History of the United Arab Emirates History of the United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a country on the Arabian Peninsula located on the southeastern coast of the Persian Gulf and the northwestern coast of the Gulf of Oman. The UAE consists of seven emirates and was founded on 2 December 1971 as a federation. Six of the seven emirates (Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain and Fujairah) combined on that date. The seventh, Ras al Khaimah, joined the federation on 10 February 1972. The seven sheikdoms were formerly known as the Trucial States, in reference to the treaty relations established
Emirate Emirate An emirate is a political territory that is ruled by a dynastic Arabic or Islamic monarch styled emir. It also means "kingdom". Etymologically emirate or amirate ( ', plural: ') is the quality, dignity, office or territorial competence of any emir (prince, commander, governor etc.). In English, the term is pronounced or in British English and or in American English. The United Arab Emirates is a federal state that comprises seven federal emirates, each administered by a hereditary emir, these seven forming the electoral college for the federation's President and Prime Minister. As most emirates have either disappeared, been