As the most important political and economic organization in the Gulf region, the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf has six member countries, namely Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain, all of which basically have one thing in common, that is, the implementation of a hereditary monarchy.
Based on the different national conditions, the monarchy of the six countries is different, and the title of the head of state is also different.
For example, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Oman are absolute monarchies, and the head of state has three different titles, the Saudi head of state is called king, the head of Qatar is called emir, and the head of Oman is called sultan; Kuwait and Bahrain, on the other hand, belong to a dual constitutional monarchy, and the head of state is also called differently, the head of Kuwait is called the emir, and the head of Bahrain is called the king.
The only alternative is the UAE.
Because the UAE looks like a republic on the surface, but at its core it is an emirate with a hereditary aristocratic system.
On the one hand, the political system of the United Arab Emirates is a very unique aristocratic republic, which has certain similarities with the parliamentary republic, presidential republic, and semi-overall republic, especially in the setting of leadership positions in the UAE, which has both the presidential and prime ministerial positions that a parliamentary republic and a semi-presidential republic should have, and the vice president positions that a presidential republic can have.
The head of state of the United Arab Emirates is called the president, the head of government is called the prime minister, and the prime minister is also the vice president of the United Arab Emirates, which is the deputy head of state, which is fundamentally different from the leadership of the other five member states of the Gulf Arab countries.
On the other hand, the word "aristocracy" in the aristocratic republican system of the United Arab Emirates reflects the hereditary characteristics of its monarchy.
How exactly is this manifested?
This has to mention the national composition of the UAE, as well as the distribution of power.
We can see from the full name of the United Arab Emirates that the United Arab Emirates is actually a number of Arab emirates merged together to create a unified country - the UAE.
In order of area, they are the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the Emirate of Dubai, the Emirate of Sharjah, the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, the Emirate of Fujairah, the Emirate of um Al Quwain and the Emirate of Ajman.
These seven emirates make up the UAE, which, like the 50 states within the United States, has all the powers except foreign affairs and defense.
The sheikh of each emirate is not elected by the citizens of the United Arab Emirates, but hereditary for all generations, and within the emirate where it is located is the emperor of the earth, and there is no difference from the monarchs of monarchies such as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, neither the people under the emirate nor the leadership of the UAE have the right to dictate the selection of the emirate of the emirate, let alone impeach or remove them.
In addition to the hereditary sheikage of the seven emirates, the heads of state and government of the UAE are also hereditary, and the leadership is monopolized by the emirates of Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
Among them, the President of the UAE is concurrently served by the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and the Prime Minister and Vice President of the UAE is concurrently served by the Emirate of Dubai.
These two sheikhs, together with the sheikhs of Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, um Quwain, and Ajman, together form the highest authority in the UAE, the Federal Supreme Council, which not only formally elects the President of the UAE, but also needs to be discussed and decided by the seven sheikhs on major domestic and foreign policy formulation, federal budget review, legal and treaty approval, etc.
The parliament, which is regarded as the highest organ of power in most countries around the world, is called the UAE Federal National Assembly in the UAE, but it is an advisory body with weak powers and a status far below that of the Federal Supreme Council.
Therefore, the UAE Federal Supreme Council, composed of sheikhs, clearly reflects the "aristocratic" nature of the UAE, which is equivalent to the seven sheikhs governing the country together, which is nothing more than the Sheikh of Abu Dhabi and the Sheikh of Dubai representing the country.
President of the United Arab Emirates, Ruler of Abu Dhabi: Sheikh Mohammed
Looking at the current UAE president, since the UAE became independent from British colonial protection in December 1971, only three UAE presidents have been born, namely President Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the 14th Sheikh of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the 15th Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and the 16th Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Although the UAE president has a term limit, each term is only 5 years, but the number of consecutive terms can be indefinite, which means that as long as the UAE president does not resign, he can serve for life until his death.
For example, Sheikh Zayed served as the founding president of the UAE until his death in 2004, and his eldest son, Sheikh Khalifa, took over as the second president of the UAE; President Sheikh Khalifa passed away in 2022 and was succeeded as the third president of the UAE by Sheikh Mohammed, the third son of founding President Sheikh Zayed.
At present, President Sheikh Mohammed has signed a presidential decree on March 29, 2023, appointing his eldest son, Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammed bin Zayed, 41, as the Crown Prince of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, which means that after the death of President Sheikh Mohammed in the future, Crown Prince Sheikh Khalid will succeed as the Eicht of Abu Dhabi and become the fourth President of the UAE.
Then the system of brotherhood and brotherhood of the UAE president, which has lasted for decades, will end completely after a hundred years of President Sheikh Mohammed and begin to enter the primogeniture system, which is consistent with the current system of succession of kings in Saudi Arabia.
The same is true of the UAE Prime Minister and Vice President, who is still a brother and sister model, with only 3 prime ministers.
Prime Minister and Vice President of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai: Sheikh Mohammed
When the UAE was established in December 1971, Sheikh Rashid bin Said Al Maktoum, the fourth Emirate of Dubai, served as the first Vice President of the UAE and served as the first Prime Minister of the UAE from May 1979 until his death on 7 October 1990.
Following the death of Prime Minister Sheikh Rashid, his eldest son, Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, succeeded him as the 5th Sheikh of the Emirate of Dubai and served as Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, also serving until the end of his life, when he died on 4 January 2006; On the day of Prime Minister Sheikh Maktoum's death, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the third son of Sheikh Rashid, the founding Vice President and founding Prime Minister of the UAE, immediately took over as the 6th Sheikh of the Emirate of Dubai and served as Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, serving as the Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE.
Therefore, from the position of UAE head of state and head of government held by the Eiché Abu Dhabi and the Ruler of Dubai respectively, it is known that the status of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi is the highest, above the Emirate of Dubai.
However, then again, there is a reason why the UAE's government is monopolized by the two major families of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the Emirate of Dubai, the key is that the two emirates of Abu Dhabi and Dubai support almost the entire operation of the UAE.
First, Abu Dhabi and Dubai account for more than two-thirds of the total area of the UAE; Second, Abu Dhabi and Dubai are the largest economies among the seven emirates, and the UAE is basically financed by them.
To some extent, the two emirates of Abu Dhabi and Dubai support the other five emirates, according to the law of the jungle, whoever has a hard fist has the right to speak, which is very applicable to the political arena of the United Arab Emirates, then the sheikhs of Abu Dhabi and the sheikhs of Dubai serve as the president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates, which is also recognized by other emirates.