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The United Arab Emirates Federation
The United Arab Emirates Federation was formed on the 2nd of December 1971 after Britain withdrew from its treaty obligations. Six emirates initially created it; Abu Dhabi, which serves as the capital, Fujairah, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, and Umm al Quwain. Ras al Khaimah joined the federation later on the 10th of February 1972. After the British Government announced that it could no longer administer and protect the emirates in 1968, it terminated the treaty in 1971. The founding fathers, led by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who was the ruler of Abu Dhabi, feared vulnerability. They had to form a union of Arab emirates, including Qatar and Bahrain. However, Qatar and Bahrain gained independence in September 1971 and August 1971, respectively, before joining the federation. The emirates faced constant attacks from neighboring Iranian destroyer groups. Some of the founding fathers’ challenges in building a modern political and economic entity include the diversity among the different tribes in the emirates, disputes with neighboring regions, invasion from Iranian groups, and the disparity between the seven emirates. Despite all these challenges, the United Arab Emirates Federation has continuously blossomed over the years since its formation.
The emirates tribes’ traditional political heritage was a key issue during the formation of the UAE Federation. To maintain each tribe’s traditional political heritage, each emirate was to retain their judicial responsibilities and other internal affairs. The federation’s primary purpose was to amalgamate the emirates’ foreign policies and representation, coordinate prosperity and development plans, and reinforce ties and respect among its members in all fields. The British strategy towards the Trucial States greatly simplified the UAE leaders’ future tasks. The Trucial States, which were established in a treaty by the British in the 19th century, constituted the seven sheikhdoms that later formed the United Arab Emirates Federation (Heard-Bey, 2013). The British Government established the Trucial States Council in 1952, intending to bring the rulers of the seven emirates in the region together. Some scholars have asserted that the Trucial States Council’s establishment was the first serious attempt towards uniting the area. The Rulers of the Emirates had shown the desire to unite the region, a good example being the meeting called by Zayed the Great, Ruler of Abu Dhabi, in 1905 to solve outstanding disputes in the territory. The Trucial States was very crucial to the formation of the UAE Federation as it laid the groundwork for the negotiations that preceded the union.
The United Arab Emirates Federation has the second-largest economy in the Middle East. The main factors contributing to the federation’s robust economy are natural resources, petroleum, and natural gas. Other industries such as aluminum, fertilizer, cement, petrochemicals, and construction also significantly contribute to its economy. The federation also provides favorable laws and policies that attract workers and investors. According to Daleure, “Economic indicators were presented supporting the UAE’s stable and growing economy and labor laws were briefly mentioned that safeguard the rights of UAE nationals and expatriate workers in the private sector in an effort to assure a fair and equitable work environment” (2016, 23). However, the UAE federation has faced several challenges, both locally and internationally. The main challenges faced locally are traditional diversity among different tribes in the emirates and population imbalance in the region. The dominant presence of non-national residents making the national residents a minority in their own country poses political, economic, security, and social challenges. This imbalance in the population has been brought about by expatriates’ continued invitation to aid in developing the region economically due to the small population and lack of skilled workers locally. The UAE Federation has also faced several challenges in its efforts to achieve globalization. The lack of quality and fully integrated education curriculum is one of the main challenges. The globalization of the UAE has also led to the westernization of the region’s traditional culture. Due to the UAE Federation’s reliance on a large expatriate workforce, UAE nationals’ employment prospects have continuously reduced amid the rapid population growth (Fadi, 2014).
In the next 50 years, the United Arab Emirates Federation will have a more diversified economy that is not oil-dependent. Achieving this fate will be very challenging; however, it is achievable. Promoting the UAE as a global trade and tourism hub, creating job opportunities for residents through improved education, industry development, and increased private sector employment are crucial policies that should be implemented in the coming years. The UAE Federation has continued to thrive over the years despite facing several social and economic challenges, and I believe in the next 50 years, this federation will continue to flourish.
Works Cited
Daleure, Georgia. “UAE Goes Global.” Daleure, Georgia. Emiratization in UAE Labor Market: Opportunities and Challenges. Springer, 2016. 7-26.
Fadi, Salem. “From Majlis to Hashtag: The UAE National Brainstorming Session.” Engaging Citizens Through Social Media (2014). Document.
Heard-Bey, F. “The Formation of the Federation.” Heard-Bey, F. From Trucial States to United Arab Emirates. Dubai: Motivate, 2013. 336-379.