Dubai: UAE residents woke up to another surprise on Monday morning, as the country celebrates a milestone in its history.

As early as past midnight, telecom firms du and Etisalat changed the network names on subscribers’ phones to “Zayed Humanitarian Day.”

And phone users were seemingly thrilled by the  name change, with several taking to social media to express their excitement.

The UAE is celebrating the annual Zayed Humanitarian Work Day, which is in memory of the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Today, the 19th day of Ramadan, is also the 14th death anniversary of Shaikh Zayed.

The founding father has been known for his love for charity and humanitarian efforts, that range from providing homes to supplying food and medicines to the needy. Between 1971 and 2004, the value of his humanitarian and development aid reached Dh90.5 billion and benefited 117 countries.

“Shaikh Zayed is a symbol of humanitarian giving, as his initiatives served the whole of humanity and reinforced the UAE’s role as a global model to follow,” the state news agency WAM stated.

According to Sultan Al Shehi, project manager of Emirates Red Crescent, Shaikh Zayed’s humanitarian work has touched millions of lives.