Page 370 - UAE Truncal States_Neat

The Formation of the Federation
The signature of the Dubai agreement on 27 February 1968 by
all the nine Rulers20 was immediately welcomed by Kuwait and
favourably greeted by many other governments.27 Saudi Arabia, after
an official visit by the Ruler of Qatar, staled on 3 April that it
welcomed the federation, and made an offer of economic aid.
Iran, the other State with territorial claims vis-a-vis a member of
the federation, broke its silence only on 1 April, staling that it
"reserves all its rights in the Persian Gulf and will never tolerate this
historic inequity and injustice . . . The British Government cannot
relinquish and give away land which according to history was taken
from Iran by force. ” 28
But it appears that some of the participants of the meeting,
particularly the Rulers of the smaller Emirates, began to have second
thoughts. Thus 30 March 1968, the dale for the agreement to come
into force, came and went without the Supreme Council meeting and
without any further explanation, leaving open the question as to the
practical function of the fledgling federation. There was, however, a
great deal of discussion among some Rulers and their aides at that
time.

3 The three-year construction period

Discovering the realities of federal life

The advisers take stock
Eventually a meeting was convened in Abu Dhabi on 18/19 May 1968
of the advisers29 to the Rulers of the nine member States, which was
to prepare the ground and draw up an agenda for the planned
meeting of the Supreme Council of Rulers. At this meeting it became
clear that the differences between the member Slates, which emerged
after the February agreement, although considerable, were neverthe­
less only differences of priority and emphasis. All nine states were in
favour of a federation, some wished it to be loose, others hoped for
strong central powers, and others saw the federation as the vehicle
for the evolution of democratic representation. The background and
the temperament of the different advisers were reflected in the
position taken by an Emirate on any particular issue. Throughout the
two days of meetings many of the arguments were reduced to a
discussion of the extent to which the advisers had authority to take

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