Short answer
For 2 December, choose items whose blanks are already in stock in the UAE, match each item to its branding method (pad, screen, embroidery, laser, UV or sublimation), and approve artwork about four weeks ahead. Use your own brand with green, red, black and white, or the official Eid Al Etihad identity within its guidelines. Don't print the UAE flag on merchandise.
Eid Al Etihad, the UAE's National Day, is on 2 December and marks the union of 1971. On Wednesday, 2 December 2026, the country celebrates its 55th. Companies order caps, scarves, pins, mugs, bottles, notebooks and gift sets for staff, clients and events. Most of that ordering happens in the same few weeks, so suppliers' queues fill early.
Step 1: pick items you can still get
The biggest constraint is the blank: the plain item before branding. Custom-made items shipped by sea typically take around three months from approved artwork, so for an order placed in October or November, choose items a UAE supplier already holds in stock and brands locally. Ask every supplier the same first question: is the blank in the UAE today, in the colour and quantity I need?
Then think about who receives it. A staff gift is used for months; an event giveaway is often taken once and left behind. Spend on fewer, better items for people you want to keep, and keep event giveaways light, useful and easy to carry.
Step 2: match each item to its branding method
Every item has a branding method that suits it. Choosing the wrong one is the most common reason a logo looks cheap or wears off.
| Item | Usual method | Why | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pens, keyrings, USB drives, small curved plastics | Pad printing | A soft pad transfers ink onto small and curved surfaces | Usually limited to a few spot colours; fine detail suffers |
| Cotton tote bags, T-shirts, hoodies (large runs) | Screen printing | Bold, durable solid colours; cheap per piece at volume | One screen per colour, so priced by colour count; no photographic gradients |
| Caps, polos, jackets, scarves | Embroidery | Premium, long-lasting, works on textured fabric | Priced by stitch count; small text and fine lines don't stitch well |
| T-shirts and bags (short runs, full colour) | DTF transfer | Full colour with no per-colour set-up; works on cotton, polyester and blends | A film sits on top of the fabric; check wash durability on a sample |
| Metal bottles, anodised aluminium, wood, leather-look items | Laser engraving | Permanent and precise; nothing to rub off | No colour; bare stainless steel needs the right laser or a marking coating |
| White polyester or coated mugs, lanyards, sportswear | Sublimation | Full colour dyed into the surface | Only works on white or light polyester or specially coated items |
| Glass, ceramic, acrylic, boxes, awards, qahwa cups | Direct UV printing | Full colour and white ink on hard items, even one at a time with a different name on each | Glass and metal may need a primer; ask what the print will survive (washing, handling) |
| Notebooks, PU and leather folders | Debossing or foil | Pressed or foiled logo looks premium and lasts | Needs a metal die, a one-off set-up cost per design |
For hard gifts in short runs, a direct UV studio prints full colour without screens or minimums. Sun Studio's corporate gift printing in Al Quoz prints onto items you supply (or sources them on request): qahwa cups, bottles, pens, boxes and awards, including a different name on each piece. Ask for one printed sample of your exact item first, and say how it will be used, because a cup that goes through a dishwasher needs a different finish from a desk award.
Step 3: get the design right, and respect the rules
Don't put the UAE flag on merchandise
The UAE flag is protected by Federal Law No. 2 of 1971, as amended in 2019, which leaves its printing and use to a Cabinet regulation. The Cabinet's UAE Flag Usage Guideline, as reported by Gulf News and Khaleej Times, rules out commercial use of the flag, its use in advertising or as part of a trademark, and printing it on disposable items such as napkins and boxes, or on food. It also says the flag's proportions and colours must not be changed. In practice, that rules out most promotional uses, so keep the flag for respectful display, and check the official guideline before any other use.
The national emblem (the falcon) is restricted too: Federal Law No. 7 of 1972 bars its commercial use and its use in advertising without permission. Leave it off.
