This year marks the 41th anniversary of the United Arab Emirates. The country was formed on December 2, 1971, when after the UK’s treaty expired, the separate sheikdoms agreed to form an independent union.
A wide range of activities and celebrations to mark UAE’s 41st National Day have been planned in each emirate this year.
Official celebrations will begin on November 25 and will continue for nine days, until December 3. The theme of UAE’s 41st National Day remains the same as last year’s – “The Spirit of the Union”. The government organizing committee prepared different events to promote the national identity, culture and traditions.
One of them will be the Downtown Dubai Parade. It will be held at Emaar Boulevard and will feature performers, floats, inflatable balloons, horses, camels and musical groups. An interesting addition to the parade this year will be the Dubai’s Police horse patrols, which will offer photo opportunities for tourists and visitors.
The World Parachuting Championships will be held in Dubai for the first time this year. They coincide with National Day celebrations so visitors can enjoy the competitive parachuting at Skydive Dubai in Marina, Dubai.
Another popular event will be the Fourth Emirates Classis Car Festival held at Downtown Dubai near the Burj Khalifah. It will begin on December 1 and continue for 3 days, until December 3. It is organized by Emaar Properties and will feature classic automobiles and, for the first time, motorbikes, exhibited at Emaar Boulevard.
Part of this year’s celebrations will take place at DUCTAC, Centrepoint Theatre in Dubai on December 1 and 2. For two days visitors will enjoy music, poetry, dances and movies with tickets starting from AED 150 to AED 175. The festivities will include film screenings of the largest Arabian theatrical productions, Freej Folklore, in both Arabian and English. Muhamad Hamami and Sharq Orchestra will perform Arabic classics and their own compositions. Visitors will also have the chance to taste traditional UAE food and take part in the UAE photo mural.
