An initiative has been launched giving people in the UAE the opportunity to tell the stories of unsung heroes who helped shape the nation over its first 50 years.
The Early Dreamers project was announced by the UAE’s Golden Jubilee Committee in association with the Federal Youth Authority on Sunday.
This first phase lasts until June 30, when the focus will switch to "current and future dreamers".
“We are a nation of dreamers who do," said Shamma Al Mazrui, Minister of State for Youth and a member of the UAE Golden Jubilee Committee.
"From the early dreamers who helped build our country from the ground up, to the dreamers of today who work tirelessly to build on that foundation, to the dreamers of tomorrow, like our youth, who will one day lead our country forward.
“To celebrate the Year of the 50th, we want to hear from these dreamers. Through our Early Dreamers, we hope to give names and faces to the people whose ambitions have contributed to the UAE’s success story," Ms Al Mazrui said.
“These dreamers can be found in every household across the country.
"Hearing their stories will help us understand what it took to get to where we are today, and allow us to recognise and celebrate their contributions as we prepare for the future.”
Residents are urged to interview friends and family who they think would be suitable for the project and upload their story and pictures to the www.UAEyearof.ae website.
The project will help to bring old and young together, said Saeed Al Nazari, director general of the Federal Youth Authority.
“The Early Dreamers initiative is an ideal opportunity for young people to get acquainted with the stories of those heroes who built this country and spearheaded its development,” he said.
“It is essential that young people play a part in telling these stories; it allows them to truly grasp all that has happened in the past 50 years, and motivates them to plan the next 50 years.”
Mr Al Nazari said the objective is to create a written record of the lives of the "unsung heroes" who helped to make the UAE the country it is.
“The holy month of Ramadan is an ideal opportunity to explore these stories,” he said.
“We invite young people in the UAE – of all nationalities, cultures and religions – to make the most of the time they spend with their families to learn the stories of the first ‘Dreamers', and pass them on.”
Top moments in UAE history: in pictures
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The Founding President, Sheikh Zayed raises the flag at Union House in Dubai, December 2, 1971, marking the unification of the UAE. Courtesy: Al Ittihad -
The UAE dirham was launched in 1973. Pawan Singh / The National -
Sheikh Zayed and Queen Elizabeth II at the 1979 inauguration of Le Meridien Abu Dhabi. During the visit, the Queen also inaugurated Dubai World Trade Centre. Courtesy: Le Meridien -
Abu Dhabi Airport, pictured here in 2015 and designed by French architect Paul Andreu. It opened in 1982 and replaced Al Bateen. Courtesy: Abu Dhabi Airports -
Emirates' first flight took off on October 25, 1985, to the Pakistani city of Karachi. Aviation would never be the same again. -
The UAE football team at Giuseppe Meazza stadium in San Siro, Italy, before their World Cup Group D first round match with West Germany in 1990. It was the first time the UAE appeared at the tournament. AFP -
Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed, Ruler of Dubai. Sheikh Rashid was known as the father of modern Dubai and passed away in 1990. Keystone Features / Hulton Archive / Getty Images -
Sheikh Zayed reviews UAE troops who took part in Operation Desert Storm in Kuwait, 1991. Courtesy: Al Ittihad -
The Burj Al Arab being built in January 1996. The hotel opened a few years later. -
Police control crowds at the funeral for Sheikh Zayed in 2004. Rabih Moghrabi / AFP -
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque was completed in 2007. Ali Hassan / Anadolu Agency / Getty Images -
Burj Khalifa a year before it opened in 2010. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National -
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and the UAE delegates celebrate winning the Expo 2020 bid for Dubai in Paris in 2013. Antoine Antoniol / Getty Images -
Pope Francis arrives to lead a mass at Zayed Sport City Stadium in Abu Dhabi, 2019. It was the first papal visit to the country. EPA -
Hundreds of thousands of people attended the mass. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces celebrate with staff at Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre after Hope enters the orbit of Mars in February, 2021. Rashid Al Mansoori / Ministry of Presidential Affairs
