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Did you spot the UAE constellation in the sky? Find out here

Sun 05 Dec 2021    
| 3 min read

UAE turned 50 this month with much fanfare. To mark this golden milestone with a fitting tribute to the stellar achievements and progress of the nation over the last five decades: the UAE’s own constellation, was launched by Emirates NBD in collaboration with Dubai Astronomy Group.

Emirates Constellation

‘Emirates Constellation’ is the first constellation of stars in the world named after a nation. The team behind the idea analysed star maps in the night sky and identified a group of stars in the shape of a map of the UAE and with this, the Dubai Astronomy Group registered it. The shape consists of 7 stars each plotted to represent the 7 Emirates (states) of the UAE.

With a distinctive shape of the UAE map, The Emirates Constellation is formed by seven stars, representing the seven emirates of the UAE. The constellation was revealed to UAE citizens and residents at Expo 2020 Dubai’s Opportunity Forum on the eve of the UAE’s 50th national day. UAE residents will have the opportunity to view The Emirates Constellation by visiting dubaiastronomy.com. They are also invited to visit Emirates NBD where they can select one of the seven stars in the constellation and pay a tribute to the UAE in the Year of the 50th.

He who does not know his past
cannot make the best of his present and future

Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan

As part of its golden jubilee celebrations, the banking group has launched a video campaign that pays tribute to the role that stars played historically in guiding nomadic Bedouins in the vast desert and charts the successful trajectory of the UAE over the last 50 years, including becoming the first Arab country to reach Mars.

The video campaign recalls the visionary words of the UAE’s founding father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan: “He who does not know his past cannot make the best of his present and future” and captures the foresight, ambition, and innovative spirit of the UAE as it continues to make remarkable progress in every field, including becoming one of the happiest nations of the world.

Commenting on the campaign, Moadh Bukhash, Chief Marketing Officer at Emirates NBD said, “Inspired by the UAE’s sky-high ambition and many successes, our campaign gifts the people of the UAE ‘The Emirates Constellation’, a special place among the stars for our wonderful nation as it turns 50. The UAE has achieved so much in just five decades and guided by our founding fathers and the wise leadership of the UAE, we hope that The Emirates Constellation will guide our future and inspire our people to continue to reach for the stars.”

Hasan Al Hariri, CEO, Dubai Astronomy Group added, “We have been very excited to partner with Emirates NBD in this wonderful initiative that symbolically brings together the UAE’s past and its future. The Emirates Constellation is a representation of our progress, hope, unity, and future. As a concept that no country has implemented before, we had a challenging task on our hands. Our team mapped out the sky and existing constellations to identify the shape of the UAE map and selected visible stars that would render its outline. We are delighted to have played a part in this fitting tribute to the UAE’s golden anniversary.”

An event at the Expo 2020 in Dubai on December 1 launched the idea through a film, starting and ending with the words and the memorial built for the founder of the UAE – Sheikh Zayed – sharing the story behind this timeless tribute. The film is set to an astral rendition of the UAEs National Anthem, combining the traditional roots of the country with a space operatic feel.

The film will also be promoted on social channels, cinemas, and on news channels locally starting with the UAE National Day on December 2. On the web and mobile, people can search the star maps to find ‘The Emirates’ constellation. Integration into leading star gazing apps is under development. On the website, people can share their own tributes that’ll go into an interactive star map. Social sentiments have been high. The idea is also being developed further with Guinness World Records during December.

Get your telescopes ready and head out to the desert at night for a glimpse of UAE in the stars!


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