How Emiratis celebrate National Day abroad

When Thabet Al Qaissieh moved to London for a master's programme three months ago, among the few items that he asked to be sent from home was a kandura, Spirit of the Union pins and UAE flags.
"I've put up a flag on the window of my apartment and another flag inside," says Al Qaissieh, who is completing a postgraduate degree in political economy in the Middle East at King's College.
"And the Spirit of The Union pin is on me at all times."
Al Qaissieh, 31, will miss the celebrations planned for UAE's 42nd National Day, but plans to keep the spirit alive by getting together with other homesick Emiratis in the UK.
"This will be my third National Day outside the UAE," he says. "When I lived in Italy, we would go to the UAE embassy and meet other Emirati students, all dressed in kanduras, and eat ligamat [fried dough balls in date syrup] with coffee."
He plans to do the same this year. "I will be attending the flag ceremony at the UAE embassy."
Al Qaissieh, who is from Abu Dhabi, fondly remembers the 40th-year celebration at Zayed Sports City, with fireworks, music and the country's leaders participating in the ­festivities.
"Sheikh Mohammed was dancing on stage and the crowd was screaming in support. That was very memorable," he reminisces.
Reflecting on the progress made by the country in such a short time, he takes pride in the efforts that have been made to diversify the economy. "Creating Masdar and other initiatives seeking alternative energy is definitely noteworthy, especially for a Middle Eastern country," he says.
"But we are in the infancy phase of development and there is always more to achieve, not just on the economic front, but socially and ­culturally, too."
A time to give back
Khalifa Binhendi, who has been in the UK for three years, treats the homesickness that he feels when December 2 comes around by working with the UAE embassy to organise the day's get-together.
"I miss home," he says. "That is why I am volunteering at the embassy to set up National Day events and help pack giveaways," says the 21-year-old.
A final-year business management student at Middlesex University, Binhendi never misses an opportunity to wear a kandura with his Expo 2020 pin, and says that he likes to wander around Knightsbridge for a taste of home. "The area is always packed with Khaleejis and Emiratis. There are these small cafes selling Arabic food where I meet up with friends."
Binhendi will also be coordinating programmes for his non-profit organisation the 1971 Team, which he founded in Dubai two years ago. The group organises activities for people in special-needs categories and labourers on National Day.
Volunteers visit old-people's homes and special-needs centres in Dubai so that they can be part of the festivities.
"I started this because, personally, I am against the concept of parades and chaos to show patriotism," he says. "It is a headache to law enforcers and does not promote anything but mess."
Celebrating on the go
Hala Kazim from Dubai will recreate National Day's fanfare while on an excursion with 11 other Emirati women in Mauritius this year. The Emirati, who started Journey Through Change, a company that counsels and coaches through organised trips around the world, will take a break from horse riding, motorbiking, zip-lining and diving activities to remember the UAE today.
"I believe you can carry home anywhere you go," says Kazim.
"We have decided to decorate our cars and carry UAE flags with us around Mauritius."
Kazim says that she takes the day as an opportunity to thank the UAE for encouraging women to succeed in all fields.
"The support for women has been endless and I am a living example of that," she says.
For Kazim, who is married to a Scottish-Egyptian national, the biggest achievement was when Sheikh Khalifa, President of the UAE, passed a decree allowing children born to Emirati mothers and expatriate fathers to become ­citizens.
"It used to be a worry and, though we raised Hassan with Emirati values, for him to be recognised now is a relief."
Kazim's family decided to decorate the entrance with two oversized flags after Flag Day was announced this year. "I'm sure my sons and their father have something exciting planned as well."
"Celebrations around the country are always amazing," she says. "Every year, we wear our traditional attire and the scarves, waving our flags as we travel around the city."
Spreading the word
Khalid Saleh Al Ameri, who is based in Stanford, California, is preparing a National Day "potluck" gathering. "There are a few Emiratis on campus and around Santa Clara who got together last year as well," says Al Ameri, who is doing his MBA there.
"We dressed up the Emirati way and brought a local dish. We had our music on and took lots of pictures. We will be doing the same this year."
He says it's a chance to spark old memories and to make it a meaningful day. "We had guests who wanted to know more about the UAE. We showed them pictures and they got involved."
He says that this helps change the general conceptions about the Arab world and the progress that some of the countries have made.
Al Ameri, who lives in the US with his wife and two sons, says that being away from the UAE has helped him to understand more about his country and connect better to his roots.
"The wife and I wear an abaya and a kandura for the show and talk about our culture and country at our sons' nursery, explaining the UAE's history. Being a part of international culture has allowed our children to incorporate their own religion and culture equally."
Al Ameri, a columnist for The National, says that living abroad has made him realise that most Emiratis take the UAE for granted.
"Education, job security, financial, political and economic safety - it is all there for us. I think it is high time we understand that individual success and that of the country depends on the willingness to use all that to move forward."
aahmed@thenational.ae