Dubai: British embassies in Abu Dhabi and Dubai marked the 88th birthday of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth in a spirited fashion.
Hundreds of special guests from the British expatriate community — estimated to be 120,000 strong in the UAE — spilt into the embassy compounds to observe another milestone in the long history of their celebrated monarch.
Abu Dhabi’s celebrations were held on Wednesday night while Dubai’s birthday party was rolled out on Tuesday evening at the creekside compound under an array of lighted palm trees and Union flags. Both events kicked off with the playing of the national anthems of the UAE and the United Kingdom, followed by a cake cutting in honour of the longest-serving monarch in UK history.
The Salamanca Band and Bugles of The Rifles gave special performances after being specially flown in from the UK for the gala evenings.
Top guests of honour in Abu Dhabi included Shaikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development and Shaikha Lubna Al Qasimi, Minister of Development and International Cooperation.
Ambassador Dominic Jermey told Abu Dhabi revellers that the Queen’s birthday was a great milestone to reflect upon the close relationship between the UAE and the UK.
“The Queen’s Birthday Party is always an important occasion for us to celebrate and honour the special partnership between the UK and UAE, and above all to thank our Emirati hosts for their continued support for the bilateral relationship and the spirit with which they help this to flourish. The occasion demonstrates the importance the British people, our Government and Her Majesty the Queen attach to the relationship,” he said.
“There is much to be proud of in the long-standing friendship that spans well over two centuries and I’m delighted that I and my teams in Abu Dhabi and Dubai are playing our part in building stronger, wider and deeper bonds between our two great countries.”
Consul General Edward Hobart thanked the UAE for its unwavering support for improving economic relations as well as for supporting UK troops stationed in the region.
‘Joint goals’
“In the year of Her Majesty the Queen’s 88th birthday I’m delighted to see so many friends who work tirelessly to strengthen and nurture the already deep and vibrant ties between the UK and Dubai. These ties span the full bilateral spectrum from trade and investment to thriving education — and everything in between. I believe the success of this relationship is down to commitment, cooperation and a shared spirit to prosper for our peoples. The British contribution to Dubai is impressive and I look forward to finding new, ambitious and concrete ways of doing more together to deliver on our joint goals.”
British Minister of State for the Armed Forces, Mark Francois MP, also spoke at the event and thanked the UAE for its massive UK investment in DP World’s new UK port, noting that between 20,000 to 30,000 workers are needed to operate the site.
Large crowds were flanked by the iconic symbols of Great Britain such as the Union Jack as well as party sponsor Aston Martin cars — both vintage and modern — that have played a large role in past and present James Bond flicks over the past few decades.
Neil Slade, General Manager, Aston Martin Mena, said his company was proud to be part of a gathering honouring the Queen.
“It brings us immense pleasure, as a traditional British luxury car marque, to wish Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II well on her 88th birthday,” Slade said in a statement.
