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A four-day slate of world-class events and immersive Emirati experiences at Expo 2020 Dubai will mark 50 years since the founding of the UAE in show-stopping style, as the country celebrates its Golden Jubilee with renewed optimism for the next half-century.
Running from 1-4 December, the site-wide celebration will include world-class ceremonies, exceptional musical showcases, meaningful cross-cultural conversations, culturally-fused performances and engaging exhibits.
As announced by the UAE President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, 2021 is known as ‘The Year of the 50th’. Commemorating 50 years since the founding of the UAE in 1971, it is a moment to reflect on the remarkable journey of its ‘Early Dreamers’ as the nation looks to the next 50 years with the same bold ambition.
Highlights at Expo 2020 include UAE National Day, celebrated every year to commemorate 2 December 1971 when the UAE declared independence as a sovereign nation following the efforts of UAE Founding Father, the late His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, to unite the emirates.
From 1015 GST on Thursday, 2 December, visitors are invited to Expo 2020’s UAE National Day Ceremony at Al Wasl Plaza, including the raising of the flag, high-level speeches and anthem performances by a children’s choir, concluding with an Al Azi Performance by Al Wasmi. This will also feature alongside horses of the Dubai Police and the UAE Ministry of Interior Marching Band in the ‘Colours of the World Parade’ between 1245 and 1315 GST.
Simultaneously, a performance of ‘Al Azi’, where an Arabic poet leads a chorus that ‘answers’ his call, will take place at 1300 GST at Al Wasl Plaza. A gravity-defying aerial performance by Dubai Police will follow shortly after, alongside a 30-minute musical showcase by Emirati singer Fatma Zahrat Al Ain, and a jaw-dropping flyover display by the UAE Air Force aerobatics team ‘Al Fursan’.
Visitors are also invited to Expo’s Jubilee Stage and Dubai Millennium Amphitheatre (DMA) to watch a live broadcast of the UAE National Day Ceremony, broadcast from Hatta, from 1730 GST.
