Cars & UAE National Day!

There's been a lot of hoopla about the 40th National UAE day as there should be! However, since I had family visiting, one missed a lot of the events / things happening specifically for UAE's 40th birthday, cos I was busy ensuring that they do all the touristy things there are to do!

In the midst of this, it was by pure accident that I got to witness, first hand, how Emiratis esp the royalty express their happiness for the National day.

Had taken my folks to see the singing fountain at Dubai Mall, and I found myself struggling to get past the Mall entrance at Fashion Avenue after dropping them at the steps leading down to the fountain. After a 15 minute wait, I finally handed the keys to a valet and stepped out to see what has caused the jam.

Lining the entrance of Dubai Mall were 5 gorgeous, gorgeous cars, all painted the colours of the UAE flag and bearing Abu Dhabi number plates - A Bugati, a Ferari, a Bently, a Land Rover and I can't remember the 5th. All top of the line, mean looking machines dressed in green, red, white and black.

We are a family of car freaks, so we stopped to have a closer look, and, got the shock of our life as the cars suddenly started reving up in a synchronised symphony!

Well, all the cars were, save for the Bugati that led the pack. On enquiry, the helpful guard informed us that the cars all belonged to Sheikh Mo's elder son, who, supposedly was inside the Mall! Though why would Sheikh Mo's son own cars with Abu Dhabi number plates instead of Dubai ones, quite escapes me! The Bugati, the guard very enthusiactically offered, was being driven by the man himself, and no one would touch HIS car while he was away!

While we were waiting for the overworked valet to park and return the keys, I stood around while my son went gaga over the cars!

Since the valet was back, we started walking away towards the fountain, when there was a sudden hush and I vaguley remember my son telling me that he thought the cars were leaving cos the crowd began to edge away from the cars, and then as suddenly as there had been a hush, the cars started their symphony again, well this time more like cacophony :-(

Clearly the heir to the throne, if indeed it was him, had decided to leave the Mall. But for my young 10 year old, and, if I am a wee bit honest, for me as well, those gorgeous cars painted in UAE colours, made the national day seem a little more real than an extended weekend!