The United States Recognizes the United Arab Emirates
1971-12-03
The federation emerged from a system in which separate Gulf rulers had made protective agreements with Britain. Those agreements restricted their independent dealings with other governments. When Britain announced its withdrawal in 1968, Sheikh Zayed of Abu Dhabi and Sheikh Rashid of Dubai promoted a union that initially envisaged including Qatar and Bahrain as well as the seven Trucial States. [1]
Qatar and Bahrain ultimately became separate states. [1] [2]
The United States recognized the United Arab Emirates on 3 December 1971, one day after the federation declared independence. Six emirates had joined as Britain ended its protective role in the Gulf; Ras al-Khaimah entered the following February, bringing the number to seven. [3] [4]
William Stoltzfus presented his credentials as the American envoy on 20 March 1972, establishing diplomatic relations while remaining based in Kuwait. A resident American mission followed in June 1974, when the United States opened its embassy in Abu Dhabi under Michael Sterner. [3]
Sources
- History: New Beginnings
1968 federation proposal and Qatar/Bahrain; nineteenth-century protective treaties and restrictions on foreign relations
- Rogers to Nixon on the Persian Gulf, December 16, 1971
Document 153, opening assessment, territorial issues, and concluding paragraphs on diplomatic representation
- United Arab Emirates: recognition and relations — Office of the Historian
Recognition, 3 December 1971; relations, 20 March 1972; embassy, 24 June 1974
- The UAE: Issues for U.S. Policy — Congressional Research Service
Governance section, pp. 1–2; federation and British withdrawal
Related Reading
Cite This Article
The United States Recognizes the United Arab Emirates. Chanceries Diplopedia. Record 9f8667ecddce59815fbd. https://chanceries.org/research/history/uae-recognition-1971-132c43bcbf/