Persian Gulf States

Persian Gulf States, ten states of the eastern Arabian Peninsula, located along the southern coast of the Persian Gulf. They comprise the three independent states of Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar, and Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Al Fujayrah, Ras al Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm al-Qaiwain—the seven former Trucial states which now form the independent federation of the United Arab Emirates.

A “perpetual maritime truce”, the culmination of many short-term peace agreements, was signed in 1853 by Great Britain and seven of the principal Arab rulers of the eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula—which was known as the “Pirate Coast”. Under the truce, the Arab leaders accepted British protection from outside attack in return for a pledge to refrain from hostilities at sea, and the Pirate Coast was renamed the Trucial Coast. In 1892 the seven states, known collectively as the Trucial States, became formal British protectorates under separate, but identical, “exclusive” agreements, whereby they surrendered control over all their foreign affairs to Great Britain in return for military protection. Similar treaties were subsequently signed with Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar. Kuwait became formally independent in 1914.

In 1952 a council of the leaders of the Trucial States was formed to encourage the adoption of common administrative policies, with a view to the eventual formation of a federation. In January 1968 the British government declared its intention of withdrawing all British military forces from the area east of the Suez Canal, including the Persian Gulf States, by the end of 1971. With a view to furthering their security after the British withdrawal, the Trucial States in March 1968 joined with Bahrain and Qatar to form the Federation of Gulf Emirates. It was intended that the federation should become fully independent, but the interests of Bahrain and Qatar proved incompatible with those of the seven smaller states; both left the federation in August 1971 to become independent states. Meanwhile, all the Trucial States, except Ras al Khaimah, had agreed on a federal constitution for achieving independence as the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The UAE became independent in December 1971; Ras al Khaimah joined in February 1972.

Oil, the basis of the modern economies and prosperity of the Persian Gulf states, was first discovered in Bahrain in 1932, in Kuwait in 1938, and in Qatar in 1939. Discoveries took longer in the Trucial States; it was not until 1958 that the first deposits were located in the offshore waters of the largest, Abu Dhabi. Onshore deposits were discovered in 1960 and exploitation began in 1962. Oil was discovered in neighbouring Dubai in 1966. The two states today account for almost all of the UAE's oil production.