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[pieterSAN]

The United Arab Emirates turned 37 today and celebrated with heavy traffic jams and honking sprees, expected to keep going well into the wee hours of the Wednesday morning.

Police have said that festivities began on November 27th well before National Day is observed on December 2. Traffic was heavy in the capital Abu Dhabi as well as in trendy Dubai and in the yawn-inducing city of Sharjah.

Several young gentlemen took the streets even before sunset today, intent on adding to the rush hour traffic. Said one youngster, " Today we refrain from hitting the sheesha lounges and the malls. We will spend the next 12 hours in our 7 series BMWs and full-option Land Cruisers, honking until first light."

Expatriates were also into the act. Said a computer programmer from the Levant "As guests in this country, we should obliged to take part in National Day celebrations of this great nation."

Said a lady from the subcontinent "Culturally we are the same. It is all about making noise and creating utter chaos."

Many people were so touched by the spectacle of long lines of cars stretching out for miles, that they were moved to tears. "This is all too much for me...it is  unbelievable" said one lady commuting from Dubai to Sharjah as she inched ever closer to Al Mulla Plaza.