Dubai Forums Dubai Discussions Dubai Politics Talk

Yesterday, it was announced that all schools must raise the UAE flag and play the national anthem during morning assembly.
The reason, to "reflect the pupil's sentiments towards the nation, leadership, and land."
I am very pround proud to live in the UAE but I do not consider myself to be a UAE citizen (for obvious reasons) and a country's national anthem is closely connected to its citizens. The UAE national anthem is therefore irrelevent to me, and expatriat pupils who are going to be subjected to it.
Lets face it, they will be unceremoniously kicked out of the said country as soon as they turn 18.
I can't see the point in doing this unless the UAE is going to give these pupils citizenship and a chance to represent their new country and sing the national anthem at sporting events etc.
I do not expect them to do this and I am not asking for citizenship either.
But I do wonder what the UAEs motives are for this decision.

That is totally absurd!!

When I studied here we would always sing the UAE National Anthem. I thought it was a beautiful cultural experiance. We're studying here might as well pledge to repect the country. That's it nothing more!

And whoever said that one cannot sing another countries national anthem or that it's unpatriotic? Not like ur selling ur soul here dude!

But I had to chuckle bout the bit where boys are unceremoniously kicked out once they turn 18. If it has to happen why are women spared?

Misery Called Life wrote:When I studied here we would always sing the UAE National Anthem. I thought it was a beautiful cultural experiance. We're studying here might as well pledge to repect the country. That's it nothing more!

And whoever said that one cannot sing another countries national anthem or that it's unpatriotic? Not like ur selling ur soul here dude!

But I had to chuckle bout the bit where boys are unceremoniously kicked out once they turn 18. If it has to happen why are women spared?

We show respect to the country by abiding by the laws of the country. To be made to basically pledge your alligence to a country where you are basically a "guest" every day is, IMO, not on. They should consider excusing those children who don't want to do it, or whose parents object. If they want to mandate it do it in local schools, but not enforce it on schools that are primarily expat.

When we repeat the national anthem to our own respective country I think there is no denying that we feel a level of pride and alligence when doing it. Would an expat really respond like a local would?

When the American horse took the big race, the American anthem was played and I watched locals sit and chat through it. Then when the UAE anthem was played they stood up and looked around as if to check that everyone else was standing as well. Well, me being me, was sitting firmly in my seat.

You're right BB. I was reading into it and I now realise most anthems are war cries a pledge of alleigance and a promise of freedom, and as such is very sacred.
Never really thought bout it before, I allways though an anthem was something we played at ball games and sang out loud too...

I think maybe if the government here had an alternate song like a unity song or something like that would probably hold resonance with the expats here!

You know, in school here we'd all sing the anthem without a clue as to what we were actually singing.

I personally think that the powers that be should coordinate with all schools and have them sing the same song in every school on the same day from a long list of Spice Girls hits (but not the one where Sporty Spice screeches along with Bryan Adams) and then move on to the Rolling Stones, the head boy or head girl should then have to get up and read a passage from a selected Monty Python sketch ...

Anything else is a bit too much like the Hitler youth for my liking.

But then I have always been a bit off the wall like that

Thats weird Viking warrior ,I thought you were all up with our culture being remodeled and us trying to save it ? Why the sudden change ?

but it is kind of strange to do so, I thought those sort of national thingys are only for a country nationality !!

but what's the big deal it's just lessoning to a 5 minutes music LOL although I totally agree with benwj and Bora Bora

Well there's a few letters in the papers this morning about it, and the general concensous is that it's a daft idea. Why you be patriotic towards a country you are only considered a guest in and a place where you cannot gain citizenship?

MSN, because boys can only be on a fathers sponsorship until they are 18, whereas girls as long as they are single can remain on a fathers sponsorship indefinately until they get married or choose to go on a company's sponsorship.

Well there's a few letters in the papers this morning about it, and the general concensous is that it's a daft idea. Why you be patriotic towards a country you are only considered a guest in and a place where you cannot gain citizenship?

