All seven emirates form the larger federation, which provides political structure and assumes responsibility for a number of key functions. In particular, the federal government oversees foreign relations, nationality and immigration issues, communications services, air traffic control, security and defense, and more. Although the federal government has existed since the formation of the UAE in 1971, Abu Dhabi became the official capital of the federation in 1996. Currently, the ruler of Dubai serves as the prime minister of the UAE, while the ruler of Abu Dhabi serves as the UAE president.
A fast-growing nation with significant economic influence in the Middle East and beyond, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) consists of seven emirates. Each emirate exists as a largely autonomous state and falls under the leadership of one ruler. In each emirate, a modern administrative system exists alongside more historical traditions, such as majlis, the councils where tribesmen express their opinions to their rulers directly.
All seven emirates form the larger federation, which provides political structure and assumes responsibility for a number of key functions. In particular, the federal government oversees foreign relations, nationality and immigration issues, communications services, air traffic control, security and defense, and more. Although the federal government has existed since the formation of the UAE in 1971, Abu Dhabi became the official capital of the federation in 1996. Currently, the ruler of Dubai serves as the prime minister of the UAE, while the ruler of Abu Dhabi serves as the UAE president. In recent years, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have worked together to strengthen commercial activity between the two nations. In 2013, the UAE-British Business Council held its fourth meeting in Manchester. Co-chaired by government officials from both countries, the meeting discussed a wide range of important topics, from education and health care to energy and finance.
At the meeting, the chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development discussed the positive impact of the UK’s experience on the UAE’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), an area of particular importance to the working groups of the council. In addition to SMEs, participants at the meeting focused on the growing roles of multinational corporations and the potential for joint business endeavors in third-party markets. Several officials praised the establishment of the Mohammed bin Rashid Establishment for Young Entrepreneurs and the Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development, both of which support a broad range of startup companies and enterprises at the state level. In recent years, the United Arab Emirates has begun paying increasing attention to important environmental issues. Through the Ministry of Environment and Water, the UAE has enacted a number of measures to promote a sustainable environment and improve public health whenever possible.
In particular, the UAE recently set out to reduce the use of plastic bags, which resist degradation in the environment and can harm a number of animals on both land and sea. The county also works hard to educate travelers on issues such as veterinary and agricultural quarantine and increase supplies of water and food in a highly sustainable manner. On a larger scale, the Mubadala Development Company in Abu Dhabi uses its Masdar subsidiary to tackle projects related to carbon emission reduction, energy conservation, and renewable energy generation. The residential unit known as Masdar City, which operates on solar power alone, will serve as the permanent headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). |
AuthorDr. Shahram Shirkhani works on behalf of prominent multinational corporations and financial institutions in addition to private entities based in Iran and surrounding countries. Archives
February 2016
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