# Union Day

> An Emirati National Day celebration that is not a table of dates and a flag. Ayyala performers, a majlis build, a proper Emirati buffet and an MC who can host in both languages.

Package I-04 from Offsyte, corporate recreation in the UAE · [Ceremony](https://offsyte.ae/catalog/corporate-parties-and-celebrations/) · Web page: https://offsyte.ae/packages/union-day/

- **Duration:** 3.5 hrs
- **Ideal start time:** 12:30 — runs through lunch, so it costs the client half a day rather than an evening
- **Departure window:** 12:00–19:00
- **Group size:** 50 min — 400 max
- **Emirate / venue:** Anywhere in the UAE — the client's own office atrium, or a hotel function room
- **Season:** Late November to early December. UAE National Day is 2 December; the sellable window is 25 Nov – 5 Dec
- **Booking lead time:** 30 days — every performer and venue in the country is booked for this week

## Price per person, excluding 5% VAT

| Group size | Per person | Billed for at least |
| --- | ---: | ---: |
| 50–99 people | AED 450 | 96 people |
| 100–199 people | AED 390 | 121 people |
| 200+ people | AED 350 | — |

A group smaller than a band's "billed for at least" figure is still served, and is invoiced for that many people.
Where a larger band costs less in total, it is quoted instead: groups of 180–199 are billed as 200 people at the rate for 200+ people.

Payment: 50% advance on signature. 100% cleared 3 working days before the event. Numbers lock 7 days prior.

## Why this is not the retail version

The version most companies run costs about **AED 80 a person** and it is a flag banner in the canteen, a tray of dates and an email. Everybody recognises it for what it is.

The gap this fills is specific. **National Day is the one date in the UAE calendar where a company's Emirati and long-resident staff notice whether the effort was real.** A hired Ayyala troupe, a majlis that people actually sit in, and machboos rather than a sandwich platter is the difference between a gesture and an acknowledgement — and it is read that way by exactly the people it matters to.

The practical argument is availability. **Every performer, caterer and function room in the UAE is committed for the week of 2 December**, most of them by early November. A company deciding on 20 November that it wants to do something is choosing between what is left. The thirty-day lead time on this package is not caution, it is the market.

**It also runs at lunchtime, in the client's own building.** No venue hire, no transport, half a working day. That is why it sells to companies that would never approve an evening event.

## Timeline

- **07:00** — Build begins — majlis, decor, staging, gahwa station
- **12:30** — Doors open. Gahwa and dates at the entrance, oud playing
- **12:45** — Guests settle into the majlis setting. Henna and calligraphy stations open
- **13:15** — Bilingual MC opens. Short address by the senior leader
- **13:30** — Ayyala performance — the traditional stick dance, live drums, full troupe
- **14:15** — Emirati buffet opens
- **15:00** — Heritage stations — falcon display, Arabic coffee ceremony, traditional dress photo corner
- **15:45** — Group photograph in national colours
- **16:00** — Close

## Included

- Venue — client's own atrium, or a hotel function room, half day
- Emirati themed decor and majlis setup — seating, carpets, sadu textiles, palm and flag detailing
- Ayyala troupe, one hour
- Henna, Arabic calligraphy and gahwa stations
- Emirati buffet — machboos, harees, luqaimat, full dietary coverage
- Bilingual MC for four hours
- Sound and lighting
- Branded gifting — flag pin, ghutra or equivalent, one per attendee
- Full custom branding — entrance, stage, photo wall
- Photographer, videographer and an edited 90-second reel within 5 working days
- Two event coordinators on site

## Not included

- Alcohol — deliberately excluded
- Fireworks (permit-dependent, priced on request)
- Transport
- 5% VAT

## Weather and backup plan

- **Trigger:** None where it runs indoors, which is the default. Outdoor courtyard formats carry a wind and rain trigger.
- **Fallback:** Indoor delivery at the client's premises is the standing fallback for any outdoor format — the whole build is modular by design. Performer availability is the real risk in this window, and a contracted backup troupe is booked from the point of sale, not sourced if the first one cancels.
- **You are told by:** Immediate for any format change.

## Customisation options

- Falconry display: AED 1,800
- Traditional dress hire for photographs, per station: AED 2,400/event
- Upgrade gifting — engraved brass, dallah or perfume set: AED 90–250/person
- Emirati heritage speaker, 30 min: AED 3,500
- Camel arrival at the entrance: AED 2,400/event
- Live oud through the buffet: AED 1,500
- Fireworks or cold-spark finale: Priced on request, permit-dependent
- Full 5-minute film of the day: AED 3,200
- Combine with a Flag Day activation on 3 November: AED 12,000/event

## Questions about Union Day

### How much does Union Day cost per person?

AED 450 per person for 50–99 people; AED 390 per person for 100–199 people; AED 350 per person for 200+ people. All figures exclude 5% VAT. A group below a band's minimum chargeable size is billed at that minimum: 96 people in the 50–99 band, 121 people in the 100–199 band. Where a larger band costs less in total, it is quoted instead: groups of 180–199 are billed as 200 people at the rate for 200+ people.

### How long does Union Day take, and when does it start?

3.5 hrs. Ideal start: 12:30 — runs through lunch, so it costs the client half a day rather than an evening. Departure window: 12:00–19:00.

### What is not included in Union Day?

Alcohol — deliberately excluded; Fireworks (permit-dependent, priced on request); Transport; 5% VAT. These are stated before enquiry rather than raised at invoice time.

### What happens to Union Day if the weather turns?

Trigger: None where it runs indoors, which is the default. Outdoor courtyard formats carry a wind and rain trigger. Fallback: Indoor delivery at the client's premises is the standing fallback for any outdoor format — the whole build is modular by design. Performer availability is the real risk in this window, and a contracted backup troupe is booked from the point of sale, not sourced if the first one cancels. You are told: Immediate for any format change.

### How far in advance do we need to book Union Day?

The booking lead time is 30 days — every performer and venue in the country is booked for this week. Ramadan and December dates book out first.

## Read before you book

- [UAE National Day 2026: what the office can still do](https://offsyte.ae/blog/uae-national-day-office-celebration/): What a UAE office can still organise for National Day 2026, from a free flag-raising to a full majlis programme from AED 350 a person excluding VAT.
- [Company annual dinner ideas: the running order](https://offsyte.ae/blog/company-annual-dinner-ideas/): What goes into a company annual dinner once the venue is booked — the running order, which performances work, awards, themes and gifts, with per-person costs.
- [When to run a company event in the UAE](https://offsyte.ae/blog/uae-corporate-event-calendar/): The UAE corporate calendar decides more about your event than your budget does. Working week, public holidays, school terms, heat and the months that sell out.
- [Staff appreciation that people believe](https://offsyte.ae/blog/staff-appreciation-long-service-uae/): How to run recognition and long-service awards in a UAE company so they land rather than embarrass — formats, prices, and the mistakes that make people cynical.

Request a proposal: https://offsyte.ae/enquire/?package=I-04 · proposals@offsyte.ae