Dubai: UAE telecom operators Etisalat and du wished residents and citizens of the county happy National Day with a tribute to the UAE as well as a special offer for users.
They paid homage to the country they operate in by changing network names to ‘UAE49ETISALAT’ and ‘NationalDay-du’ respectively early on December 2 as it celebrated its 49th National Day.
Across the UAE, as most people enjoy a long weekend, i.e. December 1-5, the networks also deployed a special package that would allow them to communicate with their near and dear ones.
They offered 49GB of free mobile data to their Emirati users. Via tweet, the two telecom firms explained how users could benefit from the offer.
Etisalat tweeted: “To our beloved Emirates, and we donate 49GB to all our Emirati customers on the 2nd and 3rd of December in the UAE and the Gulf countries, to activate the offer, dial * 49 #”
Du meanwhile changed it’s twitter display picture to incorporate the nation’s colours: green, white, black and red. It tweeted: “Happy National Day our beloved Emirates. Enjoy 49 GB of free mobile data exclusive for our Emirati customers. To activate call *055*49#.”
These tech companies were not the only ones to pay homage to the country. Google, which dishes out doodles on special days, marked the historic moment with a doodle of the UAE flag over its search bar.
Image Credit: Supplied
On it’s doodle explaination page, Google explained the choice, writing: “National Day in the UAE commemorates the day in 1971 when six of the seven emirates—Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah, and Umm Al Quwain—became one under Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan with Abu Dhabi serving as the capital. The seventh emirate, Ras Al Khaimah, joined the union a few months later.
“The UAE has developed rapidly since unification. Now home to booming tech and financial industries, the nation has diversified its economy while changing its international profile.
“An incredible display of fireworks will illuminate the skylines of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah and festivities including parades and cultural performances take place in Ajman, Fujairah, Umm Al Quwain, and Ras Al Khaimah in honor of National Day.”