only two flags were raised in December 1971 to mark the formation of the nation – one in Abu Dhabi, the other at Union House in Dubai.
On Wednesday there are likely to be hundreds of thousands.
Do the colours of the flag hold any special meaning?
There are three horizontal bands of green, white and black, with a vertical strip of red next to the mast.
The flag’s four colours – known as the pan-Arab colours – each represent a different attribute.
They are red for courage, green for hope, white for honesty and black for strength of mind. Together, they represent the unity of Arabs.
Read more from Aya Iskandarani
more from Janine di Giovanni
Volunteers offer workers a lifeline
Community volunteers have swung into action delivering food packages and toiletries to the men.
When provisions are distributed, the men line up in long queues for packets of rice, flour, sugar, salt, pulses, milk, biscuits, shaving kits, soap and telecom cards.
Volunteers from St Mary’s Catholic Church said some workers came to the church to pray for their families and ask for assistance.
Boxes packed with essential food items were distributed to workers in the Dubai Investments Park and Ras Al Khaimah camps last week. Workers at the Sonapur camp asked for Dh1,600 towards their gas bill.
“Especially in this year of tolerance we consider ourselves privileged to be able to lend a helping hand to our needy brothers in the Actco camp," Father Lennie Connully, parish priest of St Mary’s.
Workers spoke of their helplessness, seeing children’s marriages cancelled because of lack of money going home. Others told of their misery of being unable to return home when a parent died.
“More than daily food, they are worried about not sending money home for their family,” said Kusum Dutta, a volunteer who works with the Indian consulate.
Scorecard:
England 458 & 119/1 (51.0 ov)
South Africa 361
England lead by 216 runs with 9 wickets remaining
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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
MATCH INFO
Manchester United v Everton
Where: Old Trafford, Manchester
When: Sunday, kick-off 7pm (UAE)
How to watch: Live on BeIN Sports 11HD
Emirates exiles
Will Wilson is not the first player to have attained high-class representative honours after first learning to play rugby on the playing fields of UAE.
Jonny Macdonald
Abu Dhabi-born and raised, the current Jebel Ali Dragons assistant coach was selected to play for Scotland at the Hong Kong Sevens in 2011.
Jordan Onojaife
Having started rugby by chance when the Jumeirah College team were short of players, he later won the World Under 20 Championship with England.
Devante Onojaife
Followed older brother Jordan into England age-group rugby, as well as the pro game at Northampton Saints, but recently switched allegiance to Scotland.
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
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MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium (Malacca, Malayisa)
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia scheduled for October 10
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
