UAE National Day 2022: A celebration of achievements

Rashed A. Al Ansari, CEO, Al Ansari Exchange

As we join the entire nation to celebrate the National Day today, we are extremely proud of our country’s remarkable journey over the past 51 years. Today, as we stand tall, we are reminded of the history of our country, which has made incredible achievements in numerous fields under the flag of the Union. This historic day reflects the sense of belonging to one’s country, the devotion to our great leaders, and the principles and ideals of the Union instilled by the founding father, the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. On this occasion, we, at Al Ansari Exchange, send our warmest greetings to the leadership and the citizens of the UAE. We reaffirm our dedication to the UAE’s growth and pledge to help pave the way for a brighter future in keeping with the ambitious objectives of our country. Furthermore, we would like to congratulate His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and Members of the UAE Supreme Council and Rulers of the Emirates, for successfully guiding the nation towards a brighter and more prosperous future.

Adeeb Ahamed, MD, LuLu Financial Group

The UAE has always been a home for millions of people — welcoming and tolerant with people’s welfare at the heart of all its activities. As someone who has grown up in the UAE, I feel blessed that I have been part of its journey, and able to contribute to the development of its social and economic progress. The UAE is today a leader in digital technologies and scientific research, and we owe it to the nation’s visionary leaders for inspiring the youth and other generations to think ahead. I congratulate the UAE’s wise and humanitarian Rulers, the ruling families and all the people of this great nation on the occasion of the 51st National Day. The mega promotional campaign ‘Send Money Win A Home’ is in full swing, and we are targeting the National Day to increase its reach among our UAE customers. All UAE residents can participate in the Send Money & Win a Home in Dubai promotion through LuLu Exchange branches or by transferring money using the LuLu Money App during the UAE National Day holidays and win prizes worth 1 million dirhams!

We are quite upbeat about 2023, and its prospects for the cross-border payments sector. The UAE remains one of the most progressive markets for remittances, with a stable infrastructure and industry-friendly regulations being rolled out in sync with the sector’s growth. To capitalise on the opportunities, LuLu Exchange has set itself an ambitious plan for 2023. Our retail branch network will be expanded to include over 100 branches in the UAE. Today LuLu Exchange has 91 branches in the country. The company will also accelerate the growth of LuLu Money — a digital-first mobile app for remittance, as well as scale the WPS offerings to serve the UAE’s underbanked community better.

Eugene Mayne, Founder & CEO, Tristar Group

Every anniversary celebrates the preceding 364 days, but today, we also commemorate the previous 51 years that define this nation with distinction. When Tristar started operations in 1998, we did not fully grasp all our possibilities and opportunities, be it from location, internal relations, business-centricity, or the astonishing development of infrastructure and intellectual capacities. We certainly did not imagine growing our operations to 29 countries in 24 years.

This is the UAE’s power and promise: ease of adopting innovation, speed of embracing change, grace of enjoying global prominence. Aspirations and ambitions have no limits here – for anyone.

We are thankful to all the Rulers and residents of the UAE for joining our journey. In turn, we renew our commitment to sustainable development to make it a better place with a brilliant future — for everyone.

Sebastian T. Michael, Director, UNO Capital

On National Day, we, at UNO Capital, would like to wish the Rulers, citizens and residents of this wonderful nation more success and triumph.

Today, we take this opportunity to express our admiration and thankfulness and join all citizens and residents to celebrate this Glorious day.

In commemoration of 51st National Day, we will be offering 25 per cent discount on professional fees for all our services.

In our relentless pursuit of excellence and in the spirit of achieving business growth, 2023 will see UNO Capital entering newer markets in South East Asia and East Africa.

Pranav Sinha, Head – Middle East, VFS Global

Travel has seen a strong recovery in 2022 with borders reopening and the pent-up demand for travel fueling one of the longest peak seasons the industry has witnessed. We expect this trend to continue well into 2023 and are optimistic of the travel industry making a strong recovery in this post-covid travel era.

As an organisation, VFS Global will continue to put customer experience and satisfaction at the front and centre of all our operations, with a sustained focus on digitisation for an improved application journey.

Tarannum Malik, Managing Director, Al Aliyo Hydrofarms

The UAE has proven to be a visionary nation time and again. We have pursued innovation while firmly holding on to our traditions and values. We have achieved this because the Rulers of the UAE put people at the core of every initiative.

