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ON 2 DECEMBER 1971, the emirs of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah and Umm al-Quwain hoist the flag of the United Arab Emirates after proclaiming the union and independence from Britain. A seventh emirate, Ra‘s al-Khaimah, would join the UAE in February 1972.

The formation of the UAE was a result of Britain’s decision to withdraw from the region. The region was previously known as the Trucial States, referring to treaties signed in the nineteenth century that gave Britain control over the region’s foreign affairs in return for defence against external threats.

Britain’s Labour government, grappling with a struggling economy, announced the decision in January 1968. The withdrawal created a political and security vacuum, prompting regional leaders to seek collective stability. The economic landscape had also shifted following the discovery of oil, starting in Abu Dhabi in 1958.

Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who became the ruler of Abu Dhabi in 1966, and Dubai’s ruler, Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, met on 18 February 1968, at Al Samha on the present-day border of their two emirates. They discussed forming a joint federation, agreeing to merge into a union and co-manage matters of defence, foreign affairs and security. This agreement, known as the Union Accord, initiated a series of subsequent negotiations with Bahrain, Qatar and the remaining Trucial States to create a nine-state federation. However, political differences led Bahrain and Qatar to become independent states in August and September 1971 respectively.