Use your own brand in the national colours
What works instead is your own logo and message, set in the national colours. Printers usually reference them as follows. These values are widely cited, but confirm them against the official guidelines before you go to print.
| Colour | Pantone | CMYK |
|---|---|---|
| Green | 348 C | 96 / 2 / 100 / 12 |
| Red | 186 C | 0 / 100 / 85 / 6 |
| Black | Black | 10 / 10 / 10 / 100 |
| White | White (paper or white ink) | None |
The official Eid Al Etihad logo has its own rules
Each year a new Eid Al Etihad visual identity is published at EidAlEtihad.ae. The 55th identity was unveiled on 8 October 2026. Last year's guidelines didn't allow stretching, rotating or recolouring the logo, adding effects, using it as a pattern, or combining it with other logos except through the official lockups. Read the current guidelines on the official site before using the logo on anything you give away.
Send artwork printers can use
- Vector files (AI, EPS or PDF with outlined fonts). A logo copied from a website prints blurry.
- Pantone references for every colour, and an acceptance that embroidery thread and ink will shift slightly.
- Arabic text supplied as outlines, checked by a native reader. Letters that don't join correctly are the most common error on bilingual items.
- The print area and position for each item. The supplier's template is best.
Step 4: the order plan
Work back from the date the items must be in people's hands, not from 2 December. The holiday usually closes offices around the day, so aim for delivery by the last full working week of November. This is our recommended plan for locally stocked blanks.
| When (before 2 Dec) | What happens | Your job |
|---|---|---|
| 6 weeks | Brief and quotes | Send items, quantities, artwork and delivery address to two or three suppliers |
| 5 weeks | Digital proofs and stock check | Confirm the blanks are in the UAE in your colours and sizes |
| 4 weeks | Physical samples | Approve one branded sample per item. This is the last easy moment to change anything |
| 3–1 weeks | Production | Keep the approved sample; check a random selection of the delivery against it |
| Last week of November | Delivery and packing | Allow a few days for inserts, gift wrapping and distribution |
Short on time? Choose items branded digitally (UV, DTF or laser), which need no screens or dies, and drop anything that has to be imported.
A brief you can copy
- Items and quantities
- e.g. 300 caps (embroidered), 300 cotton totes (1-colour screen print), 40 glass qahwa sets (full colour UV, names)
- Colours and stock
- Blank colours, sizes split (for apparel), and "please confirm stock in the UAE"
- Artwork
- Vector logo, Pantone references, Arabic and English text, print position per item
- Use
- Staff gift, client gift or event giveaway; washing or outdoor use if relevant
- Packaging
- Individual bags, gift boxes, inserts or bulk cartons
- Dates
- Sample approval date, delivery date and address, and whether delivery is possible on the holiday
Questions buyers ask
Can we print the UAE flag on our giveaways?
Not as a design element. The Cabinet's flag guideline, as reported, bans commercial use and printing on disposable items. Use the national colours with your own brand, or the official Eid Al Etihad identity within its rules.
Is it too late to order in November?
Not if you choose stocked items with digital branding. Embroidery, screen printing and imported items are what need the most notice.
What is the minimum order?
It depends on the method, not the occasion. Screen printing and embroidery carry set-up per design, so small runs cost more per piece. Direct UV, DTF and laser engraving have little or no set-up and suit tens of pieces.
Will the 2026 holiday be on 2 and 3 December?
The dates are announced each year by the government. In 2025 the private sector holiday was on 1 and 2 December. Plan delivery for the week before, whatever the final dates.
Sources
- WAM: UAE unveils visual identity for 55th Eid Al Etihad
- Gulf News: UAE flag etiquette, the official dos and don'ts
- UAE Cabinet: The UAE Flag Usage Guideline
- UAE Legislation: Federal Law No. 7 of 1972 on the national emblem
- Gulf News: 54th Eid Al Etihad brand guidelines
- MOHRE: 2025 Eid Al Etihad private sector holiday
- PPAI: Apparel decorating guidelines