‘Can you hear his voice?’ Why UAE National Day ceremony stirred nation’s emotions

As the lights dimmed on the evening of December 2 outside the newly unveiled Zayed National Museum, a hush fell.
A falcon’s shriek pierced the darkness during the Eid Al Etihad official ceremony, followed by footsteps on desert sand. Then came the low vroom of a car engine, the crackle of a radio, and an old Arabic song drifting through time – all projected across the towers of the museum. Moments later, the reveal: the Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, seated behind the wheel of a 1966 Formal Black Chrysler Newport.

Ya Marheba Ya Zain.

The words – in Sheikh Zayed’s own voice – echoed across the museum’s towers as restored archival footage from the 1968 documentary Farewell Arabia flickered to life. From desert journeys to meetings with his people, the phrase repeated, filling the air with a profound and familiar warmth.

“Can you hear his voice?” asked a female narrator, speaking as the voice of the land.
“He who rested beneath the gaze of my stars. Where under my palms, he learned that prosperity does not come easy, and that wealth, true wealth, lies in people.

“Did you know… when he faced hardships, he realised that God’s blessings must be shared?

“The noble. The brave. Guardian of the desert. Explorer of the seas. He upon whose arm the noble falcon perched… Do you hear his voice?

“This is Zayed. The one who listened… and because he listened, I spoke. I am the homeland, and Zayed is the homeland.”

Watch the official video below:

The narration, layered over a stirring performance by the UAE National Orchestra, held the nation’s leadership and those present in rapt attention.

“The Union is the most precious thing that has ever happened on this land, for it has brought together all those around us at one table… Many people could not have imagined that this union could be achieved,” Sheikh Zayed’s words resounded once more.

It wasn’t just sound – it was memory, echoing across generations.

The ceremony, guided by the voices of land, people and radio, traced a remarkable journey through time: pearls lifted from seas, iron forged at Saruq Al Hadid under distant constellations, navigators reading the stars, and the defining birth of a nation.

In 2025 and beyond, Sheikh Zayed’s voice continues to speak – from the land, the sea, the sky and the heart of everyone who calls the UAE home.