Valentine’s Day: Today, let’s show our love for UAE

It’s that time of the year. Love is in the air. The weather is great and you’ll see the men browsing kiosks in malls or ambling across aisles in department stores looking for roses, chocolates, teddies and all things cute to give to their lady loves. Nope, am not sexist — just that I haven’t spotted too many women doing the same. Why? That’s for another column. Back to Valentine’s Day, the day the world has earmarked for showing love to their significant others. Over the years, V-Day has evolved into something more than a testimonial to romantic relationships. A growing number of people now choose this day to show their appreciation for friends, family and colleagues. Let’s, however, think beyond that closely-knit circle.

It won’t be a stretch to say that despite the fact that a vast majority of us expats are here because of the happy coincidence called our job that landed us here, we all have fallen in love with the UAE. The country affords us a fantastic lifestyle — a safe and vibrant environment for our families to live in, a dynamic platform for our career growth, a contemporary education system for our kids and a tolerant society that allows freedom of faith and belief. Today, let’s show our love for the UAE. How? Perhaps pen a love letter. The guys at Expo 2020 have penned a cute one. But if one were to write a love letter for the UAE, what would one include? The amazing standards of living? The zero tolerance to corruption? Quality of education and healthcare? The architecture? The food?

Perhaps all that and more. The UAE is a modern, progressive country known for its record-breaking achievements, including the tallest tower, the largest mall, the upcoming Expo 2020, the plans for Mars, Hyperloop, and more. But beyond the adjectives of the tallest, biggest, highest and the deepest lies the pure and pristine heart of the UAE, its leaders and its citizens. The fact that the young nation has achieved so much in less than half a century of its existence says volumes about the enterprising nature of its citizens and leaders. That’s the true love story. Happy Valentine’s Day!