United Arab Emirates & Saudi Arabia: Background & Issues (Global Political Studies)

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a federation of seven emirates (principalities): Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Fujayrah, Umm Al Qawayn, and Ras Al Khaymah. The kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ruled by the Al Saud family since its founding in 1932, wields significant political and economic influence as the birthplace of the Islamic faith and by virtue of its large energy reserves. A close Cold War-era relationship between the U.S. government and the ruling Al Saud family was built on shared interests in securing Saudi oil production and in combating global Communism. Since the end of the Cold War, the emergence of the Al-Qaeda terrorist threat and volatile regional security conditions in the Middle East have tested U.S.-Saudi relations. This book examines both the UAE and Saudi Arabia historical backgrounds and their current relations with the United States.