10th UAE Flag Day: 10 facts, world records, rules you probably didn’t know

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UAE - Hundreds of thousands of flags will be raised simultaneously at 11am tomorrow, November 3, as residents respond to the call issued by the UAE Vice-President. This will mark the 10th year of the annual Flag Day being marked by Emiratis and expatriates. On this day, flags fly tall and proud at government buildings, private offices, homes, squares, parks and beaches.

In a tweet reminding residents about the day, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said: "Our flag will remain raised.. the symbol of our pride and unity will remain... the banner of our pride, glory and sovereignty will remain high in the sky."

Here are some facts you need to know about the national symbol:

1. The first person to raise the UAE flag was the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father, on December 2, 1971:

2. Last year, Etihad Airways sent out the UAE’s flag into space. The flag reached an altitude of 32,182 meters travelling at a speed of 5.5 metres per second. The flight took two hours and 52 minutes:

3. Sharjah unfurled the world's largest flag in 2017. Measuring 70 metres in length and 35 metres in width, the flag broke the Guinness World Record for the largest flag hoisted on a fixed flagpole:

4. In 2019, the UAE flag became the largest flown in free fall. The flag measured 144.28 square metres. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, posted the video of a group of skydivers jumping over the Palm Jumeirah to set the record:

5. The flag of the UAE was designed in 1971 by the then 19-year-old Abdullah Mohammed Al Maainah after he read an advertisement announcing a competition for the same. His flag was chosen out of 1,030 designs:

6. The UAE’s national symbols are to be treated with the respect they deserve. Those found insulting or misusing the flag face up to 25 years in jail and/or a Dh500,000 fine.

7. The UAE flag must be of a durable and robust material that is resistant to extreme weather conditions. The approved flag materials for the official application in governmental entities are polyester or heavy polyamide threads (100 per cent nylon).

8. The flag’s shape is rectangular, with length twice the width.

9. The red colour symbolises the sacrifices of those who laid the foundations for the union; green means growth, prosperity and cultural renaissance; white displays charitable contributions; and black reflects the strength of Emiratis, and their rejection of injustice and extremism.

10. In case there are several flagpoles raised at a government building’s entrance, the UAE flag is always raised nearest to the entrance.