Conventional long form: United Arab Emirates
Capital Name: Abu Dhabi
Type of government: Federation
Date of independence: Dec 2and 1971
National holidays: Independence Day, 2 December (1971)
Chief of state: President KHALIFA bin Zayid Al-Nuhayyan
Head of government: Prim Minister Muhammad bin Rashid AL- Maktum
Description of executive branch/powers: there is a Federal Supreme Council (FSC) composed of the seven emirate rulers; the FSC is the highest constitutional authority in the UAE; establishes general policies and sanctions federal legislation; meets four times a year; Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) and Dubayy (Dubai) rulers have effective veto power
elections: president and vice president elected by the FSC for five-year terms (no term limits) from among the seven FSC members; election last held 3 November 2004 upon the death of the UAE's Founding Father and first President ZAYID bin Sultan Al Nuhayyan (next election NA); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president
election results: KHALIFA bin Zayid Al-Nuhayyan elected president by a unanimous vote of the FSC; MUHAMMAD bin Rashid Al-Maktum unanimously affirmed vice president after the 2006 death of his brother Sheikh MAKTUM bin Rashid Al-Maktum
Description of legislative branch:unicameral Federal National Council (FNC) or Majlis al-Ittihad al-Watani (40 seats; 20 members appointed by the rulers of the constituent states, 20 members elected to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held on 24 September 2011 (next to be held in 2015); note - the electoral college was expanded from 6,689 voters in the December 2006 election to 129,274 in the September 2011 election; elections for candidates rather than party lists; 469 candidates including 85 women ran for 20 contested FNC seats
election results: elected seats by emirate - Abu Dhabi 4, Dubai 4, Sharjah 3, Ras al-Khaimah 3, Ajman 2, Fujairah 2, Umm al-Quwain 2; note - number of appointed seats for each emirate are same as elected seats
Description of judicial branch: Suffrage (who is allowed to vote):they select a portion of voters that make up 12% of native emirate population.
highest court(s): Federal Supreme Court (consists of the court president and 4 judges)
judge selection and term of office: judges appointed by the federal president following approval by the Federal Supreme Council, which includes the rulers of the 7 emirates; judge term NA
subordinate courts: Federal Court of Cassation (determines the constitutionality of laws promulgated at the federal and local (emirate) levels; federal level courts of first instance and appeals courts; each emirate has its own court system
Suffrage- rulers of the seven Emirates each select a proportion of voters for the Federal National Council (FNC) that together account for about 12 percent of the native Emirati population.
Their ambassador to the U.S.:Ambassador Yusif bin Mani bin Said al-UTAYBA
Location of their embassy in the U.S.: Washington D.c
Locations of their consulate in the U.S: none
U.S. ambassador to them: Michael H. Corbin
Location of U.S embassy there: Abu Dhabi
Location of U.S consulate there: Dubai
Name of their representative to UN: Lana Nusseibeh
Flag simbolism includes: The flag of the UAE represents peace, honesty, hardiness, bravery, power, courage, hope, joy, love, optimism as well as the defeat of enemies and determination. and red green white and black which symbolize arabian unity.
National symbols: Golden falcon
Listen to anthem at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYryNbjJwOs
Capital Name: Abu Dhabi
Type of government: Federation
Date of independence: Dec 2and 1971
National holidays: Independence Day, 2 December (1971)
Chief of state: President KHALIFA bin Zayid Al-Nuhayyan
Head of government: Prim Minister Muhammad bin Rashid AL- Maktum
Description of executive branch/powers: there is a Federal Supreme Council (FSC) composed of the seven emirate rulers; the FSC is the highest constitutional authority in the UAE; establishes general policies and sanctions federal legislation; meets four times a year; Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) and Dubayy (Dubai) rulers have effective veto power
elections: president and vice president elected by the FSC for five-year terms (no term limits) from among the seven FSC members; election last held 3 November 2004 upon the death of the UAE's Founding Father and first President ZAYID bin Sultan Al Nuhayyan (next election NA); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president
election results: KHALIFA bin Zayid Al-Nuhayyan elected president by a unanimous vote of the FSC; MUHAMMAD bin Rashid Al-Maktum unanimously affirmed vice president after the 2006 death of his brother Sheikh MAKTUM bin Rashid Al-Maktum
Description of legislative branch:unicameral Federal National Council (FNC) or Majlis al-Ittihad al-Watani (40 seats; 20 members appointed by the rulers of the constituent states, 20 members elected to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held on 24 September 2011 (next to be held in 2015); note - the electoral college was expanded from 6,689 voters in the December 2006 election to 129,274 in the September 2011 election; elections for candidates rather than party lists; 469 candidates including 85 women ran for 20 contested FNC seats
election results: elected seats by emirate - Abu Dhabi 4, Dubai 4, Sharjah 3, Ras al-Khaimah 3, Ajman 2, Fujairah 2, Umm al-Quwain 2; note - number of appointed seats for each emirate are same as elected seats
Description of judicial branch: Suffrage (who is allowed to vote):they select a portion of voters that make up 12% of native emirate population.
highest court(s): Federal Supreme Court (consists of the court president and 4 judges)
judge selection and term of office: judges appointed by the federal president following approval by the Federal Supreme Council, which includes the rulers of the 7 emirates; judge term NA
subordinate courts: Federal Court of Cassation (determines the constitutionality of laws promulgated at the federal and local (emirate) levels; federal level courts of first instance and appeals courts; each emirate has its own court system
Suffrage- rulers of the seven Emirates each select a proportion of voters for the Federal National Council (FNC) that together account for about 12 percent of the native Emirati population.
Their ambassador to the U.S.:Ambassador Yusif bin Mani bin Said al-UTAYBA
Location of their embassy in the U.S.: Washington D.c
Locations of their consulate in the U.S: none
U.S. ambassador to them: Michael H. Corbin
Location of U.S embassy there: Abu Dhabi
Location of U.S consulate there: Dubai
Name of their representative to UN: Lana Nusseibeh
Flag simbolism includes: The flag of the UAE represents peace, honesty, hardiness, bravery, power, courage, hope, joy, love, optimism as well as the defeat of enemies and determination. and red green white and black which symbolize arabian unity.
National symbols: Golden falcon
Listen to anthem at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYryNbjJwOs
Chief of state: KHALIFA bin Zayid Al-Nuhayyan
Head of government: Prim Minister Muhammad bin Rashid AL- Maktum