UAE: A CONSTITUTIONAL FEDERATION

A newsletter created by Miriam Potratz

VOL. 1, ISSUE 1 03.28.2018

The Political System: An Overview

The Political System: The Political System: The Political System: The Political System:
The Leader The Constitution The Supreme Council of The Federal National
[Tes Teach] [UAE Cabinet] Rulers Council
[UAE Cabinet] [Allba Waba]

The Political System: The Leader

President: Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Nahyan
Elected: November 3, 2004
The United Arab Emirates’ current president has taken on the
challenge of completely “restructuring [UAE’s] government” in
preparation for the future. Under Zayed Nahyan’s rule, the United
Arab Emirates has seen new Cabinet members and new ministries.
[UAE Embassy]

The Political System: The Constitution

The Constitution that lays out the framework for the United Arab
Emirates’ government determines how UAE’s emirates interact with
each other and where power is placed. The provisional constitution of
1971 reserved “considerable powers, including control over mineral
rights (notably oil) and revenues” for each emirate. The Constitution
also determines the country’s political leaders. The positions of
president, vice president, council of ministers, supreme council of
rulers, and national assembly are all mentioned in the country’s
constitution.
[Global Security]

The Political System: The Supreme Council of Rulers

The Supreme Council of Rulers is made up each emirate’s ruler and
is the highest constitutional authority in the United Arab Emirates. The
Supreme Council of Rulers performs many responsibilities, some of
the most important ones listed here:

• Creating the Federation’s general policy and measuring the Federa-

tion’s achievements
• Endorsing federal laws, including the general budget

• Sanctioning decrees, ratifying treaties and agreements, and approving

elected official’s appointment

[Government AE]

The Political System: The Federal National Council

The United Arab Emirates’ Federal National Council is made up of
forty members from all over the UAE emirates. The council drafts
various legislative proposals such as constitutional amendments and
treaties. The Federal National Council is responsible for presenting
issues and recommendations to the government. A Council’s
membership term is a total of four years and is called the Legislative
Chapter. Council meetings happen at least once every six years and
does not have to be publicized if requested by “the Government or the
President of the Council or at least one third of its members.” An
absolute majority is used to determine final decisions. Plenary
sessions of council meetings are carried out through an agenda and
regulated very strictly.
[UAE Ministry of State for Federal National Council Affairs]

For more information visit:

• Global Security: UAE Government • UAE Cabinet: Federal Government Entitities

• World Atlas: What type of government does the • CIA World Factbook: United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates have?