First look: UAE's mangroves to be the star of grand National Day show

Abu Dhabi - Watch the epic live production from the comfort of your home on December 2.

Mangroves, which cover swathes of the UAE’s coastline, will be the star of this year’s epic National Day show, organisers revealed on Wednesday. These water-dwelling trees serve as the main visual inspiration for the spectacle that will narrate how the ‘seeds of the Union’ blossomed into the world-class nation that the UAE is today.

The grand production will be held in Abu Dhabi on December 2 and broadcast live to millions around the world. It was particularly designed as an event that people can enjoy from the comfort of their homes, as Covid-19 restrictions on gatherings remain in place.

Khalfan Al Mazrouei, member of the organising committee of the Official 49th National Day Celebration, said: “The mangroves are a big piece of our heritage and are part of our country’s natural beauty. It was decided that they would aesthetically be a wonderful inspiration for the visuals of the event.

“The title of the show is ‘Seeds of the Union’ and our mangroves represent the growth of the UAE — from a seed at the formation in 1971 into a full bloom we see 49 years later.

“We do not want to give away too much of the story, but we are extremely excited to share a truly beautiful production that reflects the UAE’s natural environment, history, values and hopes.”

Why mangroves?

Mangroves, which are small trees that grow in saltwater, are an important part of the UAE’s ecosystem. They protect the coastlines from erosion, provide a breeding ground for various fish species, and help remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

In the 1970s, massive mangrove plantation programmes were put in place by the UAE’s founding father, late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Today, the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi works to rehabilitate and protect mangrove forests and in the last decade has been actively involved in leading a rehabilitation programme, planting 3.1 million mangrove saplings on the coasts of Al Gharbia, Saadiyat, Jubail and Habitat Island.