UAE residents and visitors are gearing up for a long weekend from December 1 to 4 as the country celebrates its 51st National Day on December 2.
Every year, the four-day holiday also transforms the country into a wonderland of deals, discounts and activities, and many brands release one-of-a-kind, limited-edition or carefully curated offerings to add to the celebrations.
Here are some brands that have released standout items for the occasion this year.
Cecilie Bahnsen
The Danish fashion brand has created an edit of its designs to reflect the colours of the UAE flag.
Curated specifically for the country's 51st National Day, the line includes its trademark romantic cuts in red, white, green and black, making them perfect for events marking the occasion.
From Dh3,635 ($989); farfetch.com; ceciliebahnsen.com
Hiba Jaber
Fine jewellery house Hiba Jaber has unveiled a limited-edition collection to celebrate National Day.
Drawing on the nation's unique heritage, and inspired by its ability to draw people from across the globe to its shores, Hiba Jaber has reissued its Duo Rings, now made in the colours of the UAE flag.
Encrusted with rubies, emeralds and white diamonds — some given a black rhodium finish — the stackable rings in silver, gold and rose gold are the latest renditions from the brand's Ceylon Gems collection.
From Dh5,400; hibajaber.com
Beautifect Box
Created by Dr Lara Lalvani, a dental surgeon turned entrepreneur, the Beautifect Box vanity case is a go-to for those looking for optimal lighting and distortion-free mirrors when applying make-up on the go. Now, just in time for National Day, a new limited-edition Black Beautifect Box has been released.
The case has five lighting settings, a magnifying lens to the power of five and, best of all, it is fully rechargeable via a USB C cable. The batteries can store enough power to last about one month.
From Dh1,350; beautifect.com
Etika Jewels
With a focus on sustainable practices, Etika Jewels is an online shop that uses lab-grown and sustainable gems.
To celebrate UAE National Day, it has created five special pendants, each carrying a word that together capture the best of the country. The words are Diversity, Home, Joy, Peace and Tolerance, in English and Arabic script, each one made in gold or silver, with gems in the colours of the national flag. The pendants are being sold until December 2.
From Dh2,550; etikajewels.com
Judith Leiber
Acclaimed handbag brand Judith Leiber is adept at creating limited-edition clutches to mark notable events around the world, and the UAE 51st National Day is no exception.
For this year, Judith Leiber has released a box frame clutch, completely blinged out in white Swarovski crystals. It features the logo of the UAE, with all seven Emirates depicted in red, green and black, making up the colours of the national flag.
Stocked at Harvey Nichols Dubai, Leiber's limited-edition commemorative bag is expected to sell out, despite the Dh16,116 price tag.
Terzihan
Founded in Istanbul's Grand Bazaar, Terzihan has grown to become a fine jewellery-maker of exceptional skill. To mark the UAE's 51st National Day, it has used that artisan knowledge to create a range of enamel and diamond pieces in the red, green, black and white, the colours of the national flag.
Strictly limited-edition, the delicate rose gold bangles are decorated in strips of colour that coil around the bracelet, or are in a linking chain motif. Both are scattered with white diamonds. Each piece is engraved with an individual serial number, to ensure it is unique.
The bangles are available exclusively at Al Fardan Jewellery in Nation Towers Mall, Abu Dhabi, for a limited time only, and cost Dh19,484 each.
Scroll through the gallery below to see more meal deals, staycations and family-friendly offers throughout UAE National Day
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
RESULT
Esperance de Tunis 1 Guadalajara 1
(Esperance won 6-5 on penalties)
Esperance: Belaili 38’
Guadalajara: Sandoval 5’
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Your rights as an employee
The government has taken an increasingly tough line against companies that fail to pay employees on time. Three years ago, the Cabinet passed a decree allowing the government to halt the granting of work permits to companies with wage backlogs.
The new measures passed by the Cabinet in 2016 were an update to the Wage Protection System, which is in place to track whether a company pays its employees on time or not.
If wages are 10 days late, the new measures kick in and the company is alerted it is in breach of labour rules. If wages remain unpaid for a total of 16 days, the authorities can cancel work permits, effectively shutting off operations. Fines of up to Dh5,000 per unpaid employee follow after 60 days.
Despite those measures, late payments remain an issue, particularly in the construction sector. Smaller contractors, such as electrical, plumbing and fit-out businesses, often blame the bigger companies that hire them for wages being late.
The authorities have urged employees to report their companies at the labour ministry or Tawafuq service centres — there are 15 in Abu Dhabi.
Asia Cup Qualifier
Final
UAE v Hong Kong
TV:
Live on OSN Cricket HD. Coverage starts at 5.30am
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
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This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
RACE CARD
6.30pm: Madjani Stakes Group 2 (PA) Dh97,500 (Dirt) 1,900m
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,400m
7.40pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 2,200m
8.50pm: Dubai Creek Mile Listed (TB) Dh132,500 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm: Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (D) 1,900m
10pm: Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (D) 1,400m
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Gully Boy
Director: Zoya Akhtar
Producer: Excel Entertainment & Tiger Baby
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Kalki Koechlin, Siddhant Chaturvedi
Rating: 4/5 stars
Zidane's managerial achievements
La Liga: 2016/17
Spanish Super Cup: 2017
Uefa Champions League: 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18
Uefa Super Cup: 2016, 2017
Fifa Club World Cup: 2016, 2017
Cricket World Cup League Two
Oman, UAE, Namibia
Al Amerat, Muscat
Results
Oman beat UAE by five wickets
UAE beat Namibia by eight runs
Fixtures
Wednesday January 8 –Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 – Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 – UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
FROM%20THE%20ASHES
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