Dubai: Red, white, green and black are the colours that UAE residents will see everywhere tomorrow, as flags, clothes and other decorations engulf the nation.
Habiba Baqer Mohammad, an Emirati living in Dubai, celebrates the UAE National Day every year and makes it a point to show her pride for the country by decorating her belongings with the four colours.
A few days before National Day, Habiba goes to a car tint shop in Sharjah and replaces her regular tints with ones of the UAE flag.
She said: "This is a way for my family to show people that we are proud of our country and its independence."
Habiba, a 25-year-old home finance manager, also hangs small colourful ribbons around her car — she gets them from the Dubai textile market.
Another piece of fabric is a scarf with the UAE colours that lies on the dashboard. However, this is more of a permanent piece as Habiba keeps it in her car throughout the year.
To commemorate the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Habiba wears a brooch with the picture of the former ruler on her sleeve.
She said: "I love wearing it as it is a sign of respect to someone who gave us so much."
Habiba added that the UAE National Day would not be complete without the flag fluttering on top of her house.
It is hard not to see merchandise for National Day in different shops across the UAE. Shops that provide tint for car windows seem to have quite a lot of products.
Habiba does most of her shopping from such places.
She said: "Many [tinted windows shops] stock up on a lot of products a few days before the National Day. There are quite a few of them in the Al Khan area in Sharjah."
She added that these areas are a one-stop-shop for anyone looking for decorations for National Day.
Family affair
Habiba's brothers order large UAE flags ahead of time that go across their cars and also wear brooches designed for men.
She said: "We force our father to wear one too so that all of us would have one."
Such shops also sell bracelets, necklaces, stickers, scarves and lights, which Habiba thinks are great for children.
Decorations do not stop at accessories, as Habiba's family buys specially designed chocolates that have the UAE flag printed on the wrappers. Habiba buys the chocolates from an Arabic bakery in Satwa and gives some to her colleagues the next day.
She said: "It is like a tradition for me to do this, as it spreads the National Day spirit at work."
