Brand UAE

E-Paper | June 13, 2026

Forty years ago the people of UAE came together to say they are one. Under the leadership of the late Sheikh Zayed, the nation was formed and in this process, a new spirit was born.

The UAE has a long history; a history that extends well beyond the last 40 years. Their history is made up of millions of stories that inspire each generation that passes. These stories and the spirit within them encapsulate the essence and make it the brand “UAE”.

The UAE today is truly at the heart of the globe, at the center of the Middle East; the success of the nation and the will of prosperity, and modernisation have survived the test of time and the world economy.

This year, the UAE is celebrating the 40th UAE National Day. The celebrations commenced on 24th of October and will end on 2nd of December 2011. As they celebrate the 40th National Day, they reflect on the spirit that ties them together; the spirit of union that enables millions of people to co-exist and build lives together.

UAE is home to more than 200 nationalities; the cosmopolitan communities of UAE have come together during these 40 day celebrations to celebrate a spirit of culture, heritage and most importantly the success of building the UAE brand.

Celebrations are at its peak with world diplomats and royalty attending various events; on 25th November, Prince Andrew, the British Duke of York, attended an event at The Club in Abu Dhabi to mark the UAE’s 40th Anniversary. The affair was also a prelude to honor the club’s 50th anniversary next year. Prince Andrew, a regular visitor to the UAE, said he was “really, really pleased” to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the founding of the UAE.

Even the skyline of Emirates is up for an opulent display. Emirates, the airline known for its luxury travel is giving its fans a treat. It will be taking to the sky in Abu Dhabi on Thursday afternoon, conducting a low pass over the Corniche and Yas Island. The Emirates fly past will be completed by one of the airlines acclaimed A380 aircraft carrying the official National Day Logo. “In recognition of this exciting milestone in the UAE’s history, Emirates wanted to find a unique way to celebrate with the people of the UAE, and what better way than taking the 40th anniversary message over the skylines.

Furthermore, UAE plans to give a treat to the philatelists as they have issued a set of commemorative stamps to mark the anniversary.

UAE and Luxury Tourism have become synonym and to offer this unparallel Luxury experience at exceptional rates, the Burj Al Arab celebrates the 40th National day by providing 40 per cent off on it suites.

MNC’s have also joined the bandwagon of celebrations. One such MNC; Montblanc has initiated a marketing idea by inviting the residents of UAE to write tribute to its ruling families in specially created commemorative guest books dedicated to the country’s rulers. The leather-bound books, together with limited edition Montblanc writing instruments, will be on display until 2nd December in key locations around the UAE.

For travelers visiting the UAE in the next few days, one cannot miss the show jumping competition at the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club on 1st and 2nd of December 2011. The Horse Riders Parade; 40 National male and female horse riders with customised dresses, carrying the UAE flag will participate on the main parade at Yas Marina Circuit and the Fireworks show on the Corniche lighting up the skyline of the capital on 2nd December at 8pm.

In midst of the Arab uprising; the revolutionary wave, demonstrations and protests occurring in the Arab world, the Emirates has been stable. It’s a country that has been transformed by its rulers from a desert into a thriving oasis and although post the economic down turn — there was a lot of speculation about the future and existence of the country yet one look around and you can see the life, the shopaholics and the best possible display of man-made grandeur.

Certainly, the Emiratis have a lot to celebrate!

Tannaz Bandukwalla is an engineer and writer. Her monarch legacy makes her inclined to International Politics. She currently writes for various international papers and can be reached at tannazb@gmail.com

The views expressed by this blogger and in the following reader comments do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Dawn Media Group.

Our readers are at the heart of everything we do.
Do you have a thought to share or a way we can improve? We’d love to hear it. Reach out to us at feedback@dawn.com.

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Abdul Samad

Dec 02, 2011 06:59pm

Monarch Legacy? Sounds like she wants to sing praises of the UAE rulers

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saeed

Dec 02, 2011 07:36pm

The writer is looking at the bright side of the picture. But people like me, who lost their earnings in UAE do not see it that way. There are thousands of people who invested in Ajman UAE. The developers ran away with buyers money and the government colluded with developers. Several letters to the rulers of UAE have gone unanswered. To me, it seems to be a lawless country.

