Burj Khalifa in Dubai was illuminated in the Dutch flag colours on Monday night in celebration of King’s Day in the Netherlands.

The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General in Dubai were delighted to see the Burj Khalifa light up as a token of friendship, said a statement issued by the embassy to Emirates News Agency, WAM.

King’s Day, also known as the Dutch National Day celebration, marks the birth of King Willem-Alexander on 27th April.

Ambassador of the Kingdom, Lody Embrechts, expressed his gratitude for the UAE’s friendly gesture, especially during these unprecedented times where people cannot meet and celebrate together.

“I would like to sincerely thank the United Arab Emirates and Emaar for this heart-warming token of our friendship,” he said.

“The Burj Khalifa symbolises the UAE’s strong ambition, the many cultures present in the UAE and the nation’s long-term vision. It is a privilege to have our national colours presented on this iconic building,” Embrechts stressed.

The envoy continued to say, “I would also like take this opportunity to wish you all a Ramadan Kareem. I hope this holy month will build upon the spirit of dedication and collective effort that has emerged in the UAE and around the globe.

“We will get through this and the Netherlands look forward to share an exciting future with the UAE,” the ambassador said.

King’s Day is a national day in the Netherlands, during which the country is covered in orange and celebrations abound. For many Dutch citizens abroad the annual celebration is a festive high point.

It is the perfect opportunity to meet and catch up with each other. King’s Day is also a unique moment for Dutch diplomatic missions to thank local authorities and businesses for the enjoyable collaboration.

In light of the global COVID pandemic, the Netherlands’ Minister of Foreign Affairs, Stef Blok, had decided to cancel King’s Day at all of the more than 150 Dutch embassies and other Dutch diplomatic missions abroad.

“Given the rapid spread of the Corona crisis around the world, it is only logical to cancel the usual festivities this year,” Blok said.

In the Netherlands, the Dutch celebrated from home and online via a dedicated website where the King spoke and citizens were encouraged to share videos with music, poetry, theatre performances, games and other initiatives.

The platform showed pupils singing the Dutch National Anthem, Wilhelmus, together online; international choreographer Annabelle Ochoa Lopez teaching dance moves, as well as citizens playing traditional games while respecting social distancing rules and youngsters cooking for the elderly, said the statement.