Here’s what you need to know about the celebration…

Every year, the UAE celebrates Flag Day on November 3, which this year falls on a Monday. It marks the anniversary of HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan becoming the President of the UAE in 2004.

The national campaign was launched in 2013 by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to honour the country’s past, present, and future.

While it is a significant cause to celebrate, it isn’t a public holiday – so no days off work (sorry). If you want to know when the next public holiday is, head to this link here.

What does happen on this day, however, is that the UAE flag is displayed proudly all over the country – outside ministries and government buildings, shopping malls, people’s houses and cars and so on.

It’s so important that HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai, Vice President and Prime Minister, issued out a reminder on his X (previously, Twitter) official account calling on both UAE citizens and residents to raise the UAE flag on Monday, November 3, at exactly 11am, ‘as an expression of the people’s unity and their gathering around their flag, and as an embodiment of the values of union, belonging, and loyalty to the homeland and its leadership.’

He ended the message with, ‘May the flag of the Emirates remain towering in glory. May the flag of the Emirates flutter in pride.’

You can view his entire message below.

What do the UAE flag colours mean?

UAE Flags

The UAE flag is made up of four colours – red, green, white, and black.

According to an official guide: Red symbolises the sacrifices of previous generations who laid the foundations for the union. Green symbolises growth, prosperity and cultural renaissance. White displays the nation’s charitable contributions and support for security and peace in the world. Black reflects the strength of Emiratis and their rejection of injustice and extremism.

Images: Emirates News Agency (WAM) and Getty Images