NICHOLAS SHUBITZ: The new Brics member that is buying Britain
Reports of UAE rulers subverting UK law and taking control of its newspapers have led to concern about the growing influence of foreign authoritarian leaders
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has transformed from a collection of small oases and pearl diving villages into one of the world’s most important trade, tourism and investment destinations. Strategically located between Europe, Africa and Asia, the federation is well positioned to capitalise on the high economic growth rates of nearby emerging markets. This explains the UAE’s decision to join the Brics bloc. But the federation’s rulers are also investing heavily in the UK.
The UAE has a long colonial history. It was Islamised in the seventh century, and the Portuguese empire arrived a thousand years later, disrupting the Arab trade networks and taking over taxation from the Sultan of Hormuz. Subsequent conflicts between the maritime communities and the British led to the sacking of Ras Al Khaimah in the early 19th century, resulting in a number of British treaties with local rulers. The seven sheikdoms eventually formed the UAE after British forces left the region in the late...
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