Editing United Arab Emirates (section)

=== Post-independence period ===
[[File:Burj Khalifa (worlds tallest building) and the Dubai skyline (25781049892).jpg|thumb|Skyline of [[Dubai]]]]
The UAE supported military operations by the US and other [[Coalition of the Gulf War|coalition states]] engaged in the [[Gulf War]] against [[Saddam Hussein]] in [[Ba'athist Iraq]] (1991), as well as operations supporting the Global [[War on Terror]] for the [[Horn of Africa]] at [[Al Dhafra Air Base]] located outside of Abu Dhabi. The air base also supported Allied operations during the 1991 Persian [[Gulf War]] and [[Operation Northern Watch]]. The country had already signed a [[military]] defence agreement with the U.S. in 1994 and one with France in 1995.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/crs/rl31641.pdf |author=Prados, Alfred B. | date=2002 |title= Iraqi Challenges and U.S. Responses: March 1991 through October 2002 |url-status=unfit |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060818063026/http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/crs/rl31641.pdf |archive-date= 18 August 2006| publisher= Library of Congress}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author= Foley, Sean |url= http://www.gloria-center.org/meria/1999/03/foley.pdf |title= The UAE: Political Issues and Security Dilemmas |journal= Middle East Review of International Affairs |volume= 3 |issue= 1 |date= March 1999 |access-date= 8 April 2013 |archive-date= 13 June 2013 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130613164952/http://www.gloria-center.org/meria/1999/03/foley.pdf |url-status= dead }}</ref> In January 2008, France and the UAE signed a deal allowing France to set up a permanent military base in the emirate of Abu Dhabi.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-14704414 |title=United Arab Emirates profile – Timeline |work=BBC News |date=14 November 2012 |access-date=28 March 2024 |archive-date=26 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240226130642/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-14704414 |url-status=live }}</ref> The UAE joined international military operations in Libya in March 2011.

On 2 November 2004, the UAE's first president, Sheikh [[Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan]], died. Sheikh [[Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan]] was elected as the [[President of the United Arab Emirates|president of the UAE]]. Sheikh [[Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan]] succeeded Sheikh Khalifa as crown prince of Abu Dhabi.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3975737.stm |title=Veteran Gulf ruler Zayed dies |work=BBC News |date=2 November 2004 |access-date=28 March 2024 |archive-date=29 September 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090929223450/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3975737.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> In January 2006, Sheikh [[Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum]], the prime minister of the UAE and the ruler of Dubai, died, and Sheikh [[Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum]] assumed both roles.

The first ever national elections were held on 16 December 2006. A number of voters chose half of the members of the [[Federal National Council]]. The UAE has largely escaped the [[Arab Spring]], which other countries have experienced; however, 60 Emirati activists from [[Al Islah (United Arab Emirates)|Al Islah]] were apprehended for an alleged coup attempt and the attempt of the establishment of an [[Islamism|Islamist]] state in the UAE.<ref name="reuters">{{cite news |last=Bakr |first=Amena |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-emirates-courts-norway-idUSBRE96K0AK20130721 |title=Woman jailed in Dubai after reporting rape hopes to warn others |work=Reuters |date=21 July 2013 |access-date=5 November 2013 |archive-date=10 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151210075642/http://www.reuters.com/article/us-emirates-courts-norway-idUSBRE96K0AK20130721 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Brotherhood 'sought Islamist state in UAE'|url=http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/brotherhood-sought-islamist-state-in-uae|access-date=20 November 2012|date=21 September 2012|archive-date=22 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022094439/http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/brotherhood-sought-islamist-state-in-uae|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="amnesty.org">{{cite web |url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde25/0018/2014/en/ |title=United Arab Emirates: Silencing dissent in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) |date=18 November 2014 |publisher=Amnesty International |access-date=12 February 2016 |archive-date=6 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160106215938/https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde25/0018/2014/en/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Mindful of the protests in nearby Bahrain, in November 2012 the UAE outlawed online mockery of its government or attempts to organise public protests through social media.<ref name="bbc.co.uk" />

