Civil Society and Democratization in the Arab World. Annual Report. 2004
Published July 2005

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United Arab Emirates

Capital : Abu Dhabi

Date of Independence : 2/12/1971

Area : 82880 Km

Population (in millions) : 2.6 ( est. 2005)

Rate of Population Increase : 1.54% (est. 2005)

Ethnic Groups : 19% Emirates, 23% Arabs and Iranians 50% South Asian, 8% Europeans and South East Asian (1982)

Religious Groups : 96% Muslims (16% Shia),  4% Christians, Hindus and others

Illiteracy : 12%

No. of Provinces : 7 Emirates

Polity : Monarchy

Head of State : Zayed Bin Sultan alNahyan

No. of Political Parties : There are no political parties

GDP (in millions)ppp : $63,670 (2004)

GDP per Capitappp : $25,200 (2004)

Overview

The UAE is a federation of seven emirates, previously known as the Trucial States, which was established in 1971 after the British withdrew from the Persian Gulf. Although the federal constitution stipulates that the federal president is chosen every five years, by rotation, from among the seven rulers of the emirates, yet in practice the ruler of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan al-Nahyan, has always held that post. In 2004 Sheikh Zayed died after reigning for 37 years in which he laid a solid foundation for a stable state with a booming economy. He was succeeded by his son Sheikh Khalifa. The economy of the emirates had depended on fishing and the pearl trade until oil was discovered in the 1950s. Since then, the UAE has invested, heavily, the revenues of its oil exports into the petro-chemical industry and the building of a modern economy. At present the per capita income of the UAE is $22,000, more than twice that of its oil-rich neighbor Saudi Arabia. What is more remarkable is that most of that wealth is not derived from the sale of oil or gas but from industry, trade, and maritime services. Although Abu Dhabi remains the engine of this economic growth, and is the regions largest free-trade zone, other emirates of the UAE have made considerable contributions. The emirate of Sharjah deserves special mention for having developed into a major manufacturing sector. As a result of the Countrys high economic performance it was ranked in 2004 by International Business Monitor as number one in the Middle East in terms of economic stability, and number 16 in the world.

Political Rights and Civil Liberties

1. The Executive, Political Parties and Elections. There are no political parties in the UAE. The political arena exhibits a curious amalgam of modern institutions and traditional tribal customs. No elections, at any level, take place. The states 40member Federal National Council (Majlis al-Itihad al-Watani), composed of delegates appointed by the seven Emirs, serves as a consultative body without any legislative power. The seven rulers of the emirates constitute collectively the Federal Supreme Council (FSC) which holds supreme executive and legislative powers. The FSC selects the president and vice president from among its members, and ratifies whatever federal legislation is passed. All major posts in the federation are occupied by members of the seven ruling families. The citizens of the UAE may be able to raise their demands to their rulers via associations in civil society in the regular open meetings which the rulers have with groups of citizens. Political discussions and gatherings are held in private homes. However, in recent years an accelerated effort is being made to establish modern governmental institutions to deal with problems previously handled by traditional tribal methods. Citizens have no means for changing their governments democratically.

2. The Judiciary, Trials, and Detention. The Judiciary in the UAE is not independent since most judges are expatriates hired under contract for limited terms that are renewable. Moreover, court verdicts are subject to review by the political ruler. Trials are conducted in open court and are reasonably fair, and the rights of defendants to due process is observed. The judicial system includes both secular courts as well as others that are governed by the Islamic Sharia law. The jurisdiction of the latter mainly covers crimes that attach to a specific punishment mentioned in the Quran, as well as family law. Arbitrary arrest is prohibited by law; however, the police may hold subjects incommunicado for indefinite periods of time, by court order, without any charge being brought against them.

