Al-Ittihad was launched as a 12-page weekly publication with a distribution of 5,500 copies. It was distributed free local newspaper to stand in the face of competition from newspapers, mainly from other Arab countries. The first issue of Al Ittihad appeared on 20 October 1969.The publisher is Al Ittihad Press and Publishing Corporation which also publishes English daily the National. With the proclamation of the UAE in 1971 published "The Union" for several consecutive days and were issued on a daily basis for two weeks on 9 August 1971 and that on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan came to power in Abu Dhabi.