UAE History and Culture

Foundation of the Union, Sheikh Zayed and Cultural Traditions

25 practice questions, each with the answer and an explanation.

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Random questions from this topic, one at a time. You see the answer and the explanation straight after each one.

All 25 questions

  1. On which date did the UAE achieve independence from Britain, with six emirates declaring their union?
  2. Who was the founding father and first president of the United Arab Emirates, serving from independence on 2 December 1971 until his death in 2004?
  3. Who was the Ruler of Dubai from 1958 to 1990 and the first vice president of the United Arab Emirates?
  4. Where did Sheikh Zayed of Abu Dhabi and Sheikh Rashid of Dubai shake hands on 18 February 1968 on the plan for a union?
  5. Which was the seventh emirate to join the United Arab Emirates, on 10 February 1972?
  6. Which Dubai building, formerly known as the Jumeirah Guesthouse and one of three 'union sites' in the Emirates, is tied to the formation of the UAE on 2 December 1971?
  7. Who designed the UAE flag in 1971, aged 19, after winning a nationwide flag design contest?
  8. What are the four pan-Arab colours of the UAE flag?
  9. What is the title of the UAE national anthem, whose melody dates from 1971 and which received lyrics by Arif Al Sheikh in 1986?
  10. Which UAE tradition, registered as al-ayyala on UNESCO's Representative List, has two rows of about twenty men facing each other with thin bamboo sticks?
  11. What kind of Iranian-introduced shaft, known in the UAE as a barjeel, channelled cool air downward to cool traditional buildings?
  12. Which robe, called the kandura in the UAE, is long-sleeved and ankle-length and has no collar in the UAE?
  13. What ancient practice, inscribed in 2010 on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, involves hunting with trained birds of prey such as the saker falcon flown aga…
  14. On the Arabian Peninsula, Arabic coffee is served from a pot called what?
  15. In traditional Emirati coffee etiquette, what subtle gesture does a guest make with their small coffee cup (finjan) to politely signal that they do not wish for another refill?
  16. Which breed of sighthound, also known as the Arabian hound, was originally bred in the Fertile Crescent and kept by Bedouins in the family tent?
  17. What annual observance, marked on 30 November across the UAE, honours Emirati martyrs who died in civil, military and humanitarian service?
  18. On what date in 1976 were the Federal Armed Forces of the UAE unified as a single body?
  19. Which element, inscribed in 2012 on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, is traditional Bedouin chanted poetry of the UAE and Oman?
  20. What were the palm-frond shelters of the Bedouin in the summer months called?
  21. Which traditional form of decorative embroidery done by women is noticed by visitors in Abu Dhabi alongside Al Sadu weaving patterns?
  22. Which house in Al Shindagha on Dubai Creek, established around 1896, was the residence of Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum and is now a museum?
  23. Which emirate was named the 'Cultural Capital of the Arab World' by UNESCO in 1998?
  24. Which museum on Saadiyat Island, inaugurated on 8 November 2017 under a March 2007 agreement between the UAE and France, was designed by Jean Nouvel?
  25. What monumental mosque in Abu Dhabi, inaugurated in December 2007 and featuring 82 domes and the world's largest hand-knotted carpet, is the burial place of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan?

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