Dubai - Arab Today
Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, has commended the launch of a nation-wide campaign to celebrate Flag Day, an occasion that coincides with the day President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan became President of the UAE, by Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The Flag Day falls on Nov.3, the day of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan's accession as President of the UAE. The campaign is the first event of the UAE's National Day celebration organised by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Community Development, on the occasion of the UAE's 42nd National Day celebrations. During the launch of the campaign, Sheikh Nahyan presented the UAE flag to Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid as a symbol of the unity of the sons and daughters of the nation and their love, loyalty and affiliation to their country, and a symbol of pride due to the UAE representing a unique cultural model of co-existence, tolerance, development and construction. He added that this flag was originally hoisted by the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan as a symbol of the UAE's Union in 1971, which has since then become the emblem of the nation. He said that pride in the UAE flag is a genuine expression of belonging to one's homeland, and agreeing on hoisting and protecting the UAE by showing love and working together, pointing out that these principles and values have become embedded in our souls, in both word and deed, by the wise leaders. Sheikh Nahyan called on all Emiratis to maintain national achievements and keep the UAE flag flying high, to participate in the campaign and to be always supportive of the leadership in order to move forward in building the nation. The campaign includes a large number of activities and events, including an exhibition of works by UAE artists and poetry competitions; in addition to that there will workshops to raise awareness of the importance of the nation's flag and ways to support it.