Dubai and São Paulo – Upon arriving in Dubai, in the evening of November 18th, and commuting from the airport to the hotel, on Sheikh Zayed Road, I could not help but notice the enormous amount of flags, posters and signs spread throughout the city to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the United Arab Emirates, on December 2nd.
The red, green, white and black of the country’s flag were ever present, on the streets, hotels, malls, television and newspapers, as were the faces of old and current rulers. The date was the main focus of the local media during the days that preceded it, and the reason for endless ceremonies, concerts and sports events.
Celebrations included enthusiastic declarations of love by natives and foreigners living in the country, the latter of whom are now the vast majority of the population. And there are reasons to celebrate. After all, in these 40 years, the seven emirates in the Gulf have gone from being fisherman and merchant communities and Bedouin tribes to become the most vibrant economy in the Arab world.
The initiatives that led to the establishment and development of the Emirates were pragmatic. In 1968, the United Kingdom, which up until then kept the so-called “Trucial States” as a protectorate, announced that it was withdrawing from the region. The British were responsible for the foreign policy and safety of the small emirates in the Gulf.
The region, known in the past for the fishing and pearl trade, had already started gaining geopolitical importance after the discovery of oil and the start of production, first in Abu Dhabi and later in Dubai. Without the Britons, who set the end of 1971 as the deadline for withdrawal, local leaders judged that entering into a union was the only way of facing up to the greed of regional powers such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran.
The process of establishing a federation was spearheaded by sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, then the emir of Abu Dhabi, the largest of the seven emirates that comprise the country, and also the oil-richest. The process of coming together began with the signing of an agreement between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, which was then ruled by sheikh Rachid Bin Said Al Maktoum, the father of the emirate’s current ruler, Mohammed Bin Rachid Al Maktoum.
The country was officially established on December 2nd, 1971, through the signing of a document by the rulers of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Qaiwain. Ras Al Khaimah, the seventh emirate, only joined the federation in the following year. The entry of Qatar and Bahrain was considered, but did not go through.
Zayed became the president of the Emirates, a position he occupied until his death, in 2004. He is a widely revered figure and his portrait can be found everywhere. Presently, his son, Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, is the president, and Dubai’s emir, Mohammed Bin Rachid, is the vice president and prime minister, positions earlier occupied by his brother and his father.
Sheikh Mohammed only ascended to power officially in Dubai in 2006, after the death of his brother, Maktoum, still he is regarded as the mastermind behind the emirate’s impressive development in the last two decades. He is so popular the colours of his clothes and the cars he rides in become fashion trends.
Pragmatism also boosted economic development, especially in Dubai, where the oil is scarcer than in Abu Dhabi. Over the last few decades, the country in general, and the emirate in particular, went about diversifying its economy so as not to depend on finite oil resources alone.
Thus, oil industry revenues were used to fund the expansion of traditional activities, such as foreign trade, which had been practiced in the region for centuries, and the emergence of new ones, such as tourism, construction and industry.
That was how many a landmark came to be, such as the Jebel Ali Port and Free Zone, Burj Al Arab, a luxury hotel and Dubai’s main postcard image, Palm Jumeirah, an artificial island , Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, the Yas Marina circuit, the Ferrari World theme park, and the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.
Oil still plays an important role in the economy, but the country was able to establish itself as an international business hub, a financial centre, a reference in sea and air logistics, and it also attracts tourists from all over the world. As of November, the hotels and shopping malls were brimming with visitors.
As a result of its economic growth, the Emirates have become the second nation for many people. Because its native population is small, the country had to import lots of manpower. Now, foreigners comprise the vast majority of the roughly 8.2 million inhabitants. In the streets, natives and foreigners brandished the national colours.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
