Today's Edition
ASILA AL BADI (ABU DHABI)
Across the UAE, national pride is not expressed through words alone. It is carried in poems, paintings and traditional performances that have long formed part of the country's cultural identity, offering people ways to express belonging, memory and loyalty that feel both personal and shared.
At a time when nationwide displays of solidarity and declarations have become more visible, artists and cultural practitioners say that creative expression remains one of the clearest ways to understand how those feelings take shape.
Musaed bin Ta'sas, known as the Poet of National Identity and winner of the 10th edition of the "Million's Poet" competition, believes that poetry has a reach that allows pride and belonging to be expressed with an intensity that plain language cannot match.
"Poetry touches the soul before the mind and transforms feelings of pride and belonging into vivid imagery and sincere emotion, while ordinary words remain limited in impact," he told Aletihad.
He added that scenes of national pride across the country continue to feed his creativity and deepen his sense of connection to the UAE. Those moments, Ta'sas explained, do not simply inspire admiration but become material for verse, helping to turn public feeling into something lasting.
"Poetry is connected to memory and emotion and is spoken in impactful language and rhythm close to the heart - it reinforces identity and belonging in a profound and lasting way."
Visual artist Dr Muna Balfaqeeh spoke of a similar role for art, though through image rather than sound. According to her, art can preserve not only the record of an event, but the feeling surrounding it, giving it a place in the shared memory of society.
"Art is one of the most sincere and profound expressions of national pride and belonging, as it goes beyond the limits of direct language to reach the human conscience," she told Aletihad.
Works inspired by Emirati heritage, Dr Balfaqeeh explained, help carry national identity across generations by reintroducing older symbols in a contemporary form. In that way, the past is not kept at a distance but made present again, allowing younger audiences to encounter heritage as something active rather than fixed.
"It represents a living memory of the homeland. It is not limited to documenting events, but preserves society's emotions and interactions with them."
That link between pride and cultural expression is also heard in traditional performance, where heritage itself becomes a public language of solidarity.
Among the clearest examples is Al Nadbah, a centuries-old oral tradition rooted in Emirati culture and historically performed by the Al Shehhi family. Once used as a battle cry, it has taken on a ceremonial role over time and is now heard at weddings, celebrations and official state receptions.
Eng. Maitha Alshehhi, who grew up hearing Nadbah and watching the men in her family perform it, said that the tradition remains one of the strongest expressions of heritage in the UAE - its group performance, marked by rhythm and forceful vocal delivery, gives it a natural connection to unity and shared identity.
In her view, Nadbah carries both historical weight and symbolic meaning, and its presence at official occasions has given it renewed visibility as an expression of cultural continuity and collective pride.
"The UAE's national heritage, such as symbolic patterns, customs, oral traditions and performing arts, has always played a crucial part in shaping the UAE's cultural identity and expressing who Emiratis truly are," Alshehhi told Aletihad.
According to her, that meaning becomes even more powerful during moments of national unity, when the collective nature of the performance reinforces solidarity and a shared sense of heritage.
What began as a tradition rooted in older forms of tribal expression now stands as a ceremonial reminder of how cultural practices can retain their impact while adapting to a modern national setting.
"This oral tradition is mainly performed in groups, reflecting unity and pride by bringing people together and using rhythm and strong vocal expressions," she said.
"In recent years, this oral tradition has been performed in official head-of-state receptions, serving as a powerful symbol of the UAE's cultural heritage and human unity."
The same idea is visible in movement through Ayyala, the traditional performance often performed during national celebrations. According to the Al Ain Ayyala Group, the dance expresses unity through its physical formation, with participants standing in two organised rows and moving as one.
"The Ayyala dance embodies the spirit of unity through participants standing in organised opposing rows as if they are one body, reflecting cohesion and solidarity among the people of the nation," the group told Aletihad.
"It also expresses pride through enthusiastic chants and the symbolic carrying of sticks, indicating strength, courage and pride in heritage."
For them, Ayyala carries even greater meaning when performed during moments of heightened patriotism. Such settings, the group explained, turn a cultural performance into a visible expression of national unity, connecting performers and audiences alike.
"Performing Ayala in these moments represents a symbol of belonging and loyalty to the nation, and strengthens feelings of pride in and attachment to national identity, especially when performed alongside the raising of the flag," they said.
