Every year in late November the same video appears on a hundred company pages: a slow shot of the skyline, a flag, swelling music, "Happy National Day from all of us". Nobody objects to it. Nobody remembers it either. If your company is going to mark Eid Al Etihad on 2 December, it is worth making something people will actually feel.
First, the name and the calendar
The UAE's National Day has been officially called Eid Al Etihad since 2024. It marks 2 December 1971, when the emirates united. The season starts earlier than many newcomers expect: Flag Day falls on 3 November, and offices, schools and malls build up to December from there.
Each year the organising committee publishes a theme, an official visual identity and brand guidelines with clear dos and don'ts for businesses. Read them before you design anything. They are the difference between a respectful greeting and one that has to be taken down.
What makes these videos feel sincere
The honest version is always about people rather than symbols.
- "What the UAE means to me." Ask colleagues one question and let them answer in their own language. A company in Dubai may have twenty nationalities on one floor. That variety, with subtitles, says "union" better than any slogan.
- The long view. Someone who joined the company fifteen or twenty years ago can describe how the street outside has changed. Pair their words with old photos from the company archive.
- Emirati colleagues leading the story. Not as decoration in the first shot, but as the people who explain what the day means in their family.
- What your company has built here. A project, a product, a team trained here. Gratitude lands better when it is specific.
- The celebration itself. If the office is planning a lunch, traditional coffee or a children's drawing wall, film it properly and share it on the day.
Our guide to interview questions that get real answers will help with the first two.
Clichés to retire
- Stock footage of a skyline that every other company has also bought.
- A falcon, a camel and a dune in the first five seconds.
- National dress worn as a costume by people who do not normally wear it.
- A sales offer attached to the greeting. Keep promotions in a separate post.
Respect for the flag and symbols
This is where well-meaning videos go wrong. A few points to check against the official guidance for the year:
- The flag must be shown correctly, clean and undamaged, never on the floor or used as a tablecloth, and never with altered colours or added logos.
- The official Eid Al Etihad logo has its own usage rules. Follow the published guidelines rather than redrawing it.
- Images of the country's leaders need particular care and, for commercial use, approval. If you are unsure, leave them out.
- AI-generated images of national symbols or public figures are a violation without approval. We explain this in can AI make our company video.
- Music. Patriotic songs are copyrighted like any other music. See music in business videos.
Arabic first
On this day, Arabic should not be an afterthought in the subtitles. Open with Arabic, have a native speaker check every word on screen, and make sure the text reads right to left without broken letters. More in bilingual Arabic and English video.
A realistic timeline
Working back from 2 December:
- Five to six weeks before: agree the idea, read the year's guidelines, choose who will appear.
- Three to four weeks before: film interviews and office scenes. Half a day is often enough.
- Two weeks before: edit, subtitle, review with an Arabic speaker and with management.
- The last week of November: final versions in horizontal and vertical formats.
- On the day: film the office celebration for a short follow-up clip.
Starting in the last week of November is how the skyline-and-music version gets made.
Questions people ask
Can we film outdoors with flags and landmarks?
Filming in public places needs permission in Dubai, and landmarks have their own rules. Your own office, decorated for the day, is the simplest and most personal location. See filming permits in Dubai.
Should the CEO appear?
A short, warm message works if it sounds like the person and not like a press release. Often it is stronger as one voice among colleagues. See CEO message videos.
How long should it be?
Under a minute for social media is usually right, with a longer cut for internal screens if the stories deserve it.
How we can help
Fat Cat Media has filmed in the UAE since 2012, in English and Russian. We can film your team's stories in half a day and deliver subtitled versions for every channel in time for 2 December. See our corporate video service and message us on WhatsApp while there is still time to plan.
Need help with corporate video?
Company profiles, factory and office films, recruitment and training videos. Send us a short brief and we will come back with an itemised quote.
