Thousands of flags return to Umm Suqeim as Dubai’s Flag Garden is back for Flag Day
Dates, location and tips for visiting the Flag Garden next to Burj Al Arab this season
Dubai: Thousands of UAE flags are back on the sand at Umm Suqeim Beach, as Dubai's Flag Garden returns for another year.
The display, now in its 13th year, sits next to Burj Al Arab, and entry is free. It returns in time for UAE Flag Day on Tuesday, November 3, and runs until January.
What to expect this year
More than 11,000 flags have been arranged so that, seen from above, they form the faces of the UAE’s Founding Fathers, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, however, the design changes every year and this year's design will be revealed soon.
Visitors can walk among the flags, and viewing points overlook the installation.
Full details of this year's edition are expected to be announced soon.
A Dubai tradition
The Flag Garden has become one of the most recognisable sights of the UAE's national celebrations, which run from Flag Day to Eid Al Etihad on December 2.
It has a permanent site at Jumeirah Beach, Umm Suqeim 2, and the design changes from year to year.
The 2024 edition was the largest so far. It used 11,600 flags to form portraits of Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid, measuring 75 metres long and 104 metres high.
Last year, the 12th edition used more than 11,000 flags, again forming portraits of the Founding Fathers, 60 metres high and 90 metres wide. It stayed open until January 10.
"Over the past decade, Flag Garden has become a landmark event attracting thousands of visitors each year," Mahra Alyouha, Project Manager of Flag Garden, said when the 2024 edition opened.
How to visit
Entry is free, and no tickets or bookings are needed.
It's popular with families, tourists and photographers. For the classic shot, line up the flags with Burj Al Arab and Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab behind them.
You have weeks to see it, so there's no need to rush on opening weekend. If you're going on a weekend evening, allow extra time for parking and the walk along the beach.
Visitors in previous years have been encouraged to share their photos with the hashtag #UAEFlagGarden.
When: From Tuesday, November 3, until January
Where: Umm Suqeim Beach, next to Burj Al Arab, Dubai
Price: Free
