{"id":15028,"date":"2026-05-01T14:10:39","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T10:10:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.uaehumanjourney.com\/en\/?p=15028"},"modified":"2026-05-01T14:20:38","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T10:20:38","slug":"zayed-national-museum-marks-50th-anniversary-of-uae-armed-forces-unification-with-cultural-programme-and-special-displays","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.uaehumanjourney.com\/en\/2026\/05\/01\/zayed-national-museum-marks-50th-anniversary-of-uae-armed-forces-unification-with-cultural-programme-and-special-displays\/","title":{"rendered":"Zayed National Museum Marks 50th Anniversary of UAE Armed Forces Unification with Cultural Programme and Special Displays"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-start=\"397\" data-end=\"675\">Zayed National Museum, the national museum of the United Arab Emirates, is launching an integrated cultural programme and a dedicated collection of special displays to mark the 50th anniversary of the unification of the UAE Armed Forces. The programme will run from May 6 to 15.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"677\" data-end=\"1033\">The initiative highlights the importance of this national occasion in the country\u2019s journey, as a key milestone in the history of the Union and the strengthening of national identity. It recalls the moment when the Armed Forces were brought together under one banner, guided by the values of shared responsibility, service and the protection of the nation.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1035\" data-end=\"1415\">Held under the title \u201cJourney of Unity Through Time,\u201d the programme tells the story of the unification of the Armed Forces in 1976. This historic step reflected the far-sighted vision of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the Founding Father of the UAE, and his belief that the strength of the nation rests on the unity of its people and the cohesion of its institutions.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1417\" data-end=\"2033\">Moza Matar, Director of Curatorial and Collection Management at Zayed National Museum, said the 50th anniversary of the unification of the Armed Forces represents an important national occasion, offering an opportunity to reflect on one of the defining moments in the history of the UAE. She added that the programme presents a complete experience combining distinctive displays and cultural activities, while shedding light on the values of service and shared responsibility. It also helps visitors understand the connection between past and present, and the role of national memory in inspiring future generations.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2035\" data-end=\"2338\">Through its dedicated displays, the museum highlights the historical roots of defence and protection in the region. It shows how tools and weapons, across different periods, carried meanings that went beyond military use, as they were also connected to order, peace, stability and social responsibility.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2340\" data-end=\"2720\">The displays include archaeological objects from important sites such as Hili in Al Ain and Saruq Al Hadid in Dubai. These pieces reveal the ability of early communities to develop advanced tools for survival and defence. Among the items on display are an \u201cUmm Futeila\u201d matchlock rifle from the 19th century and a model sword made from copper alloy dating back to around 2000 BCE.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2722\" data-end=\"3031\">These objects, which form part of Zayed National Museum\u2019s collection, underline the symbolic and cultural dimensions of defensive tools. They are not only evidence of the development of methods of protection, but also reflect ideas of authority, stability and social order in the lives of ancient communities.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3033\" data-end=\"3386\">The accompanying community programme also offers a variety of performances and interactive activities, including Al Nadba and Al Ayyala-style heritage performances, along with a special Al Azi performance by artist Hamad Al Ameri. These events aim to bring visitors closer to elements of Emirati heritage linked to national values and pride in identity.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3388\" data-end=\"3744\">The programme also includes workshops, interactive tours and educational experiences that allow visitors to explore the concepts of service, belonging and national identity in creative ways. It also introduces audiences to the many roles carried out by the UAE Armed Forces, extending beyond defence to include service to society and support for stability.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3746\" data-end=\"4112\">Through this programme, Zayed National Museum continues its role in preserving national memory and presenting important moments from the UAE\u2019s history in a way that combines knowledge with a living experience. It also offers visitors an opportunity to reflect on the meaning of unity and its role in building a strong nation rooted in a deep legacy of shared values.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Zayed National Museum is presenting a cultural programme titled \u201cJourney of Unity Through Time\u201d to mark the anniversary of the UAE Armed Forces unification, highlighting the values of service, belonging and national identity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":15029,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[256],"class_list":["post-15028","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-english-stories","tag-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uaehumanjourney.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15028","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uaehumanjourney.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uaehumanjourney.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uaehumanjourney.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uaehumanjourney.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15028"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uaehumanjourney.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15028\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15032,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uaehumanjourney.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15028\/revisions\/15032"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uaehumanjourney.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15029"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.uaehumanjourney.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15028"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uaehumanjourney.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15028"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.uaehumanjourney.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15028"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}