If you’ve been wondering why you are seeing so many UAE flags flying around the emirates, it is because November 3 is officially known as UAE Flag Day – a dedication to the significance of the founder of the state, His Royal Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
UAE Flag Day was first launched in 2013, by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and the Ruler of Dubai.
Since then it has become customary that at 11am on November 3, citizens across the UAE raise their flags as a sign of national celebration. Now more than a decade since the tradition started, the general protocol is that schools, business, individuals, and government offices are encouraged to display the flag outside of their offices or domiciles.
٣ نوفمبر القادم تحتفل دولتنا بيوم العلم، ندعو كافة وزاراتنا ومؤسساتنا لرفعه بشكل موحد الساعة 11 صباحاً في ذلك اليوم. سيبقى علمنا مرفوعاً .. سيبقى رمز عزتنا ووحدتنا خفاقاً .. ستبقى راية عزنا ومجدنا وسيادتنا عالية في سماء الإنجاز والولاء والوفاء .. pic.twitter.com/eLmH90j5Ae
— HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) October 28, 2022
The tradition is held in very high esteem by many, including Sheikh Mohammed who a few days ago tweeted encouraging ministries and institutions to be ready to raise their flags.
About the UAE flag
The flag’s colors, red, white, green and black, are the pan-Arab colors and each represent a particular trait. The red represents courage, green is for hope, white for honesty, and finally black signifies the strength of mind.
Ultimately the flag stands for unity of Arabs, and for that reason, while not a public holiday, the tradition is widely observed annually.