Tomorrow starts the lavish celebration of UAE National Day.

Cars, buildings, roads and people are extremely decorated with flags, toys, stickers and lights. Events and festivities for the next days have been nationally publicized.

Amidst the grandeur and the extravagance, the feast ends only with my eyes.

I wonder, what really are they celebrating?

Where is the authenticity of these words?

”Coexisting and building lives together” paint a picture of freedom, acceptance and equality. A picture I fail to perceive. Is it too abstract, I do not see?

All I’ve seen the past two years is a clear painting of egotism and racial discrimination left and right.

In this celebration of honor, love of country, pride and patriotism, the UAE left out the most important thing of all. If they see that and they put it above pride and honor, only then will residents like me genuinely celebrate and rejoice with them locals. This country needs to realize that they are missing a very crucial element of foundation.

VALUES.

There is nothing more worthy an achievement than this.