The Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate’s dedicated Authority for culture, arts, and heritage, unveiled the ‘Union House Exhibition,’ to mark the celebrations of the UAE’s 40th National Day, and in spirit of the country’s unification. The exhibition will be open to the public from December 4, 2011.
His Highness Sheikh Majid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Culture, inaugurated the exhibition chronicling the evolution of the UAE, through never-seen-before photographs, documentaries, presentations, and audio material.
Saeed Al Nabouda, Acting Director General of the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, said: “The UAE, over the past forty years, has marked significant strides of growth across all sectors. Apart from being one of the most promising business destinations, the country, under the visionary guidance of its leaders, has also established its strong credentials as the leading culture and arts destination of the Arab world. Through the photography exhibition, we are paying tribute to the successful achievements of our nation, which will continue to inspire us in the years to come.”
Divided into five distinct sections that depict the unification of the UAE, the exhibition captures the evolution of Dubai through the ‘Pre-Federation,’ ‘Reasons behind the Union,’ ‘Phases of UAE establishment,’ ‘Announcement of the Union,’ and ‘Accomplishments of the UAE.’
The ‘Pre-Federation’ section features presentations, photographs, and videos, highlighting the social, economic, and political life, including the BaniYas Coalition and the Qassimi Coalition, in the region, prior to the establishment of the UAE federation. It sheds light on the historic tribes and their roles in the society.
The ‘Reasons behind the Union’ section highlights the reasons that prompted the creation of the Union; including strategic location, foreign imperial ambitions, and European competition in the region for dominance over commercial routes and discovery of the oil. This stage in the history of the UAE is exhibited through old documents, maps, photographs, as well as a documentary film on the discovery of oil.
Details and the story of the union of the Emirates, supported by documents and documentary films, audio material, and old photographs are depicted in the ‘Phases of UAE establishment’ section. The three phases within this highlight the first meeting that brought together the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, which was followed by a meeting with the leaders of the seven Emirates, along with Qatar and Bahrain, and finally, the announcement of the union of the seven Emirates under the ‘United Arab Emirates.’
The segment also pays tribute to the ‘Announcement of the Union,’ in the Jumeirah Guesthouse on December 2, 1971, where Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, gave a resounding speech welcoming audiences to their new homeland. The official announcement of the union of the UAE was witnessed and celebrated by thousands of people, as they watched the UAE flag hoisted for the first time in the Union House to herald the unification.
The rulers of the various Emirates line-up with His Highness Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan and Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum in a commemorative image that is depicted in the National Day ‘Spirit of the Union’ logo.
At the ‘Accomplishments of the UAE’ section visitors can witness the broad-ranging success at various levels in the UAE, including in education, health, armed forces, agricultural and industrial developments, commerce, urbanisation, and transportation.
The Dubai Culture & Arts Authority is committed to inspiring the cultural community to focus on original content creation and thus establishing the Emirate as the vibrant hub of culture and the arts in the region.
