Students celebrate their pride in UAE flag

Three Emirati university students launched a campaign Thursday to give more prominence to the nation's flag, particularly among expatriates. "A nation is defined by its identity, symbolised by its flag, and its love is revealed by the pride that its people have towards it," said Amira Habib, who co-launched the Alami ‘My Flag' campaign with her classmates Khadija Hadi and Shoaq Al Fardan. "We want to reinforce the pride that the people of the UAE have towards their country. [And through] Alami, we want the people of the UAE, Emiratis and expatriates, to celebrate their pride towards the national flag every day and not just on the second of December," she explained. The students, who are currently in their final year at Zayed University from the College of Communications and Media Sciences, explained that there is a lack of awareness among expatriates about the meaning and the history of the flag. "Emiratis account for only 11 per cent of the UAE population and we are a minority. It is important for everyone to be educated about the country they are living in, so by carrying out this campaign, we are giving back to our country and to our university," said Khadija. During the campaign, the students will distribute the UAE flag and leaflets containing information about the flag, in addition to providing visitors to enter a draw to win two tickets to At The Top in Burj Khalifa. Parents and tourists alike were pleasantly surprised when they came across the Emirati booth, and saw it as a innovative way to teach the flag's history. "This is my first time in Dubai and am here on a two-day business trip. My hobby is to collect flags of all the countries I have visited, so I am very happy to have gotten one. The brochure was interesting to read and gave me a better idea about the UAE," said Teroki Okada, from Japan. The two-day campaign, which ends today (Friday), is held at the Gold Souk Atrium in Dubai Mall, from 10am to 10pm. Face painting will also be available from 6-8pm. From / Gulf News