GOVERNMENT
Administratively, the U.A.E. is a loose federation of seven emirates, each with its own ruler. The pace at which local government in each emirate evolves from traditional to modern is set primarily by the ruler. Under the provisional constitution of 1971, each emirate reserves considerable powers, including control over mineral rights (notably oil) and revenues. In this milieu, federal powers have developed slowly. The constitution established the positions of President (Chief of State) and Vice President, each serving 5-year terms; a Council of Ministers, led by a Prime Minister (head of government); a supreme council of rulers; and a 40-member National Assembly, a consultative body whose members are appointed by the emirate rulers.
POLITICAL CONDITIONS
The relative political and financial influence of each emirate is reflected in the allocation of positions in the federal government. The ruler of Abu Dhabi , whose emirate is the U.A.E.'s major oil producer, is president of the U.A.E. The ruler of Dubai , which is the U.A.E.'s commercial center, is vice president and prime minister.
Since achieving independence in 1971, the U.A.E. has worked to strengthen its federal institutions. Nonetheless, each emirate still retains substantial autonomy, and progress toward greater federal integration has slowed in recent years. A basic concept in the U.A.E. Government's development as a federal system is that a significant percentage of each emirate's revenues should be devoted to the U.A.E. central budget.
The U.A.E. has no political parties. There is talk of steps toward democratic government, but nothing concrete has emerged. The rulers hold power on the basis of their dynastic position and their legitimacy in a system of tribal consensus. Rapid modernization, enormous strides in education, and the influx of a large foreign population have changed the face of the society but have not fundamentally altered this traditional political system.
Government
Type: Federation of emirates.
Independence: December 2, 1971.
Provisional constitution: December 2, 1971.
Branches: Executive--7-member Supreme Council
of Rulers, which elects president and vice president. Legislative--40-member
Federal National Council (consultative only). Judicial--Islamic
and secular courts. Administrative subdivisions: Seven largely
self-governing city-states.
Political parties: None.
Suffrage: None.
Central government budget (2004): $6.5 billion.
Principal
Government Officials
President, Ruler of Abu Dhabi--Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Vice President, Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, Ruler of Dubai--Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Deputy Prime Minister--Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed al Nahyan
Deputy Prime Minister--Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed al Nahyan
Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince--Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Minister of Foreign Affairs--Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Minister of Finance and Industry--Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Minister of Economy--Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi
Minister of Interior--Major Gen. Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Minister of Justice--Mohammed Nakhira Al Daheri
Minister of Energy--Mohammed bin Dha'en Al Hamili
Minister of Higher Education--Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan
Minister of Education--Dr. Hanif Hassan
Minister of State for Financial and Industrial Affairs--Dr. Mohammed Khalfan Bin Kharbash
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs--Mohammed Hussain Al Sha'ali
Minister of Federal National Council Affairs--Dr. Anwar Mohammed Gargash
Ambassador to the United States--Saqr Ghobash (designate)
Ambassador to the United Nations--Abd al-Aziz Bin Nasir al-Shamsi
The
UAE maintains an embassy in the United States at 3522 International
Court, NW, Washington, DC, 20008 (tel.202-243-2400). The UAE Mission
to the UN is located at 747 3rd Avenue, 36th Floor, New York,
NY 10017 (tel. 212-371-0480).
