UAE's 49th National Day celebrated in special Google Doodle

The search engine is showing an animated UAE flag to mark the occasion

Google has marked the UAE's 49th National Day with a special Google Doodle. Google

Google is celebrating the UAE’s 49th National Day with a special Google Doodle.

People using the search engine in the UAE on Wednesday will see the search engine’s logo coloured in red and white, flanked by an animated waving UAE flag.

“Today’s Doodle honours the United Arab Emirates’ National Day in commemoration of the date in 1971 when the six small Gulf kingdoms of Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Sharjah, and Umm Al-Quwain joined together to form one federation. A seventh emirate, Ras Al Khaimah, was integrated into the union early the following year, completing the formation of the nation known today,” Google says in the information accompanying the Doodle.

"Depicted in today's Doodle artwork is the flag of the UAE, which was formally adopted the same day the first six emirates were consolidated in 1971. The flag's design features the four pan-Arab colours of red, green, white, and black that originally trace back to a centuries-old poem and feature prominently on many of the flags of the region. Each colour is also said to pay homage to a key element of the UAE's identity — the white signifies peace, the black represents the country's strength of mind, the green symbolises fertility, and the red stands for bravery and solidarity," it adds. "Happy National Day to the United Arab Emirates!"

Google Doodles feature sporadically throughout the year, transforming Google's traditional logo into an animation to pay tribute to an important figure or moment in history. The doodles can also mark seasonal or celebratory events.

While certain doodles are only shown to those in specific regions by the search engine, users are able to explore Google's entire Doodle catalogue by visiting the dedicate Doodle page.

Other regional Google Doodles to appear recently have paid tribute to Egyptian actor Ahmed Zaki, 'king of the oud' Farid Al Atrash, and Indian actress Zohra Sehgal.