One flag, one nation, one heart: All about the UAE’s national anthem
- About the UAE’s National Anthem
- Who Wrote the UAE’s National Anthem?
- UAE National Anthem
- Interesting Facts
- FAQs
A country’s national anthem is a living and breathing representation of its tradition, history, beliefs and sovereignty. It’s not just a patriotic song – it’s a proud symbol of a country’s ethnic, cultural and religious values. An expression of identity that evokes eulogies of a nation’s traditions or history. The UAE’s national anthem, Ishy Bilady is all that and more.
Want to know more about the piece of music that represents the UAE on the global stage? We bring you an in-depth guide to the country’s national anthem, uncovering all the facts about its lyrics, composition and meaning.
ABOUT THE UAE NATIONAL ANTHEM
The UAE’s national anthem is officially known as Ishy Bilady/Ishy Biladi. In the national anthem, people praise the UAE, pray for its safety and vow to make sacrifices for their homeland. The tune of the song was composed in 1971/1972 but the lyrics were written sixteen years later in 1986 by Dr Arif Al Sheikh.
Now let’s learn about the man behind the words and the lyrics of Ishy Bilady.
WHO WROTE THE UAE NATIONAL ANTHEM‘S LYRICS?
The national anthem of the UAE is written by Dr Arif Al Sheikh, a columnist, scholar, poet and Imam. In 1986, when he was approached to pen the lyrics of the national anthem, he was working at the Ministry of Education.
He was given a letter and a cassette of the melody, with a deadline of three days to write the entire song. After listening to the tune around 60 times, he started penning down the lyrics.
Talking about the UAE’s National Anthem, Dr Arif said:
“Ishy Bilady – Long Live My Nation – were the first words and the rest just came out flowing. The idea was to express the spirit of the union and highlight the values of loyalty and patriotism.”
He presented the anthem to the cabinet the next day and they swiftly approved the scribe’s inspiring words. It was later photocopied and distributed to government offices, schools and police stations.
THE UAE’S NATIONAL ANTHEM LYRICS IN ENGLISH
The translation of the UAE’s national anthem, Ishy Bilady is as follows:
Long live my country, the unity of our Emirates lives
You have lived for a nation
Whose religion is Islam and guide is Quran
I made you stronger in God’s name oh homeland
My country, my country, my country, my country
God has protected you from the evils of the time
We have sworn to build and work
Work sincerely, work sincerely
As long as we live, we will be sincere, sincere
The safety has lasted and the flag has lived oh our Emirates
The Symbol of Arabism
We all sacrifice for you, we supply you with our blood
We sacrifice for you we supply you with our blood
We sacrifice you with our souls oh homeland
FACTS ABOUT THE UAE’S NATIONAL ANTHEM
- The melody for Ishy Bilady was created by an Egyptian composer Saad Abdel Wahab in 1971/1972. Saad Abdel Wahab is the nephew of iconic Egyptian composer, Mohammed Abdel Wahab.
- The world-renowned Pakistani singer, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan sang the Urdu version of the UAE’s national anthem. The anthem, called ‘Watan’, was launched prior to the country’s Golden Jubilee celebrations.
- Prior to the 50th UAE’s National Day, Abdu Rozik, an 18-year old diminutive professional singer, sang Ishy Bilady dressed in the country’s national attire.
FAQs
WHAT IS THE NAME OF THE UAE’S NATIONAL ANTHEM?
Ishy Bilady/Ishy Biladi is the officially recognised national anthem of the UAE. It’s written in Arabic and the words Ishy Bilady mean, ”Long Live my Country”.
WHO WROTE THE WORDS OF THE UAE’S NATIONAL ANTHEM?
The UAE’s national anthem was written in 1986 by Dr Asif Al Sheikh.
WHO WAS THE COMPOSER OF THE UAE NATIONAL ANTHEM?
Wondering, ”Who composed the UAE anthem?” Well…the melody for Ishy Bilady was composed by an Egyptian composer Saad Abdel Wahab in 1971/1972.
That brings an end to our guide on the UAE’s National Anthem. The anthem evokes feelings of patriotism among citizens, reminding them of the country’s rich history, heritage and glory. It is played on all the significant occasions in the country — be it the UAE’s National Day, Commemoration Day or any other important event.
The UAE has a rich history — with its roots going all the way back to Bedouin life. Learn some interesting facts about the history of Dubai or dig deeper to know the evolution of the capital with these rare facts about the history of Abu Dhabi.
Interested in learning more about the UAE’s symbolism and traditions? Our guide to the history of the UAE’s national flag is a great place to start. Curious about the emblems that embody the UAE’s spirit? Check out our blog on national symbols of UAE with pictures.
If you want to know more about the culture, heritage or ethos of the UAE, stay tuned to MyBayut.
