For some expatriates, UAE is home away from home

Abu Dhabi/Dubai: While National Day arouses patriotic sentiments among Emiratis, scores of expatriates feel no differently as many of them have lived their whole lives here and have come to call this country their second home.

There are over 200 nationalities of diverse cultural backgrounds living peacefully in the UAE.

Gulf News spoke to expatriates who were born and raised in the UAE to find out what National Day means to them.

"My family arrived here in the 1970s. All my memories and aspirations are connected to this country: my school, university, friends, and the places I love the most," said Doha Al Wazany, a senior communications coordinator from Palestine.

"National Day means a lot to me and I always make sure to celebrate it. When I was in school I used to participate in parades. I feel so happy holding the flag and seeing young Emiratis celebrating. It makes me proud of being part of the development of the country," she said.

"In 1997 I won a prize for short story writing in a nation-wide contest. My story was about the UAE Federation and the difference it made to the lives of the people. It is an emotional occasion for me. It brings hope that one day my first home, Palestine, will be free and we will celebrate our own national day.

"Usually people are born with one place to identify as home. Every corner of the city here holds many of my thoughts. When I travel abroad, the first thing I do is to flip to a UAE channel to feel at home. It is a wonderful feeling to be in a place and see it growing and shaping its identity", she said.

Kamran Iftikhar, a Pakistani, who works as head of technical operations, said: "I like this place as much as my own home country. The UAE has always treated us equally." Iftikhar was born in the UAE in 1978, a year after his family moved to the country.

"My fondest memories of the UAE are the walks I had with my family on the corniche in Abu Dhabi. One of the places I really enjoy going to is the Mubazzara (hot springs) of Al Ain. I highly recommend this place to anybody who hasn't been there to visit during the winters", he said.

Day of joy

Iftikhar has seen the UAE grow during the past 30 years.

"I still remember the two-lane road that is now a multi-lane highway between Dubai and Abu Dhabi. On entering Dubai, the only building on the horizon was the Trade Centre. I salute Shaikh Zayed [Bin Sultan Al Nahyan] for giving us all this wonderful future and the President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, for carrying out his vision."

"National Day is a day of joy for me. I hope I can contribute to this wonderful nation in my own humble way."

For Mariam Keblawi, a 25 year old Palestinian-Lebanese living in Dubai, UAE is the only home she has known. She knows its anthem, history and culture more than her own war-torn state.

Mariam's forefathers, who were living in British mandate of Palestine in pre-1948, were forced to leave their home country and reside in Lebanon upon the establishment of the state of Israel. In early 1980s Mariam's family moved to Dubai permanently.

"I love my home country Palestine, but in reality UAE is the only country I know and belong to. I was born, raised and educated in this country. The country protected my rights and treated me with respect and dignity," she said.

Ala'a Salim, a 29-year-old Palestinian expatriate in Dubai, said he has been part of the UAE from its beginnings as a booming oil-based economy and growing into a knowledge-based economy.

He said the UAE is his home and will always be as he plans to raise his own family here.

All four of his grandparents are buried in the UAE Recently his mother, a dedicated educationalist, passed away and is buried in Dubai.

"My mother resided in Dubai during the 1970s and worked at the education ministry before taking a long career in teaching. We still have in our house old text books about the UAE," he said.

Salim said he had celebrated National Day his entire life.