December 2nd marks the 41st UAE National Day celebrations and Eton Institute, UAE’s largest training hub, has already began celebrations through numerous free cultural awareness initiatives to give the expat community a taste of the enchanting and classical culture of their host country.

With only three out of ten expatriates in the UAE understanding the country’s local customs and traditions, Eton Institute has dedicated the month of November to create awareness about the country that has given expatriates exceptional opportunities for career success and personal growth. The celebrations have started off in Abu Dhabi and Dubai on the 11th of November with free introductory Arabic courses to give language enthusiasts a taste of the local language. Other initiatives for the month of November are:

• Daily Arabic language lesson on twitter.

• Emirati cultural evening, hosted by an Emirati national on the 28th of November to have the community experience the rich culture through food, traditions and language.

• Cultural awareness App available on iTunes for iPhone and iPad users from mid-November.

• A one day exceptional discount on the 28th of November on regular Arabic courses starting in December 2012 (more details will be announced on the Institute’s Facebook page!)

• Eton Institute is distributing thousands of free Arabic phrasebooks over National Day weekend through major retail outlets.

“We wanted to dedicate November entirely to spreading awareness about the Emirati culture, traditions and language on the special occasion of UAE National Day and to further educate the expatriate community about their host country. It’s shocking to learn that so few of us know about the Emirati culture. That is why we are providing several opportunities for people to learn more through numerous avenues such as social media, the classroom and social events. It’s important we know and get a feel of the culture that is all around us and has welcomed us with open arms. An event like the Emirati cultural evening is a place where attendees will be able to experience authentic Emirati food, henna art, Emirati customs and traditions and will also be able to try on a traditional Abaya for women and Kandura for men. It will truly be a completely immersive cultural experience,” stated Mahina Bukhari Shah, Marketing Officer at Eton Institute.

The free Emirati Cultural evening will be held on the 28th of November from 6.30pm to 8.30pm in Abu Dhabi and Dubai; registrations are now open on www.eton.ac. Follow Eton Institute on Twitter to learn Arabic starting on 11th of November to 29th November, Twitter/Eton Institute and don’t forget to visit Eton Institute on the 28th of November to get an exceptional discount off regular Arabic courses starting in December 2012; for more details visit www.eton.ac or www.facebook.com/Eton.Institute. The cultural awareness App will be available on iTunes for iPhone and iPad users from mid-November.

To find out more about this course and other internationally accredited courses at Eton Institute please email contact@eton.ac or call 800 8366 to speak with an advisor. For information about the services offered at Eton Institute and other enquiries please visit www.eton.ac.