Eid Al Etihad 55 falls on Wednesday 2 December 2026, and most companies mark it in the last week of November: a morning in the office, a reception for clients, a stand at a mall or an exhibition. A calligrapher writing each person's name in Arabic calligraphy, in front of them, turns any of these into something people queue for and keep. This guide sets out four formats, the dates that make them work, and how the live writing pairs with the gifts made beforehand.
Four ways companies use a calligrapher for National Day
- The office celebration. A writing table in the lobby or the canteen for two or three hours: each colleague's name on a card with a National Day greeting, written as they arrive.
- The client reception. Name cards at the tables written from the guest list before the doors open, then live writing for the guests who arrive later.
- The brand activation. A counter at a mall, a showroom or a stand: visitors give their name, watch it written, and leave with a card that carries your brand. See live calligraphy for brand activations.
- The government or school assembly. Names of guests of honour on envelopes and certificates' cover cards, in Thuluth for the ceremony.
The dates that matter
- Tuesday 3 November: the last purchase order for National Day gifts made to order (dates boxes, censers, trays), delivered by Thursday 26 November. The Eid Al Etihad 55 corporate gifts guide has the whole timetable.
- Two weeks before the event: book the calligrapher. The week before 2 December is the busiest of the year for company events; a written quote comes within one working day and the date is held once it is paid.
- One week before: send the guest list if names are to be ready before the doors open.
What is written, and in which script
Every name is written in Arabic letters; a colleague's name from another language is spelled in Arabic with them first, so it reads as it sounds. Ruq'ah and Naskh are quick and clear, about a minute a name, and suit a queue; Diwani with its flourishes takes two to three minutes and suits cards written in advance for VIP guests; Thuluth suits ceremonial cards. A calligrapher writes about 40 to 60 first names an hour in the quick scripts, so a 300-person office needs either several hours or a list sent in advance.
Pair the live writing with a gift made beforehand
The card written on the day can travel with a piece made to order in the UAE: the Sunbuli dates box, AED 215, the dates box with a name in Thuluth on the lid, AED 215, or a mabkhara censer, AED 85 each or AED 195 for three. The National Day collection has the rest. Volume prices apply per item line in a written quotation: 10% from 10 pieces, 12.5% from 25 and 15% from 50.
How the live service is quoted
There is no price list: each event is quoted in writing from the hours (2 to 8 a day), the number of guests, the venue and its travel, and the materials. Companies receive a numbered quotation accepted by purchase order; payment is in full in advance, and the invoice is issued on payment. Dubai and Sharjah venues carry no travel line; Abu Dhabi and the Northern Emirates carry a stated one. Ask on the live calligraphy page; the company pages for National Day and the free Mashq Studio, where you can see a greeting in each script, are the next stops. For the hours themselves, our planner's guide to live calligraphy works out names per hour.