Al Aliyo Hydrofarms’ vision is in sync with the UAE National Agenda to strengthen the food supply chains across all strata of society as a top priority. We aim to contribute to the UAE government’s food security efforts by providing green fodder of the highest quality directly to farmers.

In addition to hydroponic fodder, we have consciously added the green vegetables vertical to make a wholesome food basket with healthy leaves and spice roots — an essential requirement for a healthy lifestyle. Our introductory food basket includes garlic greens, spring onions, fenugreek, and mustard leaves. Our premium farm-fresh greens packed with anti-oxidants are rich in vitamins and minerals, which will improve digestion and provide holistic nutrition.

Clint Khan, Director, Y-Axis

As a nation of diverse thoughts and cultures, the UAE’s growth story mirrors the ambition of its people.

Y-Axis, the leading overseas immigration consultant in the UAE, provides unbiased and streamlined immigration services for every client based on their interests and requirements. It provides the right guidance and counselling support, which improves the chances of your visa success.

The UAE is a prime launch pad for companies seeking global markets. Due to its geographical location, it is an ideal hub to operate from. The UAE is the world’s best country to live in when it comes to expat experience, family life and affordability. We look forward to launching our Destination UAE programme in 2023. This is a work, study, and invest in the UAE programme that targets aspiring entrepreneurs, students, professionals, and investors looking to explore new opportunities in the UAE.

Dr Thumbay Moideen, Founder & President, Thumbay Group

At Thumbay Group, we are celebrating the UAE’s 51st National Day with great honour and pride. As a businessman who has spent a quarter century of his life with the family in this beautiful country, we remain consistently aligned to the vision of the UAE Founding Father, Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan and continue serving this country that stands tall on the global stage in all key areas of economic development — infrastructure, health and safety, investments, education, leisure and tourism. The last 50 years have seen the UAE transforming from a desert to an innovation and technology hub. Thumbay Group has completed 25 years and grown from Gulf Medical University in Ajman to a leading business conglomerate, with successful core business ventures in education, healthcare delivery and wellness. We are inspired by the country’s leadership, vision and mission, that have continuously raised the bar for development across every sector and are honoured to have developed alongside the country.

On the occasion of the 51st National Day, we renew our commitment and promise to continue delivering world-class, integrated services for the community of the UAE.

Paras Shahdadpuri, Chairman, Nikai Group

My heartiest congratulations to the UAE President His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and Rulers of all Emirates of the UAE on the joyous occasion of 51st anniversary of National Day. My sincere salutes to the visionary leadership of the UAE for constantly raising the bar and making this country the envy of the region, and the world. The UAE has stood ahead of its time in every sector. Whether it’s in economic progress, the political landscape or global diplomacy, the UAE has galloped ahead of many developed nations. It is heartening to see more than 200 nationalities living in perfect harmony, peace and security. We also salute the UAE’s very deep, comprehensive and strategic partnership with India.

Nitin Jain, Director, Affordables

On this 51st UAE National Day, Team Affordables would like to congratulate the leaders of the UAE and extend its warmest wishes to all the communities of the UAE. The UAE has always led by example and proven its resilience time and again. On this special day, Affordables is giving away customers a free T-shirt with the UAE national flag on purchase of Dh150. More exciting offers are awaiting for our loyal customers this season. 2023 is going to be the year of resilience. Retail industry has to recover from its share of difficulties. It’s been tough in the past few years for the world economy. The New Year brings new hopes, refreshed energies and the ability to withstand adversity and bounce back from the pandemic-related challenges. We have a few projects in the pipeline, which will be announced soon. Meanwhile, we will keep brining in amazing new collections and offers for everyone.

Nayana Tharoor, Founder & Artistic Director, Dancers Across Borders (DAB)

DAB marks its second anniversary today. This National Day, we are hosting Season 5 of our travel dance series at our home base in the UAE. An 18 member crew comprising instructors, students and artists are coming together to celebrate life through choreography, community dance practice, social and cultural studies, aesthetics and interdisciplinary arts. We cannot think of a better way to celebrate our National Day in the UAE than this.

DAB intends to launch four seasons in 2023. Season 6 will be a live show in Dubai, giving an opportunity for dancers and artistes from around the world to come together and showcase their journey with DAB live on stage. During Season 7, we are hoping to travel to Turkey with our students and explore art, movement and culture by collaborating with artistes in Turkey, while for Season 8, we aim to travel to the UK and launch our very first classical Broadway show.