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Iftikhar

Dec 02, 2011 08:07pm

The last passage in the blog sums up the dark side of UAE, and its rapid rise from a desert oasis into a shinning state, with gleaming towers with uniqe facades, man-made islands. more-than-one-could-ever-need-mega-malls, glitz and galmour - but which has very little soul. Dubai is the quintessential Las Vegas of the Middle East, where millions of foreign investors gambled their hard-earned money on the short-lived property boom, only to loose their shirt to the house. And the government of the UAE has done little to help recover over $100 billion in investors money, by being aloof, indifferent and too late to introduce laws and legislation to protect the very investors who were lured to these shores, to help make it into its present form. Who's blood, sweat and tears along with life-savings transformed this sleeping fishing outpost into a major city. Who gained in the end, at who's expense, is the crux of the matter. All claims to the contrary are hollow. Specially when you consider, that most of the rapid development in the UAE occured in just the last decade, where brand UAE was cleverly marketed to put it on the map. That is the only claim to fame I am happy to bestow on the rulers of this nation.

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kashif

Dec 02, 2011 08:46pm

a 12 year old could have written better!

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Ravi

Dec 02, 2011 09:16pm

Not really hard to manage a country when you have 100 Trillion $ worth of Oil under your lands. Native unemployment remains high. There is barely any technological development. If you take away the oil, the "brand UAE" loses most of its sheen.

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Dr. Salaria, Aamir A

Dec 02, 2011 11:04pm

Indeed, this is just the bright side of the picture.

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Syed Hasan

Dec 03, 2011 03:38am

In forty years, how many schools ?

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BRR

Dec 03, 2011 05:42am

Dubai is becoming what Monte Carlo used to be, a playground for the rich and famous. It competes for the disposable incomes of rich people all over the world. It creates services for the rich. It's tax policies are designed to entice moneyed people. It is like a zoo full of rich people catered to by poor slaves from S. Asia. What is being celebrated is the luxurious environment it has created for illgotten wealth.

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Taimoor

Dec 03, 2011 06:24am

Tourism. Is that what dubai be known for. If only they were known for their universities and colleges, alas the muslim countries have stooped to level of simply impressing western people. Dubai qatar, saudi arabia all these countries are so rich yet they squandered away wealth instead investing in their people. Dubai is an embarrassment.

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Mir Sultan Abbasi

Dec 03, 2011 06:41am

Go Bankuk, go! And go for you gun!! :-D

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Nikhil

Dec 03, 2011 10:32am

Few decades ago the UAE was one of the least developed countries of the world. Today, it has achieved an income level comparable to that of the industrialized nations. The writer has well documented the spirit of the nation and its uprise and what the country holds for the new age buyer. Thumbs up to the writer

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sid

Dec 03, 2011 10:42am

Ask the slaves from subcontinet who built the place. It's prolly the only country in the world where open racism happens everyday and goes unnoticed :(

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amir

Dec 03, 2011 11:48am

off course very good progress made by UAE. But how much they have done for the lower class sector of the society and specially for those majority of workers from subcontinent(pakistan, india, banladesh, srilanka etc) working on for 600dhs under 50 c temperature. Have UAE govt done any thing for this class or just they are spending their money for show off pupose and for elite class?????????????????

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M. Malik

Dec 03, 2011 11:54am

Fancy buildings, luxurious malls, artificial islands, does not a civilzed modern nation make. Without the system which affords fair rights and treatments to foreign workers, who make up 90% of the working population of the UAE, it is a house of cards. Despite havign leaped from a desert patch into a world class city states, Dubai, Abu Dhabi in particular still practice exploitation and slavery of third-world workers, particularly the large imported 'laborers from South Asia, who are routinely abused, subjected to harsh working and living conditions, have their passports and wages withheld, summarily deported over one-sided accusations without much of a process. Much less accorded rights to citizenship even after 20-40 years of toiling in the desert heat. Unlike most civilzed developed countries, UAE and much of the Gulf has a lot more to change to truly arrive into the 21st century to belong into the same league. Tall buildings along is not goign to do it. And one does not even need to mention the rather pathetic stage of the five smaller emirates, who are for all intents and purposes, may very well be in the 19th Century,

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Farhan

Dec 03, 2011 02:31pm

I always thought that being civilized was to do with being a good human being. Since when flashy cars, tall buildings, glittering shopping mall and so on have become the benchmark of being civilized!

