His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, the United Arab Emirates Minister of Culture, Youth and Social Development, attended the main celebration of the 42nd UAE National Day at American University of Sharjah (AUS) yesterday, November 27, 2013. Organized by the Office of Student Affairs and the Emirati Cultural Club, this event is part of the week-long celebration of the UAE National Day at AUS.

The day's festivities began with His Excellency taking a tour of the El Etihad Art Gallery panorama in the Main Building, followed by the opening ceremony and welcome address. Entertainment for the crowd continued into the night and included a performance by Emirati scouts, poetry recitation, and traditional songs and dances. Other ethnic clubs, such as the Bahraini Cultural Club, also participated in these events expressing their appreciation to the UAE.

"It gives me great pleasure to offer my sincerest congratulations to all on the wonderful occasion of the UAE's 42nd National Day celebrations," said Dr. Thomas Hochstettler, Acting Chancellor of AUS. "We at AUS have always marked this occasion with great fervor and spirit. This year in particular our campus has come alive with numerous events celebrating the Emirates. On behalf of the entire AUS community, I would like to convey our best wishes to our leaders and to the people of the UAE."

"As has been an AUS tradition for many years, various events are organized on campus to mark this special occasion. With the theme of this year's National Day celebrations being 'Spirit of the Union,' we have focused on hosting activities that promote unity and patriotism," said Dr. Moza Al Shehhi, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs.

"As we take pride of our students' work, we submitted our entry to various governmental organizations in a bid to win the title of 'The Best University Celebrating National Day.' I congratulate our great leaders and the people of the UAE on this occasion," added Dr. Al Shehhi.

The celebration began on November 11, with a student campaign launched to gather National Day greetings and messages for His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE. Other activities included a traditional Emirati breakfast and lunch and a National Day Sports Festival organized by Student Athletics and Recreations Department.

Mohammad Al Thani, president of the Emirati Cultural Club, said, "National Day is a very dear occasion for all Emiratis. The celebrations are an expression of our love for our country and for our great leaders. We do hope that our events at AUS will be as successful as the National Day celebrations set across the UAE."