Importance of the United Arab Emirates

Alsina González
Specialist journalist and researcher

The name of this country on the Persian Gulf, currently so in vogue as a tourist destination and investment attractor economics, is well known to us, but not so its history, which, like that of any other country, is also thrilling.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a federal state made up of six former British colonies They gained independence in December 1971, and were joined two months later by another emirate, the seventh.

Historically, the territories that make up the current UAE were populated by Arab tribes who depended on pearl collecting, fishing, trade, and piracy to survive.

British influence in the area began in 1820 with the signing of a peace treaty to end piracy, and in 1853 the British erected a protectorate in the area, which will lead to a new treaty, the latter in 1892, which will give the British the monopoly of fishing and trade in the region.

After the convulsion represented by the Second World War, the world changes: the colonial empires begin to disappear, either by hook or by crook, and the British is no exception.

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This part of the world will be one of the last to be decolonized. In view of the fact that they will soon recover their independence, in 1968 the emirates of the Persian Gulf meet to try to create a federation.

These emirates are nine in total: Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Sarja, Um al-Caiwain (which more later will form the embryo of the UAE), Ras al-Khaimah (which will be the one to join later), Qatar and Bahrain.

These last two achieved independence in September and August 1971 respectively, and ceased to be part of the alliance.

Initially, and as I've said before, Ras Al-Khaimah didn't join the UAE initially either, but it did join shortly after independence, in February '72.

Initially, these countries did not attract tourism as they do today; to give us an idea, in 1950 there weren't even hotels yet! He Petroleum, discovered in 1966, was a source of wealth, although they did not have it as abundantly as other neighbors.

In the 1990s, oil accounted for a quarter of the country's gross domestic product, having fallen to approximately 6% today. The sector that has experienced the greatest growth in recent decades is, without a doubt, tourism.

The construction, linked to boom tourism in the Emirates, has also experienced a great boost.

Proof of this is Dubai, the most populous city in the country, with its artificial peninsula in the shape of a palm tree (Palm Jumeirah), its artificial islands that make up a world map (The World) and large skyscrapers such as the Burj Khalifa (828 meters, the highest in the world), or the Burj Al Arab (the only seven-star hotel in the world).

Also Abu Dhabi, the capital of the federation, presents a very modern and distinctive skyline, with large avenues and tall skyscrapers, populated with offices, hotels and residential complexes.

This reinvention has had to accelerate after the Gulf War, which in 1990 greatly affected the country's economy.

Among the measures to attract tourism promoted by the government is the establishment of an airline, Emirates, which is currently among the most important in the world.

The political order of the Emirates is that of a federation in which each of the emirates that make it up retains its own political and legal order.

All the member countries are monarchies, and are integrated into a body that, more than legislating, advises the sovereigns of the member states, so that they make the final decisions.

It would be, if we compare it with other similar organizations, more like the European Union, which like the United States of America, although they have some differences, such as some armed forces joint.

Images: Fotolia – arbalest, antarrahi