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In the interest of protecting its sea trade with India, the Britain lead campaigns against the headquarters and the harbours along the coast in 1819. Several treaties were signed between the Britain and the Sheikdoms. However, the problems continued till 1853, when all the Sheikdoms came together agreeing to a perpetual maritime truce. In turn, the Britain agreed to settle the disputes among the sheiks. In 1892, the UK entered into closer bonds with the Trucial Sheikdoms. The Sheiks agreed not to dispose any of their territories except to the United Kingdom and not to establish any relationships with other foreign countries without the consent of the UK. In return to this, Britain promised to guard the Trucial coast from all aggressions and attacks through land and sea.
In 1958, petroleum deposits were discovered beneath the coastal waters of Abu Dhabi. Following this, onshore petroleum was found in 1960. The commercial exploitation of petroleum began in 1962, which became a major turn in its history assuring bright revenue prospects.
In 1968, the UK decided to end its treaty relationships with the Sheikdoms together with Bahrain and Qatar, which were all under the British protection. The nine sheikdoms attempted to form a union of Arab emirates. Due to some disagreements, Bahrain and Qatar did not wish to join the union and announced their independence in 1971. Following this, six sheikdoms successfully formed the UAE and the seventh one Ras al-Khaimah, joined the union in 1972. During the Persian Gulf War (1990-91), the UAE sent its forces to liberate Kuwait.
Aiming to achieve greater economic and political integration between the Gulf countries, the UAE founded the GCC (Gulf Co-operation Council) in 1981. From 1983, UAE even started taking part in the military exercises of the member states. UAE has been contributing large sums of aid to Arab countries. Though it aided Iraq in the Iran-Iraq war between 1980 and 88, it still maintained diplomatic relations with Iran. In fact, the UAE offered to mediate between the two countries. The UAE has signed two military defense agreements one in 1994 with the U.S. and the other in 1995 with France. After the September 11 terrorist attacks on the WTC, the U.S. announced UAE as a major financial center of al-Quada to transfer money to the hijackers. UAE immediately rose to the occasion freezing the accounts of the suspected terrorists, also strictly clamping down on money laundering.
Since its formation, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan was the first and only president of UAE. After his death in 2004, his eldest son Khalifa bin Zayed al Nahyan succeeded him in the throne of Abu Dhabi. Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan succeeded Khalifa as the Crown Prince. After the death of his father in 1990, Sheikh Maktoum took charge as the ruler of Dubai and Vice-President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates. Upon his death in 2006, the Crown Prince Sheikh Muhammad ibn Rashid al-Maktoum assumed dual roles. Today, the economic and political importance of the UAE in the Gulf region cannot be overemphasized.
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