Commemoration Day speech template (United Arab Emirates)
Published 10 October 2026 · Date checked on 5 October 2026 · Written by the Cue Card Converter team at EventProgrammer, event production professionals
Commemoration Day, also known as Martyrs' Day, is observed in the United Arab Emirates on 30 November. It honours Emiratis who sacrificed their lives in the service of the nation, and it was first marked in 2015. Flags are lowered to half-mast, a minute of silence is observed across the country and official ceremonies are held, including at Wahat Al Karama, the memorial in Abu Dhabi dedicated to the nation's martyrs.
- Date
- November 30
- Next dates
- Monday 30 November 2026
Tuesday 30 November 2027
Thursday 30 November 2028 - Country
- United Arab Emirates
- Tone
- Solemn – remembrance
- Typical events
- Government and school ceremonies, company assemblies, community gatherings and UAE embassy events, usually held on the morning of 30 November.
- Length
- 169 spoken words · about 1.5 min at 130 words a minute · 4 cue cards
The Commemoration Day speech, ready as cue cards
A complete host script in 4 cards, about 1.5 minutes of speaking. Open it in the editor to add your names, change the card size or highlights, and print.
- WELCOME1 / 4
Good morning. I'm {Your name}, and on behalf of {Organisation} thank you for joining us on Commemoration Day. Like people across the United Arab Emirates this morning, we have gathered quietly to honour those who gave their lives in the service of the nation. - WHY WE GATHER2 / 4
Every year on 30 November, the country pauses to remember its martyrs. They served in many different roles, and each one left behind family, friends and colleagues who still feel their absence. Today we hold them in our thoughts, and we stand alongside their families with respect and gratitude. - A MINUTE OF SILENCE3 / 4
I invite everyone to stand for a minute of silence in their memory.
[ONE MINUTE OF SILENCE]
Thank you. Please remain standing for the national anthem of the United Arab Emirates.
[NATIONAL ANTHEM]
Thank you. Please be seated. - CLOSING4 / 4
Thank you for standing together this morning. A book of remembrance is open at {Location of the book} for anyone who wishes to write a few words. We keep the nation's martyrs and their families in our thoughts, today and every day. Thank you.
Red is used only for names, titles, organisations, dates, times and section headings. Replace the words in {curly brackets} with your own details; lines in [SQUARE BRACKETS] are stage directions and are not read aloud.
How to adapt it
- In recent years, flags have flown at half-mast during the morning and a minute of silence has been observed at 11.30 a.m. Check this year's official guidance and time your own silence to match it.
- Keep the ceremony short, quiet and standing. Use no music other than the national anthem, no applause cues and no celebratory decorations, and ask guests to silence their phones.
- The public holiday is announced each year together with the National Day holidays and does not always fall on 30 November itself. Hold your ceremony on the date where possible.
- If families of martyrs are attending, greet them personally, reserve seats at the front and acknowledge them before the silence. Ask them beforehand whether they wish to be named.
Print and rehearse
“Edit and print these cards” opens the script in the free cue card maker, where you can choose A5, 4 × 6 or 3 × 5 inch cards, print several per sheet with cut lines or export PDF, PowerPoint and Word, and rehearse full screen in practice mode. To write your own programme around it, see how to write an MC script and the run of show template.
Sources
Date and background checked on 5 October 2026 against: Commemoration Day | National Media Authority - United Arab Emirates. Customs vary between organisations and regions; always follow the official programme of your event.
More United Arab Emirates speech templates
- Eid Al Etihad (UAE National Day) · December 2