December 7th, 2014: Canadian University Dubai (CUD) has celebrated the 43rd UAE National Day with a campus-wide tribute to the heritage and traditions of the great nation.
Through art, music, drama, poetry and cuisine, the University brought together citizens and residents of the UAE to commemorate the momentous occasion and to celebrate the country's peace, progress and prosperity, under the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
The annual national day event organized by CUD recognizes the spirit of the union and celebrates the past, the present and the future of the UAE, expressed this year through a range of original pieces from distinguished local artists and performers. Students too featured center-stage to express their 'pride in the homeland' with a short movie on the subject, produced especially for the occasion.
The National Day celebrations showcased the work of artist Abdullah Al Jafaly, while poets Saeed Al Nuaime, Sultan Mujalli and Eyad Al Muraisi gave a recital of their work, and local singer Saeed Al Salem also took to the stage. Accompanying the traditional performances was a spread of traditional Emirati food and a range of arts and craft-making activities, including wool spinning, abaya and mat making, and henna styling.
Displayed alongside the live acts were exhibits from a competition that called upon students from CUD's School of Architecture and Interior Design to create an original seven-piece tile inspired by UAE National Day, incorporating themes from the seven Emirates.
Competition winner Fereshteh Kalantari's design portrayed a beautifully striking falcon set on a map of the UAE, with each of the Emirates represented in calligraphy and the number 43 etched in green to bring together all the colours from the national flag.
Second place Nabiha Bahar combined the skylines of Dubai and Abu Dhabi on a smoldering backdrop representing the heat of the desert, while third place team Alexander Gomez and Anaida Luis also chose to depict a falcon, which they combined with symbolic motifs from Islamic art.
The first, second and third placed entrants were later honored at an award ceremony, where they received prizes of AED 3000, 2000, and 1000 respectively for their winning competition entries, presented by University President Dr. Karim Chelli.
The National Day event once again reaffirmed the commitment of Canadian University Dubai to engaging and adding value to local society by supporting the personal and professional development of its growing student and graduate community, many of whom took part in the celebrations.
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