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How top UAE Schools celebrated UAE Flag Day 2022

by Tabitha BardaNovember 3, 2022

Hundreds of schools across the United Arab Emirates joined together at 11am on 3 November to simultaneously mark UAE Flag Day.

There were a variety of celebrations, with each school choosing to mark the occasion in its own unique way.

While UAE Flag Day is not a Public Holiday – find out when the next UAE public holiday is here – it is nonetheless an important day for the nation to join together to express gratitude and loyalty to the UAE and its leadership.

This year, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, issued a tweet to ministries and institutions to raise the UAE flag uniformly at 11am on November 3.

٣ نوفمبر القادم تحتفل دولتنا بيوم العلم، ندعو كافة وزاراتنا ومؤسساتنا لرفعه بشكل موحد الساعة 11 صباحاً في ذلك اليوم. سيبقى علمنا مرفوعاً .. سيبقى رمز عزتنا ووحدتنا خفاقاً .. ستبقى راية عزنا ومجدنا وسيادتنا عالية في سماء الإنجاز والولاء والوفاء .. pic.twitter.com/eLmH90j5Ae

— HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) October 28, 2022

Of course, UAE schools followed suit, and SchoolsCompared was there to catch the action.

But first, a little history on the UAE flag…

The story of the UAE flag: Why is it red, white, green and black?

According to the UAE Protocol Department, the UAE flag was designed by Mr Abdulla Mohammed Al Ma’enah – who was just 19 years old at the time – after he read an advertisement announcing a competition in the Al Ittihad newspaper in Abu Dhabi two months prior to the declaration of the UAE’s formation in December 1971. About 1,030 designs participated, with only six short-listed, from which the present-day flag was ultimately selected.

The designer – who later became a Minister in the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs – was inspired by verses from a poem written by the poet Safi-u-ddin Al Hali. The colours of the UAE flag are said to symbolise the following:

Green for growth, prosperity, development, splendours, continued growth and progress.
White for good deeds, giving and generosity, striving to achieve and spread peace.
Black for power, strength and resilience people.
Red for the sacrifices of our nation’s sons, the legacy of their bravery, and the martyrdom instilled in the blood of courageous soldiers.

Here is how some of the UAE’s top schools marked UAE Flag Day today…

How top schools celebrated UAE Flag Day 2022

The English College

The English College marked UAE Flag Day with an outdoor flag-raising ceremony at 11am, along with hundreds of schools, government departments and institutions across the country. They said:

“Today we are proud to continue raising the national symbol for unity, progress and prosperity.”

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A post shared by The English College, Dubai (@englishcollege_dubai)

See our review of The English College here.

Durham School Dubai

One of the wonderful things about education in the UAE is its multiculturalism, and how children are taught to revere and respect traditions from all over the world. Nowhere is this more apparent than at Durham School Dubai: while its close ties with the historic Durham School in the UK – which traces its origins all the way back to the year 1414 – means it offers an authentic experience of being in a British independent school, students also get to enjoy the UAE Flag Day ceremony, learning about the rich culture of the country that they currently call home. Durham School Dubai held a whole-school assembly, where all staff and students were in attendance to watch the raising of the UAE flag this year.

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A post shared by Durham School Dubai (@durhamdubai1414)

See our review of Durham School Dubai here.

Safa Community School

Key Stage 3 Head Boy Yousuf Al Redha and Shahad Al Redha delivered a heartfelt speech about the history of the flag and the wonderful culture that surrounds it at Safa Community School for UAE Flag Day 2022. The whole school also dressed in the colours of the UAE flag to acknowledge its significance. The school quoted the words of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai as its inspiration:

“Our Emirati flag is the symbol of our union and strength, it is the pride of our parents and our children, under its banner we continue the march of progress and by raising it, our young people build the future.”

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A post shared by Safa Community School (@safa_scs)

See our review of Safa Community School here.

Bloom World Academy

Bloom World Academy unfurled a breathtaking, floor-to-ceiling, glossy UAE flag inside its school entrance area this morning.

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See our review of Bloom World Academy here.

South View School

Look at the grinning faces at South View School’s UAE Flag Day celebrations today. The school said:

“SVS proudly raised the UAE Flag in a formal ceremony today at 1100 hrs to commemorate the anniversary of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s assumption of office as the country’s leader. The flag consists of four colours — green, white, black, and red — which together represent unity. Red serves to bind all the colours of the flag and their meanings together and represents courage and strength. Green represents hope, joy, optimism, love, and prosperity. White represents peace and purity with black representing strength of mind. SVS is proud to be part of the UAE and its future.”

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A post shared by South View School Dubai (@southviewschooldubai)

See our review of South View School Dubai here.

GEMS Wellington Academy Al Khail

The youngest Emirati student in GEMS Wellington Academy Al Khail’s nursery and their oldest Emirati student in Year 13 helped to raise the flags today, representing the full age spectrum of Emirati youth in schools.

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See our review of GEMS Wellington Academy Al Khail here.

Safa British School

The Emirati students made their peers and teachers proud by preparing and presenting speeches to the Safa British School community today.

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See our review of Safa British School here.

Ranches Primary School

Ranches Primary School held a very solemn and respectful ceremony today, with the whole school gathering to mark UAE Flag Day. The school said:

“UAE Flag Day is a national occasion where people of the UAE remember the efforts of the founders of their State, Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid, and their brothers who sacrificed everything for the sake of their nation. It is a day when the national spirit is renewed, and an occasion to reflect on the achievements of the era of the late President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.”

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A post shared by Ranches Primary School (@rps_dubai)

See our review of Ranches Primary School here.

Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai

Principal Clare Turnbull was joined on stage by Mrs Al Bashir, as well as students Ahmed (Y6) & Maryam (Y7) for readings, which the whole school observed before raising the flags high and proud.

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See our review of Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai here.

Horizon English School

Emirati students were highlighted and celebrated at Horizon English School today, coming together at 11am to proudly raise the UAE flag in celebration of UAE Flag Day. The school said:

“It was a wonderful opportunity for us to come together as a school and show our gratitude and admiration for the country we all call home, as well as its founders.”

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See our review of Horizon English School here.

Nord Anglia School Dubai

Nord Anglia’s teachers and students gathered to raise the UAE flag on the occasion of Flag Day today.

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See our review of Nord Anglia School Dubai here.

Brighton College Dubai

Brighton College Dubai were very proud of their Emirati and UAE Ambassadors today for their confidence as they addressed the whole school in the virtual assembly for Flag Day.

Pupils accompanied Headmaster Simon Crane in talking about the significance of the event, then took part in the flag raising ceremony as the school sang the national anthem.