Dubai: Google has created a "doodle" to mark the United Arab Emirates' 48th National Day today, December 2.
A click on the doodle created by the search giant is linked to the day's top search result in the UAE: "United Arab Emirates National Day, Monday, 2 December."
For the last several years, the Google has marked the UAE National Day with doodles showing images representing the country and its national colours.
On 2 December 1971, six of the seven emirates entered into a union called the United Arab Emirates.
These were Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Fujairah, Sharjah, Ajman, and Umm Al-Quwain. The seventh, Ras Al-Khaimah, joined the union in early 1972.
Pioneers
Since then, the UAE has established itself as a progressive, forward-looking nation, with pioneering initiatives in various fields — including science, manufacturing, renewable energy, space and diplomacy.
It has established Ministry of Tolerance, Ministry of Happiness, Ministry of Artificial Intelligence. Such initiatives have made the UAE a trailblazer in the region, earning wide acclaim as the "Switzerland of the Middle East".
On September 25, 2019, UAE Astronaut Hazza Al Mansouri lifted off to space on board the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft. Hazza, part of a three-person mission, stayed on board the International Space Station, and returned to Earth on October 3. The mission went smoothly.
Last year, the UAE passport officially became the world’s powerful, with 167 countries allowing Emiratis entry without prior visa approval, surpassing Singapore, with 166 countries.
On October 29, 2018, the UAE has launched a 100% locally-developed earth mapping satellite, called Khalifasat, now one the most technologically-advanced remote sensing observation satellites.
Manufactured and tested in the UAE, the satellite has five patents, making it an icon of technological advancement in space technology. The Emirates has also sets its sights on Mars, with plans afoot to build a new city on the Red Planet.
High-tech manufacturing
The UAE has also earned plaudits for its high-tech manufacturing — making advanced components for the Boeing's 787 'Dreamliner' and Airbus aircraft, for example. It is active in renewable energy. Abu Dhabi, the UAE capital, hosts the International Renewable Energy Agency, Irena.
Today, the leadership vowed to pursue future technologies, driverless transport, artificial intelligence, and recently, cryptocurrencies to settle transactions.
The UAE plans to build a new city on Mars, too, which international news organisations like The Washington Post have lauded as a "practical" option.
