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| United Arab Emirates الْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة | |
|---|---|
 Flag
 Coat of arms
| |
 | |
| Capital | Abu Dhabi |
| Largest city | Dubai |
| Official languages | Arabic |
| Dominant mode of production | Capitalism |
| Government | Federal semi-presidential elective semi-absolute monarchy under a dictatorship of the bourgeoisie |
• President | Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan |
• Vice Presidents | Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan |
• Prime Minister | Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum |
| Area | |
• Total | 83,600 km² |
| Population | |
• 2024 estimate | 11,027,129 |
| Currency | UAE dirham (AED) |
| Calling code | +971 |
| ISO 3166 code | AE |
| Internet TLD | .ae |
The United Arab Emirates (UAE), also known simply as the Emirates, is a country in Western Asia situatiated in the Arabian Peninsula. The UAE borders Oman to the east and northeast, and Saudi Arabia to the southwest with coatlines on the Persian Gulf, and the Gulf of Oman. It is a federal semi-absolute monarchy made up of seven emirates, with Abu Dhabi serving as its national capital.
Since 2015, it has supported the U.S. and Saudi bombing of Yemen.[1]
History[edit | edit source]
Colonization[edit | edit source]
In the 16th century the Portuguese maintained a series of coastal forts in and around the Emirates. The British began expanding their presence in the region in the early 19th century to protect its trade routes. In 1820, 1843 and 1853 the British signed a series of unequal treaties with the local rulers of the Emirates giving rise to the name Trucial States which was consolidated into a British protectorate in 1892.[2]
In the 19th century the pearling industry became the most important part of the regional economy but by the 1930s it had declined due to recessions and the invention of the cultured pearl. Exploration for onshore oil began in 1935 and the first commercial discoveries were made in 1958 with the first oil exports beginning in 1962.[2]
Independence[edit | edit source]
Britain began withdrawing military forces from the region in 1968 and in 1972 most of the local emirates came together to form the UAE.[2]
Slavery[edit | edit source]
Slave Labor[edit | edit source]
Instances of slave labor have been widely reported for decades in all gulf states, including the United Arab Emirates. Migrant workers, mainly from south Asia, are lured to the UAE by promises of high wages and good working conditions only to have their passports seized and wages routinely withheld. Those enslaved have little to no legal rights or methods of voicing concerns within the UAE, as strikes and unionizing are both banned within the country.[3]
Sexual Slavery and Abuse[edit | edit source]
In addition to slave labor, sexual slavery is widespread throughout the UAE, with the majority of victims again being migrants. Tens of thousands of Eastern European women work as prostitutes in Dubai alone, having been forced into the trade either by trafficking or by economic conditions caused by the dissolution of the Soviet Union.[4][5]
Additionally, the roughly 150,000 female domestic migrant laborers within the UAE are also subject to enslavement and sexual abuse from their employers. Rape and sexual assault is frequently reported, in addition to the seizing of passports and other abuses frequently suffered by migrants.[6]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Ben Norton (2022-02-20). "US-Saudi war on Yemen has killed 377,000 people – UN estimate" Geopolitical Economy Report. Archived from the original on 2023-04-10. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "United Arab Emirates country profile" (2023-09-07). BBC. Archived from the original on 2026-04-28.
- ↑ "End Slavery in the UAE" (2022). International Trade Union Confederation. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
- ↑ Margot Hornblower Paris (2001-06-24). "The Skin Trade" TIME. Archived from the original on 2007-05-01. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
- ↑ William Butler (2010-05-15). "Why Dubai's Islamic austerity is a sham - sex is for sale in every bar" The Guardian. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
- ↑ "“I Already Bought You” Abuse and Exploitation of Female Migrant Domestic Workers in the United Arab Emirates" (2014). Human Rights Watch. Retrieved 2024-03-19.