Humanities and Social Sciences

This definitive history book of the UAE provides a methodical, well-indexed and comprehensive insight into the historical, social and tribal background, way of life, structure of society and customs.

The Gazetteer provides a magnificent collection of historical descriptions of Arabian tribes from British archival sources in the 19th and 20th centuries. Some 745 tribes are included, representing most of the major clans and families in the Arabian peninsula. From Iraq and Syria the geographic coverage includes Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States to Oman, the Hadhramaut and Yemen. The records show territories and nomadic routes, tribal relations and allegiance, military strength, personalities and modern influence. These volumes provide the broadest array ever assembled of English language historical references concerning approximately 745 tribes, tribal confederations and clans in the Arabian peninsula. It is likely to remain the definitive research work for tribal history. From the eyewitness accounts of the Hijaz tribes riding into battle in 1917 to a social and political breakdown of the Jaburi tribe of Iraq, this gazetteer is an important resource to the study of Arab history.

