UAE National Day marks the unification of the emirates of the country into one nation. It is celebrated every year under the official theme ‘Eid Al Etihad'.
Official Date: December 2
The UAE celebrates Eid Al Etihad with great extravaganza and festivities across the country, from spectacular fireworks to official parades.
Top Facts
- According to the World Economic Forum, the UAE holds the 25th position globally in Global Competitiveness Report 2019.
- The UAE has a remarkable place among the 10 largest donor states in official development aid (ODA).
- The UAE aims to achieve many economic and environmental achievements in the future, the most prominent of which are:
- Using technology to make Dubai a global center for 3D printing by 2030.
- Conversion of 25% of the total means of transportation in Dubai to self-driving by 2030.
- Developing an Emirati-made explorer to land on the moon in 2024 to explore the moon and study various aspects of its surface.
- The UAE ranks first in International Passport Index.
- The national anthem of the UAE is Ishy Bilady, which translates as Long Live My Country.
- In 2019, the oldest known pearl in the world was discovered on Marawah Island, off the coast of Abu Dhabi. It is estimated to be around 8,000 years old.
- Excavations at archaeological sites in Ajman have traced human history in the area back to around 3,000 BC.
- Sir Bani Yas Island, located off the coast of the UAE's western region, is home to the oldest pre-Islamic Christian archaeological site in the country.
- There are around 40 million date palms in the UAE.
- The first evidence of human life in the UAE was discovered on Jebel Faya in Sharjah and dates back to around 85,000 BC.