Introduction
The UAE is one of the few rising powers in the Middle East. In a span of a little over five decades, the country has transformed itself from oil-dependent to a highly diversified economy and currently stands as an influential stakeholder in regional and global power politics.1 Before that, in the words of political scientist Frauke Heard-Bey, pointed out that, throughout the 1950s, the Trucial States’ population was so illiterate and poor, families had to migrate to neighboring Arab countries; however, he states that currently, “the UAE faces its biggest challenges because of its extreme and sudden wealth—not poverty.”2 Presently, the CIA’s world factbook entry on the UAE indicates that, “The UAE’s per-capita GDP is on par with those of leading West European nations.”3 In short, the UAE’s economy (GDP) tremendously grew from $37 billion in 1985 to $450 billion in 2021, an increase of more than $400 billion in three and a half decades.4 In terms of local political stability, the UAE did not experience the “Arab Spring,” which has, in hindsight, caused massive and unending chaos in many Middle Eastern countries. Unlike many in the region, for instance, the UAE was able to invest significantly in infrastructure in poorer areas and in its “aggressive” pursuit of “political reform,” which might have played a role in this regard.5 From a general point of view, therefore, the UAE appeared ready to take off and herald a new beginning beyond its borders.
