The ceremony, attended by President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and other rulers
A view of the Zayed National Museum in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Photo: Facebook
The UAE’s 54th Eid Al Etihad celebration unfolded as a sweeping visual narrative on Tuesday, transforming the newly opened Zayed National Museum into a stage where history, art and national identity came together in an immersive performance.
The ceremony — attended by President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and other rulers, ministers and dignitaries — presented the nation’s story through three guiding voices: the land, the people and the radio.
A voice from the land
“Can you hear his voice?” the narration asked, as the sound of footsteps on sand blended with the hum of an engine. Archival footage towering above the audience showed the UAE’s Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, driving through the desert in the 1968 documentary Farewell Arabia.
The digitally enhanced film revealed the precise vehicle: a 1966 Formal Black Chrysler Newport. A rare matching car, located in California, was restored with larger wheels and a flag mount — mirroring Sheikh Zayed’s own adaptations for the rugged desert. The restored car now stands inside the Zayed National Museum as a symbol of leadership, determination and vision.
“Sheikh Zayed’s voice, Ya Marheba Ya Zain, echoed throughout the show,” organisers said, underscoring the values he embodied — respect for heritage, tolerance and a deep bond between leadership and people.
A journey across time
A radio dial became the narrative’s time-machine, transporting audiences across millennia.
Around 8,000 years ago, the story began with a diver off Marawah Island retrieving one of the world’s oldest natural pearls — a reminder of how early Gulf communities relied on pearling, trade and cooperation.
Three thousand years later, scenes shifted to Saruq Al Hadid, an Iron Age industrial centre where craftsmen forged swords and jewellery beneath the Al Jabbar constellation. Carnelian beads discovered there highlighted ancient maritime trade routes connecting early civilisations.
Trade, navigation and leadership
The ceremony next highlighted the emergence of the Abiel coin some 2,000 years ago — a symbol of early governance and economic life. Bearing a horse instead of the usual Hellenistic imagery, the coin reflected the region’s adaptability and independence, as well as archaeological evidence of female leadership.
Six centuries ago, the narrative turned to the sea, following famed navigator Ahmed Ibn Majid, who charted new horizons using the kamal, a star-reading tool that guided sailors across open waters.
The birth of the Union
The performance moved to the defining moment in modern Emirati history: the unification of the seven emirates. Scenes depicted gatherings of rulers and the moments leading to the landmark announcement of the Union 54 years ago — proclaimed on radio by Ahmed bin Khalifa Al Suwaidi as the national flag was raised for the first time.
“The Union is the most precious thing that has ever happened on this land,” Sheikh Zayed said. “Many people could not have imagined that this union could be achieved.”
Culture, identity and the future
The present-day UAE took centre stage as the national anthem Ishy Bilady was performed by the UAE National Orchestra in its debut appearance, symbolising a cultural identity rooted in heritage yet open to global influence. The narration of veteran reporter Khalil Aylabouni further linked the past with the present.
The ceremony also highlighted the UAE’s future-forward ambitions — from clean energy to advanced science, technology and space — as a Mirage 2000-9 soared overhead, mirroring the ascent of a spacecraft.
In a symbolic gesture toward enduring legacy, Sheikh Zayed’s restored Chrysler Newport was driven to the museum, representing the continuity of his vision “in the land, sea and stars.”
The emotional finale spotlighted the children of the nation singing a patriotic National Day anthem, reinforcing the message that “the legacy of Sheikh Zayed does not rest in the past but lives on in every generation.”
The Zayed National Museum will open to the public on Wednesday, December 3.
