Flagmakers in race against time due to last-minute orders

Sharjah: Flagmakers are working round-the-clock in an industrial area of Sharjah as last-minute orders come in for flags for the National Day.

One tailoring shop just off Al Wahda Road has made about 5,000 UAE flags since the past one week, according to Naveed Hanif, general manager of a company of the same name.

"We got an inquiry for a huge 86 by 12 metre flag; it must be for a wrap around one building floor," he said, adding that it can be ready in two days.

Flag making has become a thriving business within the past five years with tailoring shops sprouting up to cater to the huge demand.

"We are busy throughout the year," said Hanif as Dubai hosts a number of events from Fifa Youth World Cup to the Shopping Festival. The huge 30 by 15 metre Union House Flag is changed very two months.

Many of the flags fluttering around the country are still imported from countries such as the UK and Germany.

"The small hand-held flags are usually imported from China," he said. But local flag makers are giving the exporters stiff competition with their competitive prices.

The special material used for the flags is also used in parachutes.