UAE
Watch: Indian children in the UAE pay tribute to the country through a heartfelt performance
UAE national anthem played using classical Indian instruments
The video, created by Dubai-based performing arts centre Malhaar, features 13 Indian schoolchildren performing the anthem, calling it an “offering of harmony, friendship and shared cultural respect”.
Dubai: The tabla. The sitar. The harmonium. And the UAE national anthem.
A music centre in the UAE has used classical Indian musical instruments to recreate the UAE national anthem, calling it an “offering of harmony, friendship and shared cultural respect”.
The video, created by Dubai-based performing arts centre Malhaar, features 13 Indian schoolchildren performing the anthem using Indian classical instruments. What began as a simple creative idea quickly gained widespread attention, circulating across WhatsApp groups, social media platforms and community networks.
Within hours, the video had reached school leaders, institutional pages and authorities such as the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA). It was also shared by India’s Ambassador to the UAE and the Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi.
“I’ve received calls from CEOs, homemakers, teachers and principals — it has really resonated with them,” said Jogiraj Sikidar, Founder and Director of the Malhaar Centre for Performing Arts.
A line from UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan served as the inspiration behind the production.
“Soon after the war started, I was driving and noticed a hoarding that said, ‘In the UAE, we are all Emirati’, and that really stayed with me. I have been in the UAE for 20 years, and while many call it their second home, I call it my first. I feel deeply rooted in this country; it has given me so much,” he said.
That moment got him thinking: how could he express his love for the country? Soon after, the idea for the video was born. Together with a friend, a third-generation UAE resident who owns a production company, Sikidar brought the project to life.
“We wanted it to be all white to symbolise peace. The only colours you see in the video are those of the UAE flag. We did not use any electronic instruments or visual or audio effects — just acoustic instruments played by the children,” Sikidar said
The simplicity of the performance appears to have struck a chord with many UAE residents. For students learning remotely — and for parents as well — the anthem evoked memories of school assemblies they had been missing. For long-time residents who grew up in the UAE, it brought back a sense of childhood nostalgia.
A powerful tune, it reminds the community of shared experiences, values and a deep sense of belonging.
“It’s not just a national anthem — it carries emotion, pride and joy. That is what many parents have told me,” he said.