ABU DHABI // Hamad Al Hanaei spent Tuesday afternoon strolling along the Heritage Village breakwater contemplating how blessed he is to be Emirati.
“I am walking here and I am not worrying about anything,” says Hamad, 20, an IT student from Abu Dhabi. “Thanks to our sheikhs, thanks for our police, for our army because we are living here in peace and security. We don’t worry about anything.”
He says this National Day is especially significant because of the sacrifices made by Emirati servicemen in Yemen.
“I think it means a lot because they died to save our souls,” Hamad says. “The soldiers, they gave their lives to protect our souls. We are thankful for them and we are praying for them to be in Heaven, inshallah.”
He says his family has already visited the Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival in Al Wathba and will take part in other local festivities to commemorate the nation’s unification.
“It’s a chance to renew our traditions and to let the foreign people here in the UAE know more about UAE traditions and about the UAE in general,” Hamad says.
Many families on Tuesday had picnics under the palm trees along the Corniche. Among them was Syrian Asaad Makram, 50, who has lived in the country for more than 30 years.
“I will die here,” Asaad says. “I enjoy my life here. Also, all people from my family are here. We have about 40 relatives here. I work here, I have a salary and my child married in this country.”
He says National Day offers residents a chance to express their thanks to the Rulers, past and present.
“First of all, we love [Founding President] Sheikh Zayed. Sheikh Zayed, he’s number one in the world. He saved this country, he built this country, he made everything work,” says Asaad.
Fedaa Kherallah, a civil engineer from Syria who has lived in Abu Dhabi for more than 16 years, says he celebrates National Day as if the UAE were his native land.
“I feel like one of the people here. It’s like my original country,” says Fedaa, 43. “They are nice people here in the UAE. All people are equal under law. They respect everybody here. Nice weather, people, nice city. Everything is very good here.
“And I think UAE is the safest country in the world. It’s suitable for everybody. You can feel everybody is like a brother here, a friend. I feel like a local here. Like I was born here.”
Syrian Emad Al Masre, 27, has lived here for “four years and 10 days” .
“It’s the best country ever,” Emad says. “Everybody respects each other. The UAE locals support all people from all countries. They share their ideas, they treat all nationalities the same as UAE.”
Miracle Nnaji, 25, a Nigerian, spent Tuesday setting up at the Heritage Village, where she is going to show children how make arts and crafts. Miracle moved here as a child and says it feels like home.
“I’m safe here. My family’s here. We are all happy here,” she says. “Our mind is at peace, basically. On a personal level it will be kind of like I’m celebrating my own country’s national day.”
She will watch the National Day fireworks at the Palm Jumeirah in Dubai on Wednesday night.
rpennington@thenational.ae
