United Arab Emirates: The country after tomorrow turns 50

Huge oil reserves and expansive foreign policy have made the United Arab Emirates a regional power in 50 years. But the glittering backdrop has long dark sides – inward and outward.

Talking robots, spectacular architecture, gigantic light installations: the United Arab Emirates had some ideas for the Expo 2020 in Dubai. The size of the area, which corresponds to 600 soccer fields, amazes many visitors. The Emirates want to set new standards with the first world exhibition in the Arab region, which is to last until the end of March 2022.

The small country on the Persian Gulf has already succeeded in doing this several times before: The tallest building in the world is in Dubai. The state airline Emirates is one of the largest in the world. The Emirates are the first Arab state to have their own space mission with the Mars probe “Hope”. No project, no idea seems too ambitious for the super-rich golf state.

Rivalry with Qatar

There are several reasons for this: on the one hand, the dispute with Qatar. For three years, the Emirates, along with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt, blocked the neighboring emirate with a trade ban and closed borders. They accused the Qatar of maintaining close ties with the archenemy Iran, with whom Qatar shares a gas field. For years the emirates have competed with the neighboring emirate over the size of their airports, the extent of their raw material extraction and the number of their sporting events.

“Qatar landed a huge coup with the soccer world championship that will take place there next year,” says Guido Steinberg, Islamic scholar from the Science and Politics Foundation. “The Emirates have been trying to follow suit for years. They are looking for any event that they consider worthwhile to draw attention from Qatar to Dubai and Abu Dhabi.”

Then there is the weakness of the large Arab states. Egypt, Syria and Iraq were considered influential regional powers for decades. Since the popular uprisings in the Arab world in 2011, they have been preoccupied with problems in their own countries – a good opportunity for the Emirates to fill the void.

In addition, the emirates’ need for security has increased in recent years. Since the overthrow of the long-term Egyptian ruler Hosni Mubarak, the monarchs in the Gulf have known that the protection of the United States can end very quickly. The government in Washington had long supported Egypt’s president – and then dropped it. The Emirates want to avoid a similar scenario: This is why the small country is doing everything it can to increase its profile in the world and is looking for many allies.

Withdrawal from the Yemen conflict

The Emirates prefer to cooperate with other authoritarian rulers in the region. Mohammed bin Zayed, crown prince of the largest and richest emirate of Abu Dhabi and deputy commander in chief of the emirate’s armed forces, is primarily responsible for this policy. He runs the official business for his sick brother, the Emir of Abu Dhabi and President of the Emirates. Mohammed bin Zayed is also considered the mentor of the young Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The cooperation was demonstrated, for example, in the common war against the Iranian-backed Houthi insurgents in Yemen. The initiative for this is said to have come from Abu Dhabi. For several years the Arab military coalition tried to bring the Houthis to their knees. The bombings have only increased the suffering of the people in crisis-ridden Yemen.

In mid-2019, the Emirates largely withdrew from Yemen – apparently also because they realized that they could not win this war. However, they continue to support the separatists in the south of the country. Because the Emirates want to control the sea routes from the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea.

Negative press is undesirable

Criticism of this expansive foreign policy or of the leadership of the Emirates in general is not welcome. “Mohammed bin Zayed has tightened authoritarianism in the country,” says Guido Steinberg. “The freedom for political opposition or even just for dissenting political expressions of opinion has shrunk extremely in recent years.”

Oppositionists are fought, journalists strictly monitored or censored. On the list of press freedom of the non-governmental organization “Reporters Without Borders” the United Arab Emirates ranks 131st out of 180 countries. “After the events of 2011, reporting has become more difficult for the media,” says Mohammed Alhammadi, former editor-in-chief of the daily newspaper “Al Ittihad”. “The laws have become stricter.”

At the same time, the political leadership attracts influencers from all over the world. They are supposed to promote the beautiful sides of the country: the sea, the beach, the parties. Foreigners who get involved can save taxes, but have to adhere to strict rules: negative reporting is undesirable.

The regulations are also strict at the Expo. The entrance for journalists is long, microphones are checked twice and three times. The fact that the Emirates also have their downsides should be kept hidden in the magnificent palm-green complex.