3. Civil Society and the Freedom of Association. The government limits freedom of association, and the establishment of NGOs is subject to governmental approval. There are about 100 NGOs registered with the Ministry of Social Affairs. However, numerous unregistered NGOs are left to operate without government interference. Most NGOs focused on social and humanitarian activities, and a few are concerned with human rights. Registered NGOs are subsidized by the government. Publications by NGOs must receive prior government approval, though this restriction has not been consistently enforced. Trade Unions are prohibited except for the UAE Chamber of Trade and Industry and the UAE Womens Federation. The total number of NGOs is estimated to be 132―covering the fields of education, culture, religion, charity, sports, arts, and womens concerns, plus several associations for foreign expatriates. However, these associations are generally weak since their leadership lacks sufficient cadres with adequate managerial skills and training. Of special note is that there are no human rights groups. Permits are required for organized public gatherings, which are more often than not denied. Thus citizens resort to holding political discussion in private homes only. Strikes and demonstrations are prohibited. A major human rights problem in the UAE concerns the abuse suffered by foreign labor that make up a staggering 98% of the entire private labor force (about 1.7 million). The system of the Kafil―which makes it mandatory that every foreign worker have a local national as guardian―has enabled employers to mistreat their foreign employees, often treating them like serfs.

4. Freedom of Speech and the Media. Although the Constitution protects freedom of speech, it is in practice strictly limited. The broadcast media is largely owned by the state and is under its full control. Journalists and writers exercise self-censorship in discussing government politics and other sensitive issues like religion or national security. All printed material is subject to Law No. 15 of 1988 which requires that all publications obtain prior license from the Ministry of Information, and subjects them to governmental review. Moreover, the law also lists a number of prohibited topics. Although the press is mostly privately owned yet it obtains monetary support from the government, and is frequently used by the government to propagate its policies and publicize its achievements, usually in an exaggerated form. Foreign publications are censored. Although the broadcast media is almost entirely state-owned and follows governmental guidelines, it is nevertheless among the most liberal in the Arab world. In 2003 the privately owned TV El-Arabia was licensed, and rapidly gained prestige for liberal and balanced news casting and debates.

5. Freedom of Religion. Islam is the official religion of the state, and 84% of the Muslim citizens are Sunnis, with the remaining 16% Shia. The Constitution protects religious freedom within the limits of custom and tradition. The government controls and monitors all Sunni mosques, and limits the activities of religious associations and their efforts at recruitment, allowing only their performance of religious rites. A Shia minority (residing mainly in the north of the country) is permitted freedom to practice their religion but are denied the government subsidy which is granted to Sunni mosques, although they do not deviate in theirs sermons from the topics approved by the state. The Shias are also prohibited from proselytizing. There is a small minority of Christians and Sikhs to which the government accords very decent, indeed very generous, treatment that has extended to contributing the land to the building of 23 churches and two Hindu temples. Non-Muslims, however, are strictly prohibited from proselytizing or distributing their religious literature. The state encourages a tolerant moderate form of Islam, and provides incentives for non-Muslims to convert to Islam, such as public honor and celebration, and the reduction of prison terms for inmates who convert.

6. Women and the Marginalized. Very few women participate in public life. Indeed, the appointed 40-member Federal Council does not include any women. Tradition does not encourage women to work outside the home. A significant number of women work in the government as well as in education and the professions, although they suffer from various kinds of discrimination in job benefits and promotion. A number of NGOs focus on womens rights, and the prevention of domestic violence against them. As in all other Arab countries, Islamic law imposes legal discrimination against women vis--vis men with regard to divorce, inheritance and personal freedoms. There are very few women in senior positions. Five are among the 40-member Consultative Council of Sharjah. On July 8, 2003 eight women were taken as diplomats in the Foreign Service. In November 2004, the first female was made minister.

The Shia minority has succeeded economically but it also suffers from a measure of discriminatory measures by the government as previously noted above in subsection (5).
 

Prospects for Democratic Change
 

The UAE while still deeply in the grip of a traditional tribal culture has nevertheless taken big strides in the use of modern Western technologies, and has exhibited a marked degree of liberalism that promises to pave the way for the establishment of democratic institutions in the not too far future. So far the UAE has managed to minimize much of the legal aspects associated with autocratic rule, and succeeded in developing the most vibrant economy in the region, all within the context of a very stable environment. It is expected that the country's keen drive to attract foreign investments in the interest of its economic development will lead to greater liberalization of the entire system.