Live updates: follow the latest news on UAE National Day 2021
It was the summer of 1971 and plans were being made to celebrate the fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed’s accession as Ruler of Abu Dhabi.
The Founding Father, though, had other ideas. As the messages of congratulations flooded in from, among others, Queen Elizabeth II and the government of Japan, he announced a postponement of celebrations until later in the year.
There were more pressing matters in hand with a deadline by the end of December to bring together the seven emirates as one independent country.
There is a decisive matter that relates to our very existence and our political future ... and that is the establishment of a union
Sheikh Zayed,
the Founding Father
“There is something more important,” Sheikh Zayed explained on August 6, the anniversary date. “There is a decisive matter that relates to our very existence and our political future.
“And that is the establishment of a union, which compels us all to give it all the effort and hard work we can to fulfil the will of the people in this region.”
By Ramadan, which began in late September that year, negotiations to create the UAE were almost complete. A meeting that ended on November 25 fixed the date of union for December 2.
At the same time, newspapers were able to announce that fifth anniversary celebrations would take place the following week. The equivalent of Dh434,000 had been set aside for the three-day event.
The remarkable colour photographs here that record the fifth anniversary were taken by Bruno Barbey, a Moroccan-born French photographer on assignment in Abu Dhabi for the formation of the UAE.
Barbey, who died last year aged 79, gained remarkable access to events like a celebration banquet for Sheikh Zayed, but also everyday scenes as ordinary people celebrated the anniversary.
They show a parade along the Corniche, horse and camel races and the happiness of the occasion, expressed in one photograph of a smiling young boy with a huge Abu Dhabi flag attached to his bicycle.
The details of the anniversary were also recorded by Al Ittihad, the country’s Arabic-language newspaper, then barely a year old. Celebrations included two concerts by Umm Kulthum, the most famous singer in the Arab world.
First came a parade along the Corniche beginning at 10am on Sunday, November 28, watched by Sheikh Zayed, described by Al Ittihad in the convention of the time as “His Greatness the State Ruler,” and accompanied by members of his family, including the current President Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince.
The procession featured soldiers and equipment from the Abu Dhabi Defence Force and a marching band with bagpipes led by Col Bart Bartholomew, a British officer formerly of the Trucial Oman Scouts.
Sheikh Zayed next went to Al Manhal Palace, the Ruler’s official residence, in which, according to Al Ittihad, he would “receive guests, delegations and UAE citizens, and will attend a ceremony where songs will be performed and poems will be chanted in his honour”.
A Barbey photograph shows one of those poets reading a Nabiti verse, a Gulf Arab Bedouin style of vernacular poetry that goes back at least 800 years.
A lunch banquet followed, after which Sheikh Zayed, accompanied by Sheikh Rashid, the Ruler of Dubai, went for an afternoon of horse racing, with a firework display and music from an army band outside Al Manhal Palace.
The evening ended late, with Sheikh Zayed attending the first Umm Kulthum concert which began at 10.30pm.
The second day began early, with Sheikh Zayed heading out at 8am for a series of ceremonies for projects central to transforming Abu Dhabi into modern Arab city.
First was the inauguration of the breakwater, designed to protect the city from flooding, and which today has been expanded to include Marina Mall and Lulu Island.
By early afternoon, Sheikh Zayed had held ceremonies for an inner road, the new Hilton Hotel (today the Radisson Blu), laid foundation stones for Abu Dhabi Media TV studios and a police college, and inaugurated a training centre.
Later that day, he was able to take a break for camel racing before hosting an evening banquet and briefly attending another music concert before visiting an art festival organised by the Ministry of Information and Tourism.
In between, he also inaugurated what would become the first motorway between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, now the E11. He also visited schools and public housing projects, and dropped in at the Indian Social and Cultural Centre.
The celebrations finished on December 30, with the second Umm Kulthum concert and an official reception for the singer at Al Manhal Palace.
Late that evening, Iranian forces would invade and take control of Abu Musa Island and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs. After three days of celebrations, it was a reminder of the challenges to come.
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: ten-speed
Power: 420bhp
Torque: 624Nm
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TOURNAMENT INFO
Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier
Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi
Why are you, you?
Why are you, you?
From this question, a new beginning.
From this question, a new destiny.
For you are a world, and a meeting of worlds.
Our dream is to unite that which has been
separated by history.
To return the many to the one.
A great story unites us all,
beyond colour and creed and gender.
The lightning flash of art
And the music of the heart.
We reflect all cultures, all ways.
We are a twenty first century wonder.
Universal ideals, visions of art and truth.
Now is the turning point of cultures and hopes.
Come with questions, leave with visions.
We are the link between the past and the future.
Here, through art, new possibilities are born. And
new answers are given wings.
Why are you, you?
Because we are mirrors of each other.
Because together we create new worlds.
Together we are more powerful than we know.
We connect, we inspire, we multiply illuminations
with the unique light of art.
Ben Okri,
'Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore'
Rating: 3/5
Directed by: David Yates
Starring: Mads Mikkelson, Eddie Redmayne, Ezra Miller, Jude Law
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
MATCH INFO
Leeds United 0
Brighton 1 (Maupay 17')
Man of the match: Ben White (Brighton)
Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
Is it worth it? We put cheesecake frap to the test.
The verdict from the nutritionists is damning. But does a cheesecake frappuccino taste good enough to merit the indulgence?
My advice is to only go there if you have unusually sweet tooth. I like my puddings, but this was a bit much even for me. The first hit is a winner, but it's downhill, slowly, from there. Each sip is a little less satisfying than the last, and maybe it was just all that sugar, but it isn't long before the rush is replaced by a creeping remorse. And half of the thing is still left.
The caramel version is far superior to the blueberry, too. If someone put a full caramel cheesecake through a liquidiser and scooped out the contents, it would probably taste something like this. Blueberry, on the other hand, has more of an artificial taste. It's like someone has tried to invent this drink in a lab, and while early results were promising, they're still in the testing phase. It isn't terrible, but something isn't quite right either.
So if you want an experience, go for a small, and opt for the caramel. But if you want a cheesecake, it's probably more satisfying, and not quite as unhealthy, to just order the real thing.
Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
Read more about the coronavirus
Top 10 most polluted cities
- Bhiwadi, India
- Ghaziabad, India
- Hotan, China
- Delhi, India
- Jaunpur, India
- Faisalabad, Pakistan
- Noida, India
- Bahawalpur, Pakistan
- Peshawar, Pakistan
- Bagpat, India
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
