Abu Dhabi: President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan issued a decree on Wednesday that November 30 will be observed as Martyrs’ Day in the UAE to salute the sacrifice of Emirati heroes who died in the line of duty for their country.
Martyrs Day will be marked annually.
Gulf News attempts to put together a compendium of all the citizens who laid down their lives for their country. We cannot forget these brave souls.
Martyred on November 30, 1971
On the eve of the UAE’s foundation in 1971, the Iranian troops invaded the island of Greater Tunb, ordering Salem Suhail Bin Khamis to lower the flag of Ras Al Khaimah.
The 20-year-old head of the island’s small police force refused. He defiantly raised the flag, and he would not put it down, so they shot and killed him while he was still carrying it.
Khamis’ death earned him a place in UAE history as the first martyr to die standing up for the nascent country.
Martyred on October 23, 1977
Saif Saeed Gobash, the UAE’s first Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, was assassinated on October 23, 1977, at Abu Dhabi airport as he passed through the departure lounge to bid farewell to the former Syrian foreign minister Abdul Halim Khaddam, who was on a visit to the UAE. Khaddam was the target of the attack, according to investigations conducted after the incident.
Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan had a chair in Gobash’s name kept at Georgetown University in Washington DC, not just to keep his memory alive but to make his memory a living contribution to human relationships, and a street in Abu Dhabi was also named after him last year.
Martyred on February 8, 1984
Khalifa Ahmad Abdul Aziz Al Mubarak, the UAE’s ambassador to France from 1980 until his death on February 8, 1984, was shot in the back of the head outside his Paris apartment, metres away from the Eiffel Tower. He died a few hours later at Saint Anne’s Hospital.
A street in Abu Dhabi was named after the Emirati diplomat in 2014.
Martyred on March 3, 2014
First Lieutenant Tariq Al Shehi, 41, died after an improvised terrorist bomb exploded on March 3, 2014 as joint security forces from GCC countries dispersed protesters in the village of Daih, near Manama in Bahrain.
He was a father of four children.
Martyred on December 17, 2014
First Lt Pilot Saif Khalaf Al Za’abi, 24, died during military exercises with Egypt.
A military aircraft crashed during a routine training exercise with the Egyptian Armed Forces. The crash was caused by a technical failure and took place on December 17, 2014.
He lost his life only a year after he got married and had a 25-day-old baby girl. Al Za’abi’s father and brothers are also enrolled in the Armed Forces.
Martyred on December 17, 2014
First Lt Pilot Abdullah Ali Al Hamoudi, 25, who was in the same aircraft with First Lt Pilot Al Za’abi, died during military exercises with Egypt. Al Hamoudi was also newly married and was survived by a wife, a baby boy, father and brothers who are all enrolled in the Armed Forces.
Martyred on June 24, 2015
Non-commissioned officer Hazim Obaid Al Ali, 40, died in routine military exercises as part of the Armed Forces’ involvement in Operation Restoring Hope with the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen.
The serviceman had seven children, between the ages of 3 and 14.
Martyred on July 18, 2015
Lieutenant Abdul Aziz Sarhan Saleh Al Ka’abi, 24, martyred while performing his national duty as part of Operation Restoring Hope of the Saudi-led Arab alliance aimed at supporting the people of Yemen and the legitimate government there.
Martyred on July 20, 2015
Non-commissioned officer Saif Yousuf Ahmad Al Falasi was killed while he was carrying out his national duty within the forces participating in Operation Restoring Hope, an Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia to back the legitimate government of Yemen.
Al Falasi, 35, was a father of five from Dubai.
Martyred on Saturday, August 8, 2015
First Corporal Juma Jawhar Juma Al Hammadi lost his life in Operation Restoring Hope in Yemen, an Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia.
Martyred on Saturday, August 8, 2015
First Corporal Khalid Mohammad Abdullah Al Shehi was killed while he was carrying out his national duty within the forces participating in Operation Restoring Hope, an Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia to back the legitimate government of Yemen.
Martyred on Saturday, August 8, 2015
First Corporal Fahim Saeed Ahmad Al Habsi also lost his life in Operation Restoring Hope in Yemen, an Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia.
Martyred on August 12, 2015
Corporal Abdul Rahman Ebrahim Eisa Al Beloushi was martyred while performing his national duty as part of the UAE forces in ‘Operation Restoring Hope’.