MSN, because boys can only be on a fathers sponsorship until they are 18, whereas girls as long as they are single can remain on a fathers sponsorship indefinately until they get married or choose to go on a company's sponsorship.

viking-warrior wrote:I personally think that the powers that be should coordinate with all schools and have them sing the same song in every school on the same day from a long list of Spice Girls hits (but not the one where Sporty Spice screeches along with Bryan Adams) and then move on to the Rolling Stones, the head boy or head girl should then have to get up and read a passage from a selected Monty Python sketch ...

Anything else is a bit too much like the Hitler youth for my liking.

But then I have always been a bit off the wall like that

Possibly some required dancing as well.

Yeah, the Macarena ...

Finished off by promising to adhere to the Jedi code.


(cant help wondering if Kid still thinks I'm serious about this)

Whats the problem in being asked to sing the national anthem?
You are living in this country, thats the least you can do. In Canada, the national anthem is played in every highschool every day, and everyone must stand and stay still while it plays; whether they are canadians or not.

Why is it any different here? The fact that you find it offensive to stand for the national anthem here while you think its okay to continue living here and making money of it is absurd. Go to another country if you do not wish for yourself or your child to stand for the anthem!

I wouldn't have any qualms if they got innovative and creative and allowed Life in the Emirates by the Pretenders and Back in Dubai by some Kenyan dude as patriotic songs. I think songs of positivity like these Saturday matinee songs would be more fun and less offensive to sing if the question of being loyal to one’s home-nation anthem arises.

You can download them through an open ware source on the net for free; decent tunes by any measure ! Gives an aura of days gone by where Dubai had this exotic mysticism air to it. These days that fascination has seemed to disappear in the international circles. Well it's all cyclical I guess.

Life in the Emirates
It's tough in the Gulf when the A/C's not working
And the desert is burning in the hot noonday sun
But I've learned how to cope, take the smooth with the rough
'Cause like every expat I'm a long way from home

Hala wa marhaba to life in the Emirates
Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah, Abu Dhabi, Ajman
They're the places I love and the places I won't forget
Sharjah, Fujairah and Umm Al Qawain

Well I miss my sweet wife and I miss my dear children
Sometimes I feel like it's breaking my heart
And I'll never get used to having Sunday on Fridays
But I know I'll feel sorry when it's time to depart

I work hard for my dirhams and I try hard to save some
At the end of each day I am worked to the bone
But the friends I have made here will be my friends forever
Uprah inshallah I am never alone

Hala wa marhaba to life in the Emirates
Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah, Abu Dhabi, Ajman
They're the places I love and the places I won't forget
Sharjah, Fujairah and Umm Al Qawain

Altogether now: "...OOOM!!! Al Qawain."

Back in Dubai
oh your morning light
never looked so well
on the day that i left you
i made a mistake, i could tell

when a southern breeze
gave a last embrace
i was cold at the time
i was rushing from place to place

back in dubai
there’s a sun
and it shines there all the time
going home
to the smiles
on the faces of kids who remind me
dubai is mine

back in dubai
there’s a song and they sing it there all the time
i can hear in the crowds
theres a voice to be heard
and i heard it singing out loud

through the shifting sands
i lost the track
but as long as you’re calling
i know i can find my way back
so hoist the sail
i’m homeward bound
i’m longing to feel my feet standing on my ground

back in dubai there’s a sun
and it shines there all the time
going home to the smiles on the faces
of kids who remind me
dubai is mine

back in dubai
there’s a song and they
sing it there all the time
i can hear in the crowds
theres a voice to be heard
and i heard it singing out loud

back in dubai
theres a sun and it shines there all the time
going home to the smiles on the faces
of kids who remind me dubai is mine

back in dubai
theres a song and they sing it there all the time
i can hear in the crowds
theres a voice to be heard
and i heard it singing out loud

if ever there were to be a UAE national anthem just for expats, that first one (life in the emirates) would be absolutly awesome!

This is my first posting so please go easy on me.

I'll have to be singing the anthem it soon myself and find the whole thing surreal. There are various ways to subvert such lyrics, as I have found over the years at carol services. I know there is an English version of the Welsh national anthem,ie you singalong using English words. Is anything available for the UAE one?

Tho' to be fair I do like a good singsong and would much rather sing the uae anthem than my own dirge-like one with its monarchist propaganda, even if the verse about smiting the scots is now passed over in silence.