United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates is a federation of seven emirates on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, established in 1971.
Abu Dhabi: The largest emirate and capital of the United Arab Emirates, located along the Persian Gulf. Its ruler holds the UAE presidency by convention, and the emirate contains the federal capital.
Trucial States: A group of sheikhdoms on the southern Persian Gulf coast bound to Britain by maritime truces and agreements. These sheikhdoms formed the political setting from which the UAE emerged.
Federalism: A system of government that divides authority between a central government and constituent political units. The UAE’s national institutions and emirate governments share powers under this arrangement.
Petroleum industry in the United Arab Emirates: The extraction and processing of oil and natural gas in the United Arab Emirates. Hydrocarbon revenues, concentrated especially in Abu Dhabi, helped finance the federation’s development.
Demographics of the United Arab Emirates: The population structure and characteristics of the United Arab Emirates, including its large expatriate majority. Migration has made the federation’s population composition distinctive among states.
Dubai: An emirate and major city on the Persian Gulf, known for trade, finance, tourism, and aviation. Its global commercial profile contrasts with Abu Dhabi’s larger oil reserves and political weight.
British protectorate over the Trucial States: A system of British protection over Gulf sheikhdoms, formalized through treaties and ending in 1971. Britain’s announced withdrawal created the immediate opening for a new federation.
President of the United Arab Emirates: The UAE’s head of state, elected by the Federal Supreme Council from among its members. The presidency links the federal executive to the rulers who compose the council.
Dubai International Financial Centre: A financial free zone in Dubai with its own civil and commercial legal framework. It exemplifies the UAE’s use of specialized zones to attract international business.
Foreign workers in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries: Migrant workers from abroad who make up a substantial share of the workforce across Gulf Cooperation Council states. Their labor has powered the UAE’s construction, services, and household economies.