Moments in History - 50th Anniversary of the United Arab Emirates
The 2 December 2021 marks 50 years of progress since the United Arab Emirates was created on 2 December 1971. Individual Emirates have made huge progress in construction, localized projects and the social welfare of their citizens. However, there have also been many milestones on a federal level and it is some of these that the National Library and Archives of the United Arab Emirates sets out below, year by year, in newspaper articles and photographs in celebration of this important anniversary.
During the 50th Year, the National Library and Archives will add material about events of which the Nation is proud. The National Library and Archives would also appreciate participation from members of the public and ask you to send your contributions about personal memories, in Arabic or English, to 50yearsmemories@na.ae. Suitable material will be added during the year of celebration with a note mentioning the name of the contributor.
Al Ittihad Newspaper, 3 December 1971 - Declaration of the Federation of the United Arab Emirates; Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan is elected as President of the UAE, Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum as Vice President, and Sheikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Crown Prince of Dubai is appointed as Prime Minister of the Federal Government. Courtesy Al Ittihad Newspaper
Photographs in the Arabic Al Ittihad Newspaper from Union Day at Al Diyafah Palace in Jumeirah, Dubai following the declaration of the Union, 3 December 1971. Courtesy Al Ittihad Newspaper
Al Ittihad Newspaper, 13 May 1975 - Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan President of the UAE, chairing the Federal Supreme Council meeting on the unification of the UAE Defense Forces. Courtesy Al Ittihad Newspaper
Al Ittihad Newspaper, 19 January 1979 - As per the instructions of Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan President of the UAE, all documents, manuscripts and records available at the Center for Documentation and Studies shall be made available to researchers and scholars in the UAE and abroad. Courtesy Al Ittihad Newspaper
Al Ittihad Newspaper, 1 March 1982 - Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, attending the graduation ceremony of the first batch of UAE University graduates. Courtesy Al Ittihad Newspaper
Al Ittihad Newspaper, 2 January 1989 - Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan President of the UAE, selected as Most Prominent Figure of the Year 1988 by the International Man of the Year Association in Paris. Courtesy Al Ittihad Newspaper
Al Ittihad Newspaper, 10 November 1992 - Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan President of the UAE, welcomes a delegation from the Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) headed by Mr. Crobas; the foundation awards Sheikh Zayed two medals, one in appreciation for his humanitarian initiatives aimed at assisting the victims of famine and natural disasters across the world as well his continued assistance of developing countries; and another medal in gratitude for his commendable achievements for the development and progress of the United Arab Emirates. Courtesy Al Ittihad Newspaper
Al Ittihad Newspaper, 4 June 1998 - Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, approves the establishment of the Sheikh Zayed Housing Program. Courtesy Al Ittihad Newspaper
Al Ittihad Newspaper, 31 January 2007 - H.H. Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan President of the UAE awards the UAE National Team with the 18th Gulf Football Cup, the first accolade for the first national team in the country's sporting history. Courtesy Al Ittihad Newspaper
2008
Federal Law No. (7) of 2008 regarding the National Archives and the laws amending it issued to make the National Archives of the UAE a Federal Institution. Courtesy National Archives
Federal Law No. (7) of 2008 regarding the National Archives and the laws amending it issued to make the National Archives of the UAE a Federal Institution. Courtesy National Archives
Federal Law No. (7) of 2008 regarding the National Archives and the laws amending it issued to make the National Archives of the UAE a Federal Institution. Courtesy National Archives
Al Ittihad Newspaper, 6 January 2011 – H.H. General Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, attending the inauguration of the Liwa Air Base. Courtesy Al Ittihad Newspaper
Al Ittihad Newspaper, 6 January 2011 – H.H. General Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, attending the inauguration of the Liwa Air Base. Courtesy Al Ittihad Newspaper
Al Ittihad Newspaper, 6 January 2011 – H.H. General Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, attending the inauguration of the Liwa Air Base. Courtesy Al Ittihad Newspaper
Al Ittihad Newspaper, 6 January 2011 – H.H. General Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, attending the inauguration of the Liwa Air Base. Courtesy Al Ittihad Newspaper
Al Ittihad Newspaper, 13 December 2012 – H.H. Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan President of the UAE, inaugurating the Khalifa Port in Abu Dhabi, in the presence of H.H. Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Vice President of the UAE, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and H.H. General Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces and Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Representative of the Ruler in the Western Region. Courtesy Al Ittihad Newspaper
Al Ittihad Newspaper, 21 October 2014 – H.H. Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, attending the signing of a 7-year agreement between the UAE Space Agency and the Emirates Institution for Advanced Science & Technology regarding the construction and launch of the first Islamic Arab probe for Mars, under the Agency's supervision and financing. Courtesy Al Ittihad Newspaper
Al Ittihad Newspaper, 7 January 2019 – H.H. Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Vice President of the UAE, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, issues "The Fifty Year Charter". Courtesy Al Ittihad Newspaper
Al Ittihad Newspaper, 11 March 2019 – H.H. Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Vice President of the UAE, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and H.H. Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, inaugurating Qasr Al Watan, Abu Dhabi. Courtesy Al Ittihad Newspaper
Al Ittihad Newspaper, 11 March 2019 – H.H. Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Vice President of the UAE, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and H.H. Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, inaugurating Qasr Al Watan, Abu Dhabi. Courtesy Al Ittihad Newspaper
Al Ittihad Newspaper, 11 March 2019 – H.H. Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Vice President of the UAE, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and H.H. Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, inaugurating Qasr Al Watan, Abu Dhabi. Courtesy Al Ittihad Newspaper
Al Ittihad Newspaper, 11 March 2019 – H.H. Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Vice President of the UAE, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and H.H. Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, inaugurating Qasr Al Watan, Abu Dhabi. Courtesy Al Ittihad Newspaper
Al Ittihad Newspaper, 20 July 2020 - The United Arab Emirates launches the "Hope Probe" aboard the H-2A rocket to explore planet Mars. Courtesy Al Ittihad Newspaper
Al Ittihad Newspaper, 7 April 2021 - The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) announces that the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, the Arab World's first nuclear power plant, has started commercial operations. Courtesy Al Ittihad Newspaper
Al Ittihad Newspaper, 1 October 2021 – H.H. Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Vice President of the UAE, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and H.H. Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, inaugurating Dubai Expo2020. Courtesy Al Ittihad Newspaper
