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GULF EMIRATES
 The Gulf Emirates is a group of small states on the Western, Arab coast of the Gulf, some called it the Arab Gulf - others the Persian Gulf, depending on nationality and political attitude.
The Gulf Emirates are combined from four states: BAHRAIN, KUWAIT, QATAR and the United Arab Emirates which is, on its own, a federation of 7 small emirates. Each Emirate is ruled by a single Family and all important positions are manned mainly by members of the local ruling clan. All the Emirates are rich with oil and have a very large number of non citizens with a status of residents or temporary workers.
The Gulf Emirate stretches on 113,000 km: BAHRAIN 670 km, KUWAIT 17,800 km, QATAR 11,400 and U.A.E 83,600 km. The total population is about 9,700,000: BAHRAIN 0.75 Million, KUWAIT 3.3 Million, QATAR 0.85 Million and U.A.E 4.8 million. From the Gulf Emirates population 71% are Sunnite Muslims, 20% Shiite Muslims and 9% others, mainly foreign workers and emigrants from non Muslim countries like India. From the total population 65% are second class inhabitants, temporary residents and foreign workers and only 35% are citizens, descendants of the original Bedouin tribes that ruled the region 100 years ago.
Because of the very large group of temporary workers, who came to prosper from the enormous wealth of the region but left their family behind, the Gulf States, especially QATAR and U.A.E, suffers from an unprecedented problem of gender proportion with twice the number of male aged between 13-65 then females. The Gulf States are in the frontline of the conflict between Sunnites and Shiites in Islam and suffer from tension between the two communities. In the tiny island of BAHRAIN, Shiites who came from Iran in the past 50 years, are, already, the majority in the 750,000 population of the Emirate.
The social infrastructure of the Gulf States is extremely fragile. The large majority without citizen rights, many of them already second generation in the Gulf Emirates, the gender gape and the grip that the ruling families have on the local politics, economy and social life could provoke unrest and social chaos anywhere in the world. Only the enormous wealth of which there is enough for everybody keeps the Gulf Emirates social hierarchy functioning.
All Gulf Emirates became independent due to colonial interference, mainly that of UK, in the late 19th century up to the 60s’ of the 20th century. There is nothing to distinguish the Emirates from Saudi Arabia or Iraq except the Interest of UK and, after World War II, of USA in the large oil reserves that those Emirates have.
Without the support of the Western powers those Emirates could be swallowed, within very short time by their neighbors. Iraq claimed several times sovereignty over KUWAIT - its 19th province, as she referred to KUWAIT. Iran claims sovereignty on BAHRAIN and keeps an empty chair for BAHRAIN delegate in its Parliament and Saudi Arabia refers to QATAR and U.A.E as under her political patronage.
The Gulf Emirates depends for their existence as independent states on two pillars: the value of oil and the alliance with the Western Democracies, especially USA. If for any reason the price of oil will drop sharply the Gulf Emirates will face severe social disturbances or if the support of the Western power will cease it is doubtful if the Gulf Emirates will stay independent for a long time. Therefore the Gulf States are natural allies to USA in the War on terror and Global Jihad and have a persisting interest to keep the oil flow.
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20/03/2008 07:45:22
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