Ramesh Ramakrishnan, Chairman, Transworld Group

Transworld Group Dubai has taken a bold step to diversify its fleet from the traditional container ship business and its subsequent participation in the dry bulk segment it has now ventured into the liquid bulk segment with the purchase of two vessels of 74k DWT flying the Panama flag. The purchase of two LRl tankers, named TTC Vidyut and TTC Shakti, marks a new era in the 46 year history of the group. The tankers which are trading in clean petroleum products will be employed on worldwide trades. The current strategy of the company is to focus on the East of Suez so the vessels will fix their initial voyages in the East, however, long-haul moves to the West will be targeted on the basis of market requirements. Established in 1977 and headquartered in the UAE, today Transworld Group’s activities go far beyond those in container feeders, dry bulk and liquid bulk. With offices around the globe and with a capability of handling complete end-to-end logistics solutions, we are positive about the future growth trajectory for our group. Having the UAE as our headquarters has helped us, thanks to its business-friendly atmosphere and ease of doing business with JAFZA. I wish that this National Day brings fortune and success for each and every one of us and the UAE sees more progress in the coming years.

Wasfi Kaso, Chief Executive Officer, Emirates Food Industries

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the visionary leaders of the UAE on this auspicious occasion. We are proud to be an Emirati home-grown company that has aligned itself with the vision of the UAE in every aspect, especially in food security. We are a fully integrated food and beverage company that has recently launched our brand Hayatna in the UAE. With consumers becoming increasingly conscious about their health and well-being, Hayatna is trying to address this through its extensive value-added products portfolio. Hayatna has launched 100% Organic Juices, which makes the brand the only producer of organic juice in the GCC. We will continue to add to our portfolio in 2023 in our endeavour to be the preferred choice of consumers looking for products that complement an active and healthy lifestyle.

Hany M Haneef, Founder and CEO, American Specialty Foods Co.

Our best wishes for the good health and well-being of the Rulers, citizens, and the expat community of the UAE. We sincerely appreciate the continuous support provided by our business partners across the globe. We are launching diverse categories in 2023 and extending the sales operations across the European Union and African region.

Hanil Das, Executive Director and Co-Founder, Westford University College

UAE is a great example of a nation built on excellence, and this journey of excellence began with the Founding Father of the UAE, Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. It is an honour to be a part of a nation that is deeply immersed in culture, progress, and growth. On the 51st UAE National Day, we extend our heartfelt wishes and congratulate the leadership and the people of the UAE. The UAE is a melting pot of cultures and it epitomises the best version of globalisation. Westford embodies a similar culture, with more than 140 nationalities across all courses making it a global community for students. With easy access to student visas, international universities and technological advancements, the UAE is the best destination for a global education experience.

This year Westford, under the banner of Westford Excellence Awards, is aiming to recognise and honour companies for business excellence and the best brands. It will also have Service Excellence Awards for notable individuals in the UAE across all sectors.

Imran Khan, Director, Black Tulip Flowers

We would like to convey our sincere gratitude towards the exemplary leaders of the UAE for their unbiased support, which has enabled us to become a known brand in the floriculture industry and contribute to the UAE economy.

Following the vision of the UAE, we are planning to go paperless in 2023, and minimise our impact on the environment. We also have plans to expand our operations to Kenya and Ethiopia to increase our production and meet the ever-growing demand for fresh cut flowers in the UAE. Furthermore, we will organise floral exhibitions in 2023 to inspire local businesses by providing them exposure to international design concepts and help them prosper in this sector.

Walid Gomaa, Acting Chief Executive Officer, Omnix International

We would like to congratulate the UAE on its 51st National Day. The UAE has been a leading example in the region for fostering innovation, automation, and development. The UAE has been a frontrunner in adopting digital transformation and emerging technologies, as well as pushing sustainability in all areas of business and life. Omnix International is delighted to operate its regional office out of the UAE.

IT spending in the UAE is forecast to increase at 6.5 per cent over 2020-2023 to reach $8.2 billion. Software and services demand will drive IT spending growth over the medium term. Demand from large industries for solutions on cloud computing, data analytics, cybersecurity, and IoT will rise.

