3 November marks the day we commemorate the UAE’s founders, His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and Sheikh Rashid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and those who paved the way for the nation’s success. Institutions, leaders and foreign embassies across the UAE and abroad came together to celebrate this occasion in more ways than one. Just before noon today, HH Sheikh Mohammed marked the occasion by raising the flag on the world’s tallest structure, Burj Khalifa.
فيديو: صاحب السمو الشيخ محمد بن راشد آل مكتوم يرفع عَلَم الإمارات عالياً خفاقاً إيذاناً بانطلاق احتفالات الدولة بـ #يوم_العلم pic.twitter.com/Jx9QkdvSd6
— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) November 3, 2019
Schools and institutes expressed their patriotism.
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With UAE’s first mission to space having taken place this year, the flag is soaring higher than ever. Emirati astronaut Hazza Al Mansouri also joined in the celebration with a post in his official Twitter account. “Our flag represents our ambition to achieve the impossible. Today, the UAE flag flies higher than ever before, beyond the skies”, he said in the post.
Our flag represents our ambition to achieve the impossible. Today, the UAE flag flies higher than ever before, beyond the skies.#UAEFlagDay pic.twitter.com/3e3D1sE94c
— Hazzaa AlMansoori (@astro_hazzaa) November 3, 2019
The flag garden at Kite Beach in Dubai boasts 4,500 flags that make up portraits of the nation’s founders.
احتفال فريق المكتب الإعلامي لحكومة #دبي ونادي دبي للصحافة وبراند دبي بمناسبة #يوم_العلم في حديقة الأعلام التي تضم 4500 علم تحمل صورة الشيخ محمد بن راشد والشيخ محمد بن زايد pic.twitter.com/iI3baXoafP
— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) November 3, 2019
Celebrations are under way outside of the UAE as well, with the UAE flag’s first hoisting in New Zealand’s UAE Embassy
تجديدا للولاء والإنتماء وتأكيدا على حب الوطن الغالي ، قام اعضاء بعثة #الامارات لدى #نيوزيلندا برفع علم الامارات ورمز اتحاده ليبقى شامخا وخفاقا في نيوزيلندا ومنطقة #الباسيفيك والعالم احتفالا بيوم العلم الذي يصادف الثالث من نوفمبر من كل عام #يوم_العلم #ارفعه_عاليا #علمنا_حول_العالم pic.twitter.com/q7GxmdizFC
— UAE Embassy in Wellington (@UAEEmbassyNZ) November 2, 2019
We’re only a month away from National Day celebrations, so here’s a fun fact: the flag of the UAE is painted in four colours which were inspired by a verse from 14th century poet Safi Al Din Al Hilli: “White are our acts, black our battles, green our fields, and red our swords”. Happy Flag Day!
Cover image credits: @riyasketch
