However, several disagreements between the leaders due to political and economic reasons led to the dissolution of the union when Bahrain and Qatar announced their respective independence by August and September 1971 whereas the rest of the Trucial States (with the temporary exception of Ras Al Khaimah) went on to form the United Arab Emirates in December 1971.

[4] According to Dr. Emile Nakhleh, the-then associate professor of political science at Mount Saint Mary's College and Seminary, in his book Arab-American Relations in the Persian Gulf, said several factors led to its disintegration.

[5] such as the federal structure being a hurried reaction to the announced British withdrawal, and the call for federation was prompted by leaders of the individual emirates determined to preserve their rule, unresolved disputes still outstanding, the most important of which was the one between Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi over the Buraimi oasis and the disparities in wealth, education and population among the emirates that added fuel to the fire.

Then, on 6 January Al Qasimi captured an armed pattamar, the Deriah Dowlut, off the coast of Dwarka and murdered 17 of its 38 Indian crew.

[13] The council was purely consultative and had no written constitution and no policy making powers, it provided more than anything a forum for the rulers to exchange views and agree on common approaches.

[19] The decision pitched the rulers of the Trucial Coast, together with Qatar and Bahrain, into fevered negotiations to fill the political vacuum that the British withdrawal would leave behind.

[24] Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani was elected as the chairman of the provisional federal council whereas Sheikh Zayed was nominated as the president.

[25] In October 1968, the second meeting was convened and Sheikh Ahmad bin Ali Al Thani was elected as the chairman of the Supreme Council.

[30] However, as the leaders were preparing the final communiqué, then British Political Agent Charles Treadwell requested to address the gathering and expressed his government's aspirations that all of their disagreements shall be resolved and is in Britain's interest in the successful outcome of the session.

[32][33][34] The nine-state union was never to recover from the October 1969 meeting as Bahrain and Qatar opted to drop out of further talks despite efforts by British prime minister Harold Wilson, Saudi Arabia's King Faisal bin Abdulaziz and the emir of Kuwait Sabah al-Sabah to revive the negotiations.

[39] In May 1970, King Faisal bin Abdulaziz offered to resolve the dispute with Abu Dhabi by dropping some claims on Al Ain and al-Buraimi in exchange for exercising Riyadh's sovereignty in south of Liwa Oasis and Khor al-Udaid.

The union and independence of the United Arab Emirates was formally proclaimed by Sheikh Zayed al-Nahyan and was read out by Ahmed bin Khalifa al-Suwaidi on December 2, 1971, at 10:00 am from the Union House (now Etihad Museum) in Jumeirah, Dubai,[50] a day after the termination of the special treaty relations and the official expiration of the British deadline to withdraw from the Persian Gulf.

One of the reasons of its delayed accession to the United Arab Emirates because Sheikh Saqr thought he could discover oil just like Abu Dhabi.

[42] However, following the Iranian annexation of the islands of Greater and Lesser Tunbs and Abu Musa and the assassination of Sheikh Khalid in January 1971, he decided to accede on February 10, 1972.