On 3rd November the United Arab Emirates celebrate “UAE Flag Day.” It is celebrated by the people of UAE to pay homage to the brothers who founded their state, Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid.
When And Why Did The UAE Flag Day Start?
It started in 2013 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum who is the president and vice president of UAE. It is there to celebrate the elevation of Sheikh Zayed as the president of UAE in 2003 and the flag of UAE is raised on 3rd November every year. For the inaugural UAE Flag Day, the flag was raised at 11 am.
Significance
The flag day is also celebrated to show the importance of the flag which has united the seven emirates together. It is an important national occasion that increases the bond between the 7 states, as the flag signifies the importance of unity between them as it is raised in all Emirates together. It also reminds the people about the founding fathers of the state, without whom all this would not have been possible. Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid were the main founding members but their brothers from the other 5 emirates also sacrificed for the state and the vision that they had has made UAE one of the most important countries of the world after how historically they were ruled by other civilizations.
How the UAE Flag Day Is Observed
All the public and government organizations as well as businesses and the citizens of the state hands a banner or hoist a flag outside their premises. The Flags are raised in all emirates and the national anthem is sung with full zeal and zest. The Flag is flown in jets and is shown on all the important landmarks and tourist locations in the state. Social Media handles of the official government organizations also change their themes to reflect the importance of this event. The flags are saluted and the army of the UAE also does parades to pay respect to the flag.
There are strict laws about flying the flags. The law says that the flag shouldn’t be disrespected and flown in the correct orientation and the colors and the width should be respected. Once a flag is hoisted the owner must keep in mind the condition of the flag and if it is damaged then they have to replace it because a damaged flag being flown disrespects the nation. The flags are only to be made from nylon as it is strong, the colors don’t fade from it easily and it flies better than other materials. Anyone found disrespecting the flag can be jailed for six months or more and heavy fines will be imposed on them. The flag should never be under any other banner or flag.
