Politics of the United Arab Emirates
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Politics of the United Arab Emirates take place in a framework of a federal presidential elective constitutional monarchy[1] (a federation of absolute monarchies).[2] The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a federation of seven constituent monarchies: the Emirates of Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm al-Quwain.
According to convention, the ruler of Abu Dhabi (Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan) is the president of the United Arab Emirates (despite holding the title of president, the country is not governed as a presidential republic) and the head of state, and the ruler of Dubai is the prime minister of the United Arab Emirates, the head of the government. Within the UAE, emirates have considerable administrative autonomy within themselves.[3][4]
The UAE is an authoritarian state.[3][5][6][7] The UAE has been described as a "tribal autocracy" where the seven constituent monarchies are led by tribal rulers in an autocratic fashion.[8] There are no democratically elected institutions, and there is no formal commitment to free speech.[9]
The discovery of oil in Abu Dhabi in 1958 and the country's subsequent oil wealth has defined its politics and economy, as well as shaped its foreign policy behavior.[10]