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Javed

Dec 03, 2011 03:28pm

UAE is no less a Las Vega in the middle of Arabian Desert. And Dubai is notoriously lifeless, without a soul or character concrete-jungle. where the only pastime, is shopping or people watching inside glitzzy aiconditioned malls. Nothing else. Anyone who dreams of building a 'life' there is sadly, delllusional!

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Javed

Dec 03, 2011 03:34pm

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Shakeel Ahmed

Dec 03, 2011 05:56pm

The best part of living in UAE is freedom. Whenever I pray in any mosque, ther is no one to tell me who I am, how I pray and to which faith I belong. For me that is the greatest sign of a prosperin nation. God Bless the people of UAE

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Mahmood

Dec 03, 2011 07:00pm

...You pray in a 'mosque' in the UAE, because you are a Muslim (hopefully). And there also churches, temples etc..in the UAE for other faiths. No one asks any Muslim praying in mosque, what faith he belongs to anymore than one asks a jew why he is praying in Synagouge. UAE or any nation has nothing to do with that - though from your premise, one can assume that you are asked to prove if you are a Muslim, before setting foot in a mosque in Pakistan!?

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JAVED A. KHAN

Dec 04, 2011 04:19am

M. Malik -- they are scared to give citizenship and passports because they have seen what happened in Fiji. Even those who got the UAE passports like our family in the early '70s because of working there since the sixties, those passports are valid only for one year and you have to keep renewing it. Whereas, if you are working for the government you get a 5 year visa (aqama). The older generation who built Dubai were very kind and nice whereas the new generation born with silver spoon in their mouth are exactly opposite. I don't understand what was wrong in my yesterday's comment which was in simple English in which I had briefly mentioned the history of Dubai. But, DAWN has their own policy and I am not sure even this one will meet their approval.

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Zahid

Dec 04, 2011 11:23am

Yes questions do not get asked in any other country except Pakistan and hence the place is not conducive enough as is the case in UAE.

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Fatema

Dec 04, 2011 12:04pm

A very glazed picture of UAE which is indeed not realistic !

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protyusha

Dec 04, 2011 03:45pm

the writing gives a feel of the place and true spirit

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Paes

Dec 04, 2011 04:41pm

the writing gives a feel of the place . the writer brings out the tourism of the country-the country is best for a holiday to chill out.

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Mahmood

Dec 04, 2011 04:49pm

What utter nonse Zahid. Your comment defies simple logic. I been livin in Pakistan most of my life,travel around the country and around the world regularly, and visit mosques in many cities in pakistan and outside Pakistan regularly. Never once have anyone stopped and asked me about my faith anywhere in Pakistan or anywhere else for that matter. You must be living in predominantly Christian or Hindu populated little corner of the country.On the other hand, a lot takes place inside UAE mosques, which is simply unislamic!

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roquefort

Dec 05, 2011 06:03am

I could have googled to get this information.A poor choice,useless blog.

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Maria

Dec 05, 2011 08:01am

I think you have just drank up the message in the UAE's glossy tourist magazines but trust me, apart from people from the developing world the UAE has no charm or magic. I live in North America and the UAE is viewed by Westerners with the same look as all the other Arab nations. Namely, culturally repressed Third World societies. The charm is only for Africans, South Asians and Fillipinos who want to escape the poverty of their home countries and will do any job under any circumstances. Most of the Europeans or Westerners there are the ones who couldn't get a decent job back home and they are bribed large sums of money just to make the place look a little cosmopolitan. When they make a few bucks, they too will move on and leave the desert kingdoms where no one plans to live for any length of time. This is the reality.

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pradip

Dec 05, 2011 10:30am

Hello bandukwalla, If you want to write about Dubai, first read this article in The Independent -published way back in 2009 in the time tested investigative journalism style - not, paid propaganda. http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators...

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