As we celebrate the UAE’s 49th National Day, a country that is home to millions of expats, connecting us under one banner, one flag, but with many voices, we take a look at some facts and see how well do you know the UAE as we delve into the country’s history.
With that, here’s a few tidbits about the nation’s history, which are actually quite intriguing that you might not even know.
The UAE’s flag design was decided by a competition entry
A young Emirati named Abdullah Mohammed Al Maainah saw the advertisement for the competition and decided to submit one himself in 1971, he made it past 1030 other submitted designs and had won on the day of the union itself.
Dubai has the largest airport terminal in the world
Terminal 3 of Dubai International Airport is just as big as a shopping mall which features a 5-star hotel, a swimming pool, a gym, snooze cubes and two zen gardens also making it the second busiest airport in Asia with the fastest Wi-Fi speed of any airport in the world.
The City of Dubai has a gold ATM
Known as the ‘City of Gold’, the Gold Souk is the largest market for gold and jewellery in the world with an atm that also that dispenses gold bars.
The UAE is home to the world’s first 7-star hotel
As the Burj Al Arab is considered one of the most luxurious hotel’s, it’s also the world’s first seven-star hotel with interiors that are embellished in 24-carat gold leaves that cover about 1790 square meters, also offering customers a pillow menu with 7 different types to choose from during their stay.
Sheikh Zayed Road is the longest road in the UAE
The thoroughfare better known as Sheikh Zayed road which runs through the heart of the city is 558.4 km in length.
Dubai has the world’s longest driverless metro
With a total of 46.35 miles of track, the temperature in the station is also maintained at a constant 20°C and it holds the Guinness World Record for the longest driverless metro system.
The National animal of the UAE is an Arabian Oryx
While most people might think the national animal of the country is a camel, the UAE’s national animal is an Arabian Oryx which can also be seen printed on the 50 Dirham currency note.
