Dubai: His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has ordered the renovation of the Union House in Dubai and the restoration of every detail of the structure as it was at the time of the declaration of the Union on December 2, 1971.
Shaikh Mohammad said: “This house represents a historical legacy of the UAE and an important milestone for future generations. To preserve it means to maintain the historic moments, to perpetuate the national memories and document the experience of an Arab unity that was, is and will remain, God willing, as the most successful experiments of union in the Arab World”.
He continued: “The moment the flag of the UAE was hoisted for the first time in this house are the moments that filled us with the feelings of pride, independence and unity too… and the election of Shaikh Zayed [Bin Sultan Al Nahyan] as president and Shaikh Rashid [Bin Saeed Al Maktoum] as the deputy took place in the same House. It was the beginning of a blessed journey, a journey of making and development on the land of the UAE. It is our duty towards the children of our motherland to perpetuate those great moments and we remind them all that the modest beginnings can lead to great endings if accompanied by loyalty to the homeland, determination and resolve”.
The Union House, which played a key role in the contemporary history of the UAE, is located at the west end of the December 2 street, formerly known as Al Diyafa Street, near the sea. The Union House witnessed the signing of the treaty establishing the first federal state in the Arab world, the United Arab Emirates on December 2, 1971.