Page 380 - UAE Truncal States

The Formation of the Federation
summer of 1970 all nine members made furlher concerted efforts to
promote the federation. The nine Deputy Rulers convened a meeting
on 13 June 1970 in Abu Dhabi in order to prepare an agenda for a
Supreme Council meeting, but in the event three days were spent in
discussing means of solving some of the differences which had led to
the breakdown of the last Supreme Council meeting in October
1969.64 The Deputy Rulers agreed to recommend that federal
ministerial portfolios should not be allocated to particular Emirates
and that instead the Prime Minister should select the federal cabinet
from a list of candidates composed of three nominees from each
State. A financial committee based in Bahrain should advise on a
federal budget and the members’ contributions, and as agreed by the
Rulers in the October meeting the establishment of a legal committee
in Dubai was also recommended to comment on the two draft
constitutions which had been submitted.65
Just as at the October 1969 meeting of the Supreme Council of
Rulers, the June meeting of the Deputy Rulers demonstrated that
intensive formal discussions as well as behind-the-scenes lobbying
would eventually produce a workable compromise on most issues.
Yet at that moment the federation was in many peoples’ minds still
just one alternative among several solutions which appeared
possible. To some members the federation appeared more vital or at
least more attractive than to others, and some were preoccupied with
other political issues. Bahrain had to consider the popular mood after
the Iranian gesture, urging total independence, while Sharjah and
Ra’s al Khaimah had their own worries because Iran had earlier in
the summer of 1970 repeated its claim to Abu Musa and the two
Tunbs. Sharjah sought compromise and tried to establish special
links with Iran,66 Ra’s al Khaimah gravitated towards Saudi Arabia,
hoping to enlist its assistance in a possible confrontation over the
Tunbs while continuing to benefit from some development projects
paid for by Saudi Arabia.67 Abu Dhabi had its own worries because
the border dispute with Saudi Arabia was heating up again, which
possibly held back some of the Emirates from associating themselves
too closely with Abu Dhabi in case Riyadh would be offended.

A new British Government—will it withdraw or not?
The Conservative election victory of 18 June 1970 added to the
uncertainty, raising hopes that Britain would call off withdrawal.
While the upshot of official consultations in July 1970 between Iran
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