At Omnix, we are making crucial investments in the UAE with our state-of-the-art Centre for Excellence which provides SOC, NOC, and OCC services. Additionally, we are making tremendous progress to support the UAE government in areas such as smart governance and smart cities. We are ready to be part of the UAE government’s metaverse initiative with our unique offerings.

Mohammad Meraj Hoda, Vice President– Emerging Markets, Ring

We express our heartfelt greetings on the occasion of the UAE’s 51st National Day! We are proud to be a part of this country, where the security of residents is of top priority. Ring is committed to keeping residents and communities secure, and we are excited to serve them with our most advanced technology in 2023 and beyond. In conjunction with Etisalat and our partners, we will continue to improve our customers’ privacy, safety, and convenience.

This National Day, Ring is offering up to 28 per cent off on our Indoor Cam and the Stick Up Cam Battery at ACE, Virgin Megastore, Sharaf DG and Jumbo Electronics.

Rajiv Warrier, CEO, Choithrams

We wish all the citizens and residents of the UAE a very happy National Day. The last 51 years have witnessed astronomical growth for the UAE and we are happy that we have contributed to this growth. We have decorated our stores to celebrate this wonderful occasion and consumers can look forward to enjoying our special offers.

2022 has been an encouraging year and we look forward to significant growth in 2023 as well. We will open five new stores by the end of 2022 and have several new stores planned in 2023 as well. Online shopping has been a key driver of growth for us during the past few years and we will invest to enhance our customer value proposition.

The response of consumers to our newly introduced Bounz loyalty programme has been very positive and we will continue to deliver our Full of Goodness promise to our loyal customers in 2023.

Muhammad Ali Saeed Shaikh, CEO, Shaikh Mohd. Saeed Est

I wish the readers of Gulf News a very happy National Day. Let’s celebrate the 51st National Day with full enthusiasm and pride. May Allah bless the nation with peace, prosperity and greater progress for humanity.

Our product development team and manufacturing unit always takes care of special days. We have launched a special National Day gift pack comprising a variety of new fragrances. This is available in our Shaikh Saeed, Al Hunaidi and online perfume stores.

Dr Shareef Abdul Khader, Managing Director, ABC Cargo

The visionary leaders of the UAE have built the infrastructure and facilities that match the best nations and welcomed the world to the UAE with an open heart. Those who arrived here worked hard to progress this nation, contributing to its socio-economic development.

The UAE has become a benchmark for quality and opulence. With its high-rise buildings, shopping experiences, leisure facilities, beaches and parks, the nation is popular with tourists, drawing visitors from around the world. Citizens and expats live in the UAE with harmony and celebrate the beauty of cultural diversity. Today, we celebrate the UAE National Day to honour multiculturalism and inclusion in the UAE. As an organisation based in the UAE, we are proud to share the spirit of the nation and wish all the UAE residents a happy National Day.

Zaid Al Mashari, CEO, Proven Solution

National Day is a time to celebrate the glorious achievements of the UAE. We take pride in being part of this nation and its innovation ecosystem, which has driven our business to greater heights. Our focus is on using emerging technologies to bridge the existing and future gaps in business operations. Businesses in the UAE are changing at a much rapid pace than most other countries in the world. This promotes the creation of new business models and methodologies. Proven Solution is a pioneer in AI and emerging technology for enterprises. Our focus is on establishing a venture studio to provide a comprehensive support system to start-ups and new ventures. With our decade-long experience and knowledge in the entrepreneurial space and our robust infrastructure, we are in a position to help new businesses grow.

Dr Surender Singh Kandhari, Chairman, Al Dobowi Group & Chairman, Guru Nanak Darbar Gurudwara Dubai

The UAE has accepted all castes, nationalities and religions to make it an international and intercultural place where all are welcome. I want to congratulate the UAE government and Rulers of this country who are always committed to be at the forefront of promoting harmonious co-existence among all religions and cultures, and creating a progressive society based on the value of tolerance. I wish the Rulers, citizens of the UAE and all the residents a very happy National Day.

The last couple of years have been extremely volatile for our industry, owing to the turbulence in price and the availability of raw materials, logistical issues and geo-political conflicts. Despite the challenges, we were able to grow our business in almost all geographical territories simply through an enhanced customer focus. In 2023 and beyond, we are expecting the growth momentum to continue in all channels of our business in most of the geographies that we are present in. We are also expanding our footprint by penetrating deeper into the Latin American and African markets.