United Arab Emirates
Federation in SW Asia, on the Arabian Gulf, bounded NW by Qatar, SW
by Saudi Arabia, and SE by Oman.
Government
A provisional constitution has been in effect since Dec 1971. The drawing-up
of a permanent constitution has been deferred four times, the
last occasion being in 1991. The provisional constitution provides
a federal structure for a union of seven sheikdoms. The highest
authority is the Supreme Council of Rulers, which includes all
seven sheiks. Each is a hereditary emir and an absolute monarch
in his own country. The council elects two of its members to be
president and vice president of the federal state for a five-year
term. The president then appoints a prime minister and council
of ministers.
There is a federal national council of 40 members appointed
by the emirates for a two-year term, and this operates as a consultative
assembly. There are no political parties.
History
The whole area was under British protection, but in 1968 the British
government announced that it was withdrawing its forces within
three years. The seven Trucial States, with Bahrain and Qatar,
formed the Federation of Arab Emirates, which was intended to
become a federal state, but in 1971 Bahrain and Qatar seceded
to become independent nations. Six of the Trucial States then
combined to form the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Sheik Zayed bin
Sultan al-Nahayan, the ruler of Abu Dhabi, became the first president.
The remaining sheikdom, Ras al Khaimah, joined the UAE Feb 1972.
In 1976 Sheik Zayed, disappointed with the slow progress towards
centralization, was persuaded to accept another term as president
only with assurances that the federal government would be given
more control over such activities as defence and internal security.
In recent years the UAE has played an increasingly prominent role
in Middle East affairs, and in 1985 it established diplomatic
and economic links with the USSR and China. Diplomatic relations
were restored with Egypt 1987.
In 1990-91, the UAE opposed Iraq's invasion of Kuwait and contributed
troops and economic support to the UN coalition that defeated
Iraq in the Gulf War. The international financial scandal surrounding
the 1991 collapse of the Bank of Commerce and Credit International
(BCCI) had serious implications for the UAE because Abu Dhabi's
ruler held a controlling interest in the bank. In 1994 the Abu
Dhabi government agreed to pay a sum amounting to $ 1.8 billion
to creditors and depositors of the former BCCI.
During 1992 the UAE became embroiled in a border dispute with
Iran.
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