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xxvi the LEGAL STATUS OF THE ARABIAN GULF STATES
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that the question of the permanent capital had to be decided at a later
stage by a specially appointed technical committee which would be
in a position to make the appropriate recommendations regarding
the best available and suitable site as a capital. :
4. The Principle of Voting in the Supreme Council of the
; Federation: All the Emirates, with the exception of Bahrain, agreed
; that the decisions of the Supreme Council should be made
unanimously, as provided in the Federation Agreement of 27
February, 1968. Since this proved to be impractical, Bahrain,
therefore, held the view that decisions of the Council in substantive
matters should be made by a two-third majority, while decisions in
procedural matters should be made by a simple majority. Later, it
was suggested by the joint Saudi-Kuwaiti good offices mission that
in the case of substantive matters, the two-third majority required
should include the concurring votes of the Emirates of Bahrain,
Qatar, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. This proposal was approved by
Bahrain and Abu Dhabi only. 2

Emergence of the Federation of the United Arab Emirates (formerly
the seven Trucial States)
Following the failure of the nine Gulf Emirates to solve their
constitutional differences and form their proposed federation by
mid-1971, the seven Trucial States decided to form a federation
among themselves. They were encouraged to do so after receiving a
firm warning from Sir William Luce, the British special envoy, that
the British Government was not prepared to support or recognise
the independence of any of the Trucial States outside the
framework of a federation.3 Moreover, in the light of the above
developments, the British Government decided to revise its policy
,-,5
>v* which was outlined in the statement of its Foreign and
Commonwealth Secretary on 1 March 1971.4 Consequently, on his
m government's instructions, Sir William Luce informed the Emirates
i concerned that the British Government was prepared to recognise
the independence of Bahrain and Qatar, respectively, and conclude
a similar treaty of friendship with each country. With respect to the
seven Trucial States, the British envoy informed their Rulers that
the British Government was prepared to conclude a treaty of
friendship with the government of the new Union which they were
in the process of forming.5
In the light of the above circumstances, and in view of the
1. Ibid.
2. Ibid.
3. Private papers of the author.
4. See above p. xxii.
5. The author’s private papers.

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