Because the UAE marks the primary anniversary of the “Union Pledge Day” on 18th July, the nation displays on the pivotal moments that led to its unification, recalling the enduring legacy of the founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and his brothers, the Rulers, whose historic declaration in 1971 laid the foundations for the federation.
The day is without doubt one of the most necessary days within the historical past of the UAE, because the declaration of the Union and the UAE Structure have been signed, and its title was introduced, with the strong basis for its institution laid on 2nd December.
Union Pledge Day was designated as a nationwide event by President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to reaffirm loyalty to the homeland and have fun the nation’s continued improvement. The day goals to strengthen nationwide identification and lift public consciousness of the foundational steps that propelled the UAE to its present standing as a regional and international chief.
The event highlights the imaginative and prescient and sacrifices of the founding fathers, whose legacy continues to form the UAE’s trajectory.
In his first tackle to the nation as President, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed stated, “At the moment, we see our nation ranked among the many most superior nations globally, in addition to being the most effective locations to dwell and work. This was the imaginative and prescient of the late Sheikh Zayed and our founding fathers, and we thank God for this blessing. We’ll proceed to comply with their clever strategy, drawing inspiration from their unfaltering management. Our historical past, identification, and cultural heritage will kind an important a part of our plans for the longer term.”
Union Pledge Day additionally serves to honour the UAE’s achievements in state-building and unity, solid amid advanced regional dynamics. The founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed, led the nation via the formation of the Arab world’s first federal state and launched one of many area’s largest improvement drives.
Following Sheikh Zayed’s management, the late Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan led the empowerment section (2004–2022), strengthening establishments, selling schooling, and advancing citizen participation in nationwide improvement. Underneath his management, the UAE achieved file development throughout financial, service, humanitarian, infrastructure, renewable power and area exploration sectors. The nation turned the second-largest economic system within the Arab world and the primary Arab and Muslim nation to achieve Mars.
Sheikh Khalifa’s forward-looking methods included the Rules of the 50, UAE Imaginative and prescient 2021, the UAE Technique for Authorities Providers (2021–2025), UAE Nationwide Technique for Synthetic Intelligence, the Nationwide Area Technique 2030, and the UAE’s Web Zero 2050 Technique.
Since 2022, beneath the management of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE has continued to attain main milestones throughout financial, social, political and improvement domains. The nation continues to rank extremely in regional and international competitiveness indices.
Financial diversification has gained momentum, with important development in tourism, commerce, monetary providers, business, actual property, telecoms and know-how. The Central Financial institution of the UAE expects actual GDP to broaden by 4.4 p.c in 2025, fuelled by rising overseas funding and sturdy non-oil sectors.
In Q1 2025, non-oil overseas commerce reached AED835 billion, with exports hitting a file AED177.3 billion within the first three months of 2025.
Over the previous 5 a long time, the UAE economic system has witnessed outstanding development throughout key sectors, with the nation’s GDP rising from AED58.3 billion in 1975 to AED17 trillion in 2024. Throughout the identical interval, overseas commerce surged from AED11.5 billion to AED5.23 trillion.
In January, President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed declared 2025 the “12 months of Neighborhood,” geared toward strengthening intergenerational ties and social cohesion. The federal government allotted AED27.9 billion—39 p.c of the 2025 federal funds—to social improvement, underscoring its dedication to citizen welfare and cultural preservation.
Internationally, the UAE stays a key associate in peacebuilding and humanitarian efforts. Guided by values of tolerance and coexistence, the nation actively helps international stability and justice. Since its founding, the UAE has supplied AED368 billion in overseas assist, benefiting a couple of billion individuals worldwide throughout humanitarian and improvement sectors.