EID AL ETIHAD REFLECTS UAE'S EVOLVING IDENTITY

How unity, tolerance and ambition shape a nation that blends heritage with a forward-looking vision

- BY KRISTIAN P. ALEXANDER | Special to Gulf News

Every year on December 2, the UAE marks Eid Al Etihad, its National Day, a moment that transcends commemoration.

For Emiratis, it is not simply a historical anniversary as it is a living expression of national identity, unity, and purpose. While every country celebrates a national day, few do so with the same blend of cultural pride, inclusivity, and forward-looking confidence that the UAE projects. National Day in the Emirates is unique precisely because it captures a story still being written, one of nation-building, modernity, and social transformation.

A Union born of vision, not circumstance

The UAE is one of the few modern states whose national identity did not emerge from war, revolution, or political rupture. Instead, the union was built through consensus, negotiation, and leadership foresight. The founding fathers, led by the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, imagined a federation grounded in cooperation and shared destiny at a time when such an idea was far from inevitable. This makes National Day not just a remembrance of 1971, but a celebration of a political culture that values stability, unity, and pragmatic statecraft. These qualities continue to define the UAE's domestic and foreign policies today.

Tolerance and coexistence as cornerstones of identity