United Arab Emirates Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

United Arab Emirates - Essay Example United Arab Emirates The principal and the most prosperous of all of the seven states is the capital of the federation, the Abu Dhabi generating nearly sixty percent of the country’s wealth. The most popular city from the federation, Dubai City is located in the Dubai Emirate, the second leading emirate while Sharjah City and Khawr Fakkan are the two main cities in the third biggest state, the Sharjah. The UAE consists of tribal groupings of Arabian Peninsula sheikhdoms found on the tip end of the Persian Gulf and north the Gulf of Oman, the area was involved in several dynastic clashes for centuries just immediately after it was converted to Islam in the seventh century. The main tribal groups of the country’s nationals are the Qawasim and the Bani Yas who emerged as the powerful tribes after the dynastic disputes. The Qawasim were originally traders and inhabit the present day emirates of Ras al Khaymah while the Bani Yas were predominantly agriculturalists and pastoralists and lived in what is today the emirates of Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The British mounted expeditions against the inhabitants in an attempt to have control of the maritime routes and a desire to establish supremacy in the area over other interested European powers. However, regular warfare among tribes was still rampant at sea and the sheikhs made several truce agreements with the supervision of British political authorities to whom the warring parties reported any violations of the truce treaty. A perpetual maritime truce was signed by the tribal sheikhs in May 1853 to end any further conflicts at sea between the tribes. The coastal sheikhdoms thereafter remained under British protection practicing their traditional form of Arab monarchial rule while Britain oversaw their defense and foreign relations. In 1952 under the guidance of Britain, the seven sheikdoms established the Trucial Council to advance the implementation of common policies concerning administration of the sheikhdoms with the aim of eventually leading to a federation of emirates. In 1968, Britain decided to end the protection status with the seven sheikhdoms and withdrew United Kingdom armed forces out of the region. Three months thereafter, the seven sheikhdoms formed a Federa tion of Arab Emirates together with Qatar and Bahrain, still under British rule. However, in 1971 the latter two states decided to cede from the federation to establish separate sovereign states. Immediately after in the same year, Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Dubai, Sharjah and Umm al Qaywayn agreed to have a common federal constitution in order to achieve independence under the United Arab Emirates. On December 1, 1971, Britain ended all ties and relationships with the seven sheikhdoms including every one the treaties and declared the federation independent on December 2, 1971. Initially the six emirates formed the federation and the other remaining sheikhdom, Ras al Khayman, joined the United Arab Emirates in February 1972. When independence was declared, Sheikh Zayid of Abu Dhabi assumed the presidency of new UAE until 2004 when he died while Sheikh Rashid Al Maktum of Dubai was entitled the vice president and his son Sheikh Maktum ibn Rashid Al Maktum was named the prime mini ster. Geography