, we ask ourselves: how do we honour the pledge?Honouring the pledge is not done with words. It is honoured when the teacher is a faithful custodian of young minds, when the doctor is a faithful guardian of public health, when women are active partners in nation-building, and when the young are innovators rather than consumers. It is honoured when we raise the name of the UAE in space and on the world stage, and when we sow goodness in every land our sons and daughters tread.The anniversary of the Union Pledge reminds us that the union is a journey without end. There are still cities to build, minds to empower, and projects to innovate. We still carry the trust of talent and the mission of legacy.The Union Pledge is the testament of the founding fathers and the responsibility of their children. It calls on us to say every day: we remain true to the pledge. And we will continue to build, to develop, and to create, so that the flag of the union may forever fly high in the sky of glory.That day stands as a pivotal step in the founding of the union, an occasion on which we recall the beginnings of our journey and renew our commitment to national unity and its enduring values. May God have mercy on the founding fathers, and may He bless our wise leadership.
Friday, 17 July 2026, 12:51 AM
Union Pledge Day marks a defining moment in the history of the United Arab Emirates, commemorating the meeting held on 18 July 1971, at which the founding father Sheikh Zayed and his fellow rulers signed the declaration of union and the constitution of the state.
On 18 July, we do not merely celebrate a date — we renew the Union Pledge. A pledge made by the founding fathers with their blood and wisdom, and one we, their sons and daughters, have vowed to honour through our work and our achievements.
55 years ago, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may God rest his soul, and his fellow rulers of the Emirates stood together to sign a document that changed the face of the Arabian Peninsula.
It was not a signature on paper. It was a union pledge between hearts before it was ever between emirates — a pledge to stand as one hand, one destiny, and one dream called the UAE.
What is the Union Pledge? It is to place the nation's interest above all others; to transform desert into civilisation, division into strength, and dreams into reality. It is to believe that our diversity is our richness, and that our unity is the secret of our survival.
Today, as we look towards the