On 29 January 2020, the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] was confirmed to have [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United Arab Emirates|reached the UAE]].<ref name="first case UAE">{{Cite news|last1=Hammond|first1=Ashley|url=https://gulfnews.com/uae/health/watch-how-the-first-coronavirus-case-in-uae-was-cured-1.1581323524356|title=Watch: How the first coronavirus case in UAE was cured|date=10 February 2020|work=Gulf News|access-date=11 February 2020|last2=Chaudhary|first2=Suchitra Bajpai|last3=Hilotin|first3=Jay|archive-date=10 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200210155105/https://gulfnews.com/uae/health/watch-how-the-first-coronavirus-case-in-uae-was-cured-1.1581323524356|url-status=live}}</ref> Two months later, in March, the government announced the closure of shopping malls, schools, and places of worship, in addition to imposing a 24-hour curfew, and suspending all [[Emirates (airline)|Emirates]] passenger flights.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://gulfnews.com/uae/government/coronavirus-uae-shuts-malls-for-two-weeks-1.1584914600541|title=Coronavirus: UAE shuts malls for two weeks|website=Gulf News|date=23 March 2020|access-date=28 March 2024|archive-date=23 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200323164723/https://gulfnews.com/uae/government/coronavirus-uae-shuts-malls-for-two-weeks-1.1584914600541|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://apnews.com/10aa229f979a05241ede3c349f5e4d2d |first1=Aya |last1=Batrawy |title=Dubai's Emirates cuts passenger flights to 13 destinations|website=[[Associated Press]]|date=22 March 2020|access-date=28 March 2024|archive-date=30 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230530142404/https://apnews.com/10aa229f979a05241ede3c349f5e4d2d|url-status=live}}</ref> This resulted in a major economic downturn, which eventually led to the merger of more than 50% of the UAE's [[:Category:United Arab Emirates federal entities|federal agencies]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.ft.com/content/b2d8b670-8fd3-41e7-850b-e0c74302805e |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/https://www.ft.com/content/b2d8b670-8fd3-41e7-850b-e0c74302805e |archive-date=10 December 2022 |url-access=subscription|title=UAE merges ministries in ambitious government restructuring|access-date=5 July 2020|website=Financial Times|date=5 July 2020|last1=Kerr|first1=Simeon}}</ref>

On 29 August 2020, the UAE established normal diplomatic relations with [[Israel]] and with the help of the [[United States]], they signed the [[Abraham Accords]] with [[Bahrain]].<ref name="BBC859">{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-53770859|title=Israel and UAE strike historic deal to normalise relations|work=BBC News|date=13 August 2020|access-date=28 March 2024|archive-date=13 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200813152232/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-53770859|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 9 February 2021, the UAE achieved a historic milestone when its probe, named ''[[Emirates Mars Mission|Hope]]'', successfully reached [[Mars]]'s orbit. The UAE became the first country in the [[Arab world]] to reach Mars, the fifth country to successfully reach Mars, and the second country, after an [[Mars Orbiter Mission|Indian probe]], to orbit Mars on its maiden attempt.

On 14 May 2022, Sheikh [[Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan]] was elected as the UAE's new president after the death of [[Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan|Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Who is MBZ, the UAE's new president? |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/5/14/who-is-sheikh-mohammed-bin-zayed-al-nahyan-mbz-uaes-new-president |work=Al Jazeera |language=en |access-date=28 March 2024 |archive-date=16 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220516064657/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/5/14/who-is-sheikh-mohammed-bin-zayed-al-nahyan-mbz-uaes-new-president |url-status=live }}</ref>

Under Mohamed bin Zayed, the UAE supported secessionist forces in wars in the MENA region, including southern separatists in Yemen, Khalifa Haftar in Libya and General Mohammed Hamdan Daglo in Sudan. Since the [[Arab Spring]] uprisings in 2011, MbZ adopted an aggressive and militarized approach to protect the UAE’s dominance in the region, leading to fragmentation of concerned states in the Arab world and leaving them with less or no scope of authoritarian restoration. The country moves on a strategy of keeping dissent at bay and exerting influence, meanwhile deepening conflicts, fueling instability and worsening humanitarian crises.<ref>{{cite news|title=The separatist strategy of the United Arab Emirates|url=https://www.lemonde.fr/un-si-proche-orient/article/2025/05/11/la-strategie-separatiste-des-emirats-arabes-unis_6604934_6116995.html |newspaper=Le Monde |date=11 May 2025 |access-date=20 May 2025 |archive-date=14 May 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250514211113/https://www.lemonde.fr/un-si-proche-orient/article/2025/05/11/la-strategie-separatiste-des-emirats-arabes-unis_6604934_6116995.html |url-status=live}}</ref>