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The Formation of lho Federation
         'Ain. The students conic from all the Emirates and have already
         demonstrated in their activities their concern for the well being of the
         federal State.
           As the federal administration grew and became more effective
         throughout the Emirates, the people more readily accepted the
         authority of the federal ministries, facilitating the task of health
         advisers and social workers, and eventually they even submitted to
         the jurisdiction of the federal courts.  150
           On the face of it such developments can only strengthen the
         Federation internally; but loo overtly expressed enthusiasm for the
         federally-provided services may be counter-productive, because the
         local governments do not want to see their authority diminishing.
         This fear may be at the root of some of the reluctance of Rulers
         to amalgamate vital services, such as the provision of electricity
         and water, unless their financial situation makes such a move
         imperative.151
           In some fields such as education the federal administration
         gradually assumed control over the existing institutions in the
         individual Emirates, but in other fields and in almost all the Emirates
         the federal government encountered virgin territory and could build
         up from the beginning suitable legal and administrative structures
         for the entire country. In 1971 only a few far-sighted civil servants
         nourished the expectation of swift and complete handover of
         authority to the federal bodies. Seen in this light, the progress of
         federalisation over the last ten years has been surprisingly good. But
         while it emerged that the new Slate was developing into a genuine
         federation, rather than a loose confederation, the arguments about
         the nature of this more closely-knit Stale became more intensive.

         Crises and unresolved problems of the Federation

         Domestic crises
         During the ten years of its existence the UAE has already been
         shaken a number of limes by internal dissent and disputes which
         sometimes gave rise to speculations that the federation was about to
         break up. It has been argued above that the prime source of
         instability in the Federation should not be sought in its constitution,
         because it is pliable enough to lend itself to both a rather loose
         federation as well as a fairly centralistic State.
           A fundamental problem is that many of those who think seriously
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