A state of being undefined

In a statement made in January 1968, Harold Wilson, the Labour Prime Minister of Great Britain, declared that "British soldiers would completely withdraw from east of the Suez Canal."

Britain had previously used the method of "releasing countries from colonial status while maintaining ties to itself," and in this way had managed to withdraw from many countries in distant regions of the world with minimal losses. Upon leaving, it had neither neglected to establish economic connections nor failed to acquire the reputation of the "benevolent superpower bestowing independence" after long years of colonialism.

Now the same method was to be tried for the emirates and sheikhdoms in the Persian Gulf. This was the place Prime Minister Wilson meant when he spoke of "east of the Suez Canal."

On February 25–27, 1968, the local administrations in the Persian Gulf gathered under Britain's guidance and encouragement to form a federation. The rulers of Bahrain, Qatar, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ajman, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm al-Quwain were present at the meeting held in Dubai. After lengthy negotiations, a "provisional constitution" consisting of 17 articles emerged.

According to the provisional constitution, the emirates would form a federation among themselves, unite their borders, and become a single country stretching along the coast. The federation's upper administration would be held by a nine-member council consisting of each emirate's sheikh, and a subcommittee appointed by this council would exercise executive authority.

All developments were quite promising. Progress had been made very quickly. The nine emirates would now unite under a single roof and cooperate "for the prosperity of the region and the happiness of its peoples."

However, this rosy picture soon gave way to some practical problems. At subsequent meetings where details were discussed, held immediately after the initial three-day meeting, disagreements among the emirates became increasingly clear. No agreement could be reached on fundamental issues such as who would lead the federation, where the capital would be, who would receive how much of the budget and on what basis, and who would have how much say.

Bahrain, which rightly held half of the total population of all the emirates, wanted to be in a leadership position. As discussions continued, when the emirate of Abu Dhabi wanted to seek British arbitration, Bahrain refused to join the federation and declared its independence on August 15, 1971. This island nation, whose majority population is Shia, was followed by the neighboring country of Qatar. Thus, both administrations withdrew from the federation efforts, leaving the other emirates of the Gulf alone. Six of the remaining seven emirates announced on July 18, 1971, that they would form the United Arab Emirates. The other emirate, Ras al-Khaimah, joined the federation in February 1972.

The United Arab Emirates continues to exist today as a federation of these seven emirates. The sheikh of Abu Dhabi, the capital of the Emirates, holds the position of the country's leader; the emir of Dubai, the largest city, is the country's prime minister.

Nearly 85% of the country's population consists of foreigners. While those who come—primarily from Asia—to work (you could also call it slavery) constitute almost the entirety of this ratio, the Emirati people live as a minority in their own country.

The United Arab Emirates is a base where people from all over the world flock for material reasons or entertainment, stay temporarily, and then set off again. Especially Dubai, as a financial center, is one of the world's most important money transit points.

In the region, whose fortunes turned with the discovery of oil in the early 1960s, the United Arab Emirates presents an appearance unlike its neighbors:

It is not like Kuwait at the northern tip of the Gulf, with its deep-rooted traditions; nor like Bahrain, under the shadow of sectarian tensions; nor like Qatar, aspiring to do lasting work; nor like Saudi Arabia, listened to across the Islamic world; nor like Oman, with its unique characteristics...

Perhaps in order to overcome this "state of being undefined" in which the country finds itself, the government of the United Arab Emirates has been pursuing quite aggressive policies in many areas in recent years. They have already begun to pay the price for this by being ostracized by Saudi Arabia and other neighbors. It seems that the loneliness into which Abu Dhabi has been dragged in the Arab and Islamic world will deepen even further.