As we celebrate the 40th UAE National Day, we reflect on the spirit that ties us together, the Spirit of the Union that enables millions of people to coexist and build lives together. The Spirit of the Union is derived from the vision and leadership of the His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (Late), and now lives on through His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and his fellow leaders of the nation’s Emirates who are shaping the UAE’s future.It is the spirit that binds the cosmopolitan community of the UAE, connecting us under one banner, one flag, but with many voices. It is the Spirit of the Union that celebrates our culture and heritage, and yet shapes our future. This spirit needs to be celebrated and shared by all citizens and residents of the United Arab Emirates.
The National Day of the UAE is celebrated on 2nd December every year. The United Arab Emirates is a federation of 7 emirates, namely, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain, Sharjah, Fujairah and Ajman. From a desert land of yore,the UAE has emerged as a glittering metropolitan with the spirit of globalization permeating its very veins.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) was formed in the year 1971 under the leadership of Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. In the beginning, UAE was a federation of six emirates to which the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah was added a year later. The national assembly has representatives from each one of the emirates while the Ruler of each emirate has to vote in the Supreme Council of Rulers.UAE oil reserves are ranked as the world's sixth-largest and it possesses one of the most developed economies in West Asia. It is the thirty-fifth-largest economy at market exchange rates, and has a high per capita gross domestic product (GDP), with a nominal per capita GDP of US$ 47,407 as per the International Monetary Fund (IMF). It is 15th in purchasing power per capita and has a relatively high Human Development Index for the Asian continent, ranking thirtieth globally. The UAE is classified as a high-income developing economy by the IMF.