A nation in West Asia is known as the United Arab Emirates (UAE; Arabic: al-Imrt al-Arabiyah al-Muttaidah[note 2]). It shares land borders with Oman and Saudi Arabia and maritime borders in the Persian Gulf with Qatar and Iran. It is situated at the eastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. The capital of the country is Abu Dhabi, while Dubai, the most populous city, serves as a major international hub.
A federation of seven emirates, including the capital Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm Al Quwain, make up the United Arab Emirates, an elective monarchy.[13] The Federal Supreme Council is made up of the rulers of all the emirates, who each have their own authority. As of May 14, the Federal Supreme Council members elect the president.
Arabic is the official language, and Islam is the official religion. The oil and gas reserves of the United Arab Emirates rank sixth and seventh in the world, respectively.[20][21] Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the first president and ruler of Abu Dhabi, oversaw the development of the Emirates by allocating oil profits to infrastructure, infrastructure development, and healthcare.[22] Of the Gulf Cooperation Council members, the United Arab Emirates has the most diverse economy.[23] The nation's reliance on oil and gas has decreased in the twenty-first century, and it now places a greater economic emphasis on business and tourism. The UAE is viewed as a middle power. It belongs to the World Trade Organization, the United Nations, the Arab League, OPEC, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the Gulf Cooperation Council.
History
Main articles: Wadi Suq and Umm Al Nar cultures
Jar from the second century BCE was discovered in Sharjah's Mleiha Archaeological site.
Stone tools discovered show an African settlement that existed about 127,000 years ago, and a stone butchering tool found on the Arabian coast points to an even older settlement that existed 130,000 years ago.[28] With Iran, the Harappan culture of the Indus Valley, and Mesopotamia, vibrant trade relationships eventually grew. Due to the trade in copper from the Hajar Mountains, which started around 3,000 BCE, this contact continued and spread.[29] The Magan civilization, which includes the contemporary UAE and Oman, is mentioned in Sumerian sources.[30]
Trucial States
The arid environment gave rise to the "versatile tribesman," nomadic groups that survived through a variety of economic pursuits like farming, hunting, and animal husbandry. In addition to group conflicts, these groups' seasonal movements resulted in the construction of seasonal and semi-seasonal settlements and centers. The Bani Yas and Al Bu Falah of Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Liwa, and the west coast, the Dhawahir, Awamir, Al Ali, and Manasir of the interior, the Sharqiyin of the east coast, and the Qawasim to the north were formed from these tribal groupings.[37]
In the Persian Gulf region, English and Dutch forces appeared. The Northern Al Qawasim (Al Qasimi) dominated maritime trade, while the Bani Yas confederation ruled most of the region that is now Abu Dhabi by the 18th century[38][39][40]. Following their brutal conquests of coastal communities in the 16th century by Albuquerque and the Portuguese commanders who followed him, especially on the east coast at Muscat, Sohar, and Khor Fakkan, the Portuguese continued to exert influence over the coastal settlements by erecting forts.[41]
The Al Qawasim federation's boats harassed British-flagged shipping from the 17th century through the 19th century, earning the southern Persian Gulf coast the nickname "Pirate Coast"[42][43].[44] Historians contest the accusation of piracy,
Campaigns against Ras Al Khaimah and other harbors along the coast were launched by British expeditions to defend their Indian trade routes. These campaigns included the Persian Gulf Campaign of 1809 and the more successful Campaign of 1819. The term "Trucial States," which came to define the status of the coastal emirates, originated from a maritime truce signed the following year between Britain and a number of local rulers. The Perpetual Maritime Truce was agreed upon in 1853 after another treaty was signed in 1843. The 'Exclusive Agreements', which were signed in 1892 and turned the Trucial States into a British protectorate, were added to this.[46]
The trucial sheikhs agreed in the 1892 treaty that they would not sell any territory to anyone other than the British and refrain from establishing relationships with
The Qubaisat tribe established itself in Khawr al Udayd in 1869 and made attempts to win the Ottomans' support. At the time, Abu Dhabi claimed ownership of Khawr al Udayd, and the British backed this claim. Percy Cox, a British political resident in Abu Dhabi, confirmed in writing to Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan (also known as "Zayed the Great") in 1906 that Khawr al Udayd was a part of his sheikhdom.[48]
See also the General Maritime Treaty of 1820, the Trucial States, the Persian Gulf Campaigns of 1809 and 1819, and the Persian Gulf Campaigns.
The Persian Gulf's population benefited from the prosperous pearling industry during the 19th and early 20th centuries by receiving both income and employment.[49] The First World War had an effect on the industry, but the economic depression of the 1920s and 1930s, along with the development of the cultured pearl, led to the industry's demise. After the Second World War, the independent Government of India imposed taxes on imported pearls, and the last vestiges of the trade eventually vanished. The Trucial States experienced "extreme economic hardship" as a result of the decline in pearling.[50]
The British government obtained promises from the Trucial States' leaders in 1922 promising not to enter into agreements with foreign businesses without their permission. recognizing the potential for development
A development office established by the British assisted with some of the developments in the emirates. The seven sheikhs of the emirates then made the decision to establish a council to facilitate communication among them and took control of the development office. They established the Trucial States Council in 1952[52] and named Adi Al Bitar, Dubai's Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum's legal counsel, as the council's secretary general and legal counsel. Once the United Arab Emirates was established, the council was disbanded.[53]
The ruler of Abu Dhabi granted an offshore concession to a D'Arcy Exploration Ltd. subsidiary in 1953. Abu Dhabi Marine Areas Ltd. (ADMA) and Dubai Marine Areas Ltd. (DUMA) are operating companies that BP co-founded with Compagnie Française des Pétroles (later Total). A number of undersea oil surveys were conducted, one of which was led by Jacques Cousteau, a marine explorer.[54][55] In 1958, drilling at the Umm Shaif pearl bed in Abu Dhabi waters started after a floating platform rig was towed from Hamburg, Germany. It discovered oil in the Upper Thamama rock formation in March. The Trucial Coast's first commercial oil discovery, which resulted in the start of oil exports in 1962. At Zakum, ADMA made additional offshore discoveries.
Meanwhile, territorial conflicts impeded onshore exploration. The Buraimi Oasis dispute between Abu Dhabi and Oman and Saudi Arabia was handled by the United Kingdom in 1955.[57] The border dispute between Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi appeared to be resolved following a 1974 agreement.[58] In 2008, the UAE and Oman ratified their border.[59]
Away from the disputed area, PDTC continued its onshore exploration by drilling five additional bore holes, all of which came up dry. At the Murban No. 3 well on the coast close to Tarif, the company discovered oil in commercial quantities on October 27, 1960.[60] PDTC changed its name to Abu Dhabi Petroleum Company in 1962. Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the ruler of Abu Dhabi, launched a construction program as oil revenues rose.
United Arab Emirates
The British government could no longer afford to run and defend the Trucial States, it had become clear by 1966. The readiness of the Royal Navy to defend the sheikhdoms was a topic of discussion among British Members of Parliament (MPs). British Prime Minister Harold Wilson announced the decision to terminate the treaty relationships with the seven trucial sheikhdoms on January 24, 1968. Prime Minister Edward Heath reiterated the decision in March 1971. Days after the announcement, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the ruler of Abu Dhabi, feared for his country's safety and made an offer to the British to honor the protection treaties by paying the full cost of keeping the British Armed Forces in the Emirates. The proposal was declined by the British Labour government.[62] Goronwy Roberts, a Labour MP, informed Sheikh
Bahrain and Qatar, which were initially intended to be a part of the proposed Federation of Arab Emirates, both gained their independence in 1971 in August. Both emirates gained full independence on December 1, 1971, when the British-Trucial Sheikhdoms treaty came to an end.[66] Six of the emirates (Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Sharjah, and Umm Al Quwain) decided to join forces and form the United Arab Emirates on December 2, 1971. Ras al-Khaimah subsequently joined on January 10, 1972.[67][68] The Federal National Council (FNC), a 40-member consultative body chosen by the seven rulers, was established in February 1972. On December 6, 1971, the UAE joined the Arab League, and on December 9, it joined the UN.[69]
In addition to operations supporting the Global War on Terror for the Horn of Africa at Al Dhafra Air Base, located outside of Abu Dhabi, the UAE supported military operations by the US and other coalition nations engaged in the war against the Taliban in Afghanistan (2001) and Saddam Hussein in Ba'athist Iraq (2003). During Operation Northern Watch and the 1991 Persian Gulf War, the air base provided support for Allied operations. In 1994 and 1995, the nation signed military defense pacts with the United States and France, respectively.[70][71] A contract allowing France to establish a permanent military base in the emirate of Abu Dhabi was signed by France and the UAE in January 2008.[72]
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the first president of the United Arab Emirates,
On December 16, 2006, the first-ever national elections were held. Half of the Federal National Council's members were selected by voters. For an alleged coup attempt and the attempt to establish an Islamist state, 60 Emirati activists from Al Islah were detained.[74][75][76] Due to the unrest in close-by Bahrain, UAE banned online government satire and attempts to plan public demonstrations in November 2012.[22]
The COVID-19 pandemic was officially confirmed to have reached UAE on January 29, 2020.[77] Two months later, in March, the government declared a 24-hour curfew, the closure of retail establishments, educational institutions, and houses of worship, as well as the suspension of all Emirates passenger flights.[78][79] An economic downturn resulted from this, which
Geography
The Middle Eastern nation of the United Arab Emirates is situated south of the Strait of Hormuz, which serves as a route for international crude oil. It borders the Persian and Gulf of Oman and is sandwiched between Saudi Arabia and Oman.[83]
It is located between latitudes of 51° and 56°25′ east and between latitudes of 22°30' and 26°10' north. Its borders with Saudi Arabia are 530 kilometers (330 miles) long on the west, south, and southeast, and its borders with Oman are 450 kilometers (280 miles) long on the southeast and northeast. A border dispute exists along the roughly 19 km (12 mi) of land that separates Saudi Arabia and Qatar in the Khawr al Udayd region.[84] After the British military left the United Arab Emirates in 1971 and the country became
A lone outcrop of the Sultanate of Oman breaks up the nearly 650 km (404 mi) long coast along the southern shore of the Persian Gulf. The seventh emirate, Fujairah, is on the eastern coast of the peninsula with direct access to the Gulf of Oman. Six of the emirates are located along the Persian Gulf.[90] Salt pans that are 8 to 10 kilometers inland make up the majority of the coastline.[91] Although other ports have been dredged in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and other places, Dubai has the largest natural harbor.[92] The ownership of some islands in the Persian Gulf has been a source of international contention with both Iran and Qatar. the smaller islands, coral reefs, and the ebbing and flowing.
Large, rolling sand dunes extend south and west of Abu Dhabi and converge in Saudi Arabia's Rub al-Khali (Empty Quarter).[94] There are two oases in Abu Dhabi's desert that have enough underground water for habitation and agriculture. The Liwa Oasis is located in the south, close to the vague Saudi Arabian border. The Al-Buraimi oasis is located about 100 kilometers (62 miles) northeast of Liwa and straddles both sides of the Abu Dhabi-Oman border. A man-made lake called Lake Zakher in Al Ain was made from treated sewage and is located close to the Omani border.[95]
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