It is a story of ties, of determination and of not giv ing up - and, according to those involved, it is a story that deserves to be told again and again. Three months after 13 Emirati students set out to create the world's largest national flag daubed entirely in fingerprints, the project is now gaining momentum, with more than 180,000 impressions collected so far.
From the crown princes of Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah and Sharjah to factory workers in Dubai. From one of the oldest living Emiratis to a twomonth-old baby and even the UAE national football team - they have all made their mark.
"It's in honour of anyone who has participated in the development of the UAE," says Abdullah Al Abdooli, who assists the vice president of the Emirati Cultural Club, the team spearheading the mammoth project. "The flag is now 70 per cent full. We are aiming to get a total of 250,000 fingerprints."
National Pride
The project was launched by the students, all from the American University of Sharjah, to mark the UAE's National Day on December 2 last year. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, the Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah initiated the project by becoming the first person to leave his fingerprint.
Since then, different portions of the 37 by 24-metre flag have travelled around the Emirates - from the corridors of power to schools and colleges and shopping malls - urging people to participate in this symbol of national unity.
"We wanted to do something extraordinary for the National Day and we wanted to extend the celebrations for more than a day," says Saud Al Mail, the 20-year-old president of the cultural club at the university. "We want to record the event in the history of the UAE." For Al Abdooli, the project is an opportunity to "send a message to the world".
"It's a message from us to show the world what a great nation the UAE is," says the 22-year-old. "That is why we have insisted on having all types of people who have helped make the UAE what it is today." The club members are hoping to make a mark by getting their flag certified by officials from Guinness World Records. "We are still in talks with them and once the project is finished, an agent will come and review the claim," says Al Abdooli.
Taking on the project has been quite a journey for members of the club, who have had to juggle classes, while travelling across the country.
"We've been from Fujairah to Abu Dhabi - that's one end of the country to another," says Fatma Al Mulla, 21, a multi-media design student. "But we are all doing it because we love our country.
"The most interesting part of the project for me was to get the oldest person and a really young baby to put their marks on the flag." Recently, the students met Sareea Al Katbi, a 106-yearold Emirati from Abu Dhabi, and got her to put her fingerprint on the flag while Maryam Al Marzoue, a twomonth-old baby also left her little finger mark.
While different pieces of the green and black sections of the flag are making their rounds across the country, the red portion is reserved exclusively for members of the royal family in each of the emirates.
Once completed, the pieces will be sewn together and presented to The President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler of Abu Dhabi.
The royal stamp
"The royal families have been very supportive of our project," says club president Al Mail. "Recently when we got Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs to make his fingerprint, he was offered a towel to wipe the paint from his finger, but he refused.
"Later, we saw him being interviewed on television and noticed that the red mark on his thumb was still there. We were so touched." But the fingerprint project has had its share of rough times, too. "We've had many people ask us why we were wasting our time," says Al Abdooli. "Some people have even commented on the kind of material we were using for the flag.
"When we approached some factory workers once, they were scared to put their fingerprints on the flag. They asked us what we were going to do with them."
Staying motivated
The absence of sponsors is also proving to be a difficulty for the determined students.
"Travelling around, all over the country is not easy. It requires a lot of money and without sponsors, it is kind of hard," says Al Mail "Then we have to go through protocols to get to government offices and get permission for secured areas, which takes up a lot of time.
"But we have a vision and that helps to keep us motivated," he adds.
The target now, they say, is to get His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum,Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to leave his fingerprint legacy.
"The final fingerprint will be that of the President," announces Al Abdooli. "Then we want to offer him the flag - a representation of the diversity and greatness of the UAE.
"We want to finish the whole thing in two months." Jenny Young, owner of Dubai-based media consultancy company, Tijan Media Concepts, has been an eager supporter of the flag project.
"I think it's an amazing journey that they have set out on and I think everyone in the UAE should take a step back and witness what these students have done and appreciate the enormity of the project," she says. "We all can learn lessons about bonding and love. It's a symbol of patriotism and unity." A major event will mark the final presentation to the President, the students reveal.
"It's been fun and it has touched us in many ways," says Club Vice-President Al Mulla. "So we want to make the final event as grand as possible.
"We have gone through a lot of things to make this project successful," she adds. "But it is all for our beloved country."
By David Tusing
Emirates Today 2007
