In the Persian Gulf campaign of 1819 a British punitive expedition embarked from Bombay, India in November 1819 to attack Ras Al Khaimah.
This was an unclear status which fell short of a formal protectorate, but required Britain to defend them from external aggression in exchange for exclusive British rights in the states.
[2] The British mainly stayed out of the internal affairs of the States, with the political arrangements in the region largely remaining unchanged throughout the period.
[8] However, after the majlis had restricted the Sheikh's income, he disbanded it on 29 March 1939 and had many leaders of the reformers killed, leading to its collapse.
[12] Finally, an intervention by the Sheikh of Abu Dhabi, Shakhbut bin Sultan Al Nahyan, put an end to the conflict.
[16] The Dubai National Front was established to oppose British presence with the support of Egypt, with attacks against infrastructure and political targets.
Zayed's reportedly favourite wife Fatima bint Mubarak Al Ketbi was able to promote her sons into powerful positions.
[28] In January 2014, when Sheikh Khalifa suffered a stroke, Mohamed became the de facto ruler of Abu Dhabi, controlling almost every aspect of UAE policymaking.
[29] He is seen as the driving force behind the UAE's interventionist foreign policy and is a leader of a campaign against Islamist movements in the Arab world.
[32] In August 2020, Trump, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Sheikh Mohamed jointly announced the establishment of formal Israel–United Arab Emirates relations.
[33] After the death of Sheikh Khalifa on 13 May 2022, Mohamed became the ruler of Abu Dhabi;[34] he was elected to the presidency of the United Arab Emirates the next day.
[43][41] Political scientist Christopher Davidson has characterized Mohamed's tenure as de facto UAE leader as entailing a "a marked and rapid intensification of autocratic-authoritarianism.