Abu Dhabi
With National Day less than a month away, residents in the UAE are already gearing up for the celebration by sending their cars to speciality shops that offer customised decorations.
From simple flags to full body paint, residents are paying as much as Dh20,000 each to celebrate the day in colour.
Badr Abdul Rahman, 25, an Emirati who lives in Ras Al Khaimah, expressed his enthusiasm about National Day, saying he has already decorated his car.
“This love for decorating cars runs in my blood, I’ve been doing it ever since I got my first car in 2006. I’ve used watercolours on the hood, and put pictures of the [rulers] on the car,” Abdul Rahman told Gulf News.
He added that he had already decorated the car for Flag Day, and will be participating in upcoming parades for National Day.
Owners of car workshops that provide such decorations are reporting a hike in the number of cars they have been receiving starting from November.
Nabeel Al Sayed, owner of Door-to-Door Auto services in Dubai, said the clientele for such services is either Emiratis or non-Emiratis who have been living the UAE for a very long time.
“We have already started receiving requests and next week we’re getting a car. The most popular designs are flags with some sayings like ‘Happy National Day’ or quotes for [President His Highness] Shaikh Khalifa [Bin Zayed Al Nahyan],” Al Sayed said.
“We have a designer for cars, and customers can choose from that, or they can tell us their own designs, and the design can be peeled off later,” he added.
Al Sayed noted that prices range from Dh15,000 to Dh20,000.
Another owner of a car workshop agreed, saying that he has already received requests for several car owners.
Mohammad Samir, owner of Smooth Car Accessories in Abu Dhabi, noted that his clientele comprises Emiratis.
“Most of the cars we get are big cars like Land Cruisers, Pajero, and Hummer. The designs customers ask for are flags, flowers, and photos of our leaders,” Samir said.
While there will be parades all over the country, the police have set guidelines on various rules that participants need to adhere to.
