Every year by mid-November, citizens and foreigners begin the fanfare by embracing the four colours of the national flag—black, red, green, and white—ahead of the grand show on December 2. An item with the colours of the national flag is often sought after by locals and visitors to the old souk in Deira, but surprisingly, they can find it all there, according to Abdul Badi, one of the vendors.
As November draws near, there is a high demand from schools across the nation, according to Badi. “We have a lot of stationery in the four colours,” she added. Abdul Badi continued, “Similarly, we have a significant influx of orders from offices for gift boxes, coffee mugs, writing pads, badges, pens, pencils, and even small flags. The owner of Imperial Work Wear, Yaseen Attari, accepts custom orders for large-scale flags, dresses, t-shirts, scarves, and shawls.
“We produce in bulk, and after November 20, we can see that people are swarming the markets to buy flags for their homes and workplaces,” said Attari. According to Attari, the four-color flag-themed dresses and t-shirts for women, which start at Dh60 each, are in high demand.
The new shawl, which is designed in various patterns and has prints of quotes, pictures of rulers, and flag colours, is reportedly the most sought-after item, according to manufacturers, retailers, and wholesalers. According to Syed Nasikh, sales and marketing manager at NFN General Trading LLC, a company that creates these accessories, “These shawls are a preferred accessory by many residents these days and can be found around the neck of Emiratis and the expat community as it enhances the outlook in work wear or even in parties.”
“This is the 51st National Day of the UAE, and anything with the number 51 has experienced high demand,” Nasikh continued.
