Eid Al Etihad (UAE National 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
Eid Al Etihad, the UAE National Day, celebrates 2 December 1971, when the United Arab Emirates was founded as a federation. Six emirates united on that day, and Ras Al Khaimah joined early the following year, completing the seven. Buildings, homes and cars are decorated in the national colours of red, green, white and black, and the day is marked with official celebrations, fireworks, parades and cultural performances across the country.
- Date
- December 2
- Next dates
- Wednesday 2 December 2026
Thursday 2 December 2027
Saturday 2 December 2028 - Country
- United Arab Emirates
- Tone
- Celebratory
- Typical events
- Company celebrations, school assemblies, embassy receptions, hotel events and community gatherings in the UAE and abroad, held on or around 2 December.
- Length
- 171 spoken words · about 1.5 min at 130 words a minute · 4 cue cards
The Eid Al Etihad (UAE National 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 evening, everyone, and welcome to {Venue}. I'm {Your name}, and it is a joy to celebrate Eid Al Etihad with you. Whether you were born in the Emirates or have made this country your home, tonight we celebrate the nation we share. - THE STORY OF THE UNION2 / 4
On 2 December 1971, six emirates came together as one federation. Early the next year, Ras Al Khaimah joined them, and the seven emirates have stood together ever since. Tonight we honour the vision of the founding fathers and the union they built for the generations that followed. - FLAGS HIGH3 / 4
Please rise and, if you have a flag, hold it high for the national anthem of the United Arab Emirates.
[NATIONAL ANTHEM]
Thank you, please be seated. In the spirit of Emirati hospitality, our hosts will now bring Arabic coffee and dates to every table.
[ARABIC COFFEE AND DATES SERVED] - CELEBRATE WITH US4 / 4
The celebration continues with {Performance or entertainment}, and dinner will be served straight afterwards. Thank you all for being part of this evening. From everyone at {Organisation}, happy National Day, and enjoy the rest of the celebrations.
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
- Decorate in the national colours of red, green, white and black, and display the UAE flag at the front of the room. Keep the flag clean, upright and off the floor at all times.
- Arabic coffee, or gahwa, served with dates is a traditional Emirati welcome. If the programme is tight, serve it as guests arrive and move the anthem to the start of the evening.
- Plan food and drinks so that every guest feels included. Many guests will expect an alcohol-free celebration, so leave out a raised-glass toast and offer plenty of soft drinks.
- The official holiday usually covers 2 and 3 December and is often linked with the Commemoration Day holiday. Check this year's announcement before fixing your date, as people often travel over the long weekend.
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: Public holidays | The Official Platform of the UAE Government. Customs vary between organisations and regions; always follow the official programme of your event.
More United Arab Emirates speech templates
- Commemoration Day · November 30