Students from 119 nations sing UAE anthem to claim record

Students and staff from 119 nations belonging to a group of schools owned by an Indian in the UAE sang their way into the Guinness World Record book for the most nationalities singing a National Anthem at any one time.
More than 100,000 GEMS students, teachers, parents and staff representing 119 nationalities on Sunday sang Ishy Baladi (Long Live My Nation) - the national Anthem of the UAE - in unison, marking the celebration ahead of the UAE's 43rd National Day, which falls today.
"Our world record-breaking rendition of the UAE National Anthem is a celebration of unity through diversity represented by 119 of the 200 nationalities who call the UAE home, and who are eager to give thanks and acknowledge the opportunities they have been given by our nation," Al Bayari Director of Government Relations at GEMS Education said.

After singing the anthem, Samer Khallouf, Project Manager, Middle East and North Africa, Guinness World Record, announced that the students had successfully broken the record.
"We set a minimum requirement of 50 different nationalities, no one broke this record before and today UAE have successfully managed to have 119 nationalities sing the anthem at once," he said.
"Encouraging students, parents, and staff to take part in the celebrations, GEMS is conveying message to the world that diversity and tolerance is evidence of a nation's vitality and proof of its ability to achieve wonders," said Dino Varkey, Group Executive Director and Board Member, GEMS Education.

During the event, a live broadcast of the record-breaking event was simultaneously broadcast to 40 GEMS schools across the UAE.
GEMS Education is an international education company that owns and operates high performing schools established by K S Varkey and his wife Mariama, who hailed from Kerala.