Watch: Indian expats in UAE celebrate 79th Independence Day with pride and unity

Abu Dhabi/ Dubai: From families, who have made the UAE home for five decades, to babies born just a few months ago, hundreds of Indian expats of all ages and backgrounds woke up early on Friday to attend the official flag-hoisting ceremonies marking the 79th Indian Independence Day.

Waving the national flag with pride and patriotism, they attended events organised by the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Indian Consulate in Dubai. Celebrations were moved slightly earlier this year considering the peak summer heat. Many gathered before sunrise to honour India’s freedom from the British rule on August 15, 1947.

Indian Ambassador to the UAE, Sunjay Sudhir, hoisted the Indian flag in Abu Dhabi, while Consul General of India in Dubai, Satish Kumar Sivan, unfurled the tricolour in Dubai. Both diplomats read excerpts from Indian President Droupadi Murmu’s Independence Day Address to the Nation.

Colourful cultural performances, including patriotic songs and classical dances, followed the flag hoisting. Abu Dhabi’s event also featured a tribal art exhibition and a display on India’s counter-terrorism efforts, contextualised by the recent Pahalgam terror attack. Dubai hosted an exhibition showcasing the historical journey of the Indian national flag.

For Ambassador Sudhir, unfurling the Indian flag this time marked a personal milestone as he is set to retire from diplomatic service next month. “There can be no higher honour than representing one's country, and flying the Indian tricolour,” he said.

He thanked the Indian community in the UAE for their unstinting support to strengthen India-UAE relations. “Each one of you is a true ambassador of India, representing our glorious country, and carrying the Tiranga (tricolour) in your hearts. Your hard work and trust have cemented this vital partnership,” he said.

The Ambassador highlighted that the India-UAE relationship is “at its strongest ever” and that the past decade has been transformational. Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s historic 2015 visit, the first by an Indian PM in 34 years, he noted the Indian diaspora had grown from 2.2 million to over 4.5 million since then.

He added that the India-UAE partnership is one of generational continuity, citing the recent visits of the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and the Crown Prince of Dubai, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, to India, both at the personal invitation of PM Modi.

Ambassador Sudhir announced that the IIM Ahmedabad campus in Dubai will open next month, marking a major milestone in academic cooperation. Other key developments include the IIT Delhi campus in Abu Dhabi and the launch of the CBSE’s first overseas office in the UAE.

He also revealed ongoing efforts to integrate India’s UPI payment system with the UAE’s AANI platform for seamless cross-border transactions.

The BAPS Hindu Temple in Abu Dhabi, he noted, stands as a “symbol of our common ethos of peace, harmony, and tolerance.”

He reaffirmed the vital role of the Indian community, calling them “one of the most critical socio-economic pillars of India-UAE relations,” and said he would visit a labour camp later that day to honour workers and saluted Indian professionals for their contributions to UAE’s growth and India’s global image.

The envoy also expressed gratitude to the UAE’s leadership for their “graciousness and generosity” toward the Indian community.

In his speech, Consul General Satish Kumar Sivan also thanked the UAE government and the Rulers of all the Emirates for their kindness in giving the due space for the Indian community to grow.

He praised the early-morning crowd that gathered before 6.30am, admitting there had been concerns about turnout due to the rescheduled timing. However, the strong presence, he said, “shows the love and affection that we have for our Motherland, that we have for the tricolour.”

He spoke of India’s rapid progress and how “Indians abroad are today a powerful force”, excelling across fields like technology, healthcare, business, and politics.

“The India-UAE relationship is what it is today, thanks to the foundations laid by the Indian community here,” he said, thanking them for building the bridges of friendship between the nations.

He added that the partnership is anchored in trust and mutual goals in sustainability, digital innovation, and entrepreneurship, supporting both India’s aspiration to become a $30 trillion economy by 2047 and the UAE’s Vision 2071.

Nirmal Singh, who works in hospitality, said she left home at 4.45am to pick up her visiting brother and reached the consulate by 5.30am. “It was worth the wait. It is a wonderful celebration of our country. When they sang the songs, I was moved to tears.”

Mohana Rao and her mother Nawal Rao, UAE residents for five decades, stood out with their Levantine look, but behind it lies a proud Indian legacy. Mohana’s grandmother was a freedom fighter, while her father fought in two wars for India.

“My grandmother had walked with India’s Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi… My father helped maintain the freedom that his mother and other freedom fighters gifted us,” said Mohana, a senior executive at an investment firm.

"So, wherever I am in the world, I make it a point to attend the Indian Independence Day and Republic Day celebrations. It is not only an honour, but an obligation to not only free a nation, but to maintain it,” she added.

Abdul Rasheed, a Keralite businessman who arrived in Dubai in 1977, came draped in both Indian and UAE flags and proudly carried six Indian passports. “It is a day to proudly display my roots and hail my country and my love for the UAE,” he said.

Shelly Sharma, a homemaker, arrived with her three children—daughters Tanusha and Ridham and son Roshnik, who is just nine months—and highlighted the importance of involving the younger generation in celebrating their culture and heritage. “We attend the celebrations every year. But, this time, it is special as this is the first time my son is attending,” said Shelly.

“I was born and brought up here and I never celebrated Independence Day back home. But, in Dubai, it never feels we are way from home, and it feels nice to see how we come together to honour our country even though we are from different parts of India,” said Tanusha, 15, a student of GEMS Modern Academy.

Similarly, Mohammed Ayoub, a sales professional, brought over his three children dressed up in the tricolour. His son, the youngest, wore a soldier’s uniform. “We always celebrate at home with big flags. This time, I decided to come and join the celebration at the consulate, and it is a great feeling,” he said.

“It feels like I am in India. The unity in diversity of Indian people here in Dubai is beautifully shown. The Dubai government has given us the freedom to do that. I am proud that I am an Indian in Dubai and I thank our freedom fighters on this occasion,” added his daughter Rifa, 13, a student of Gulf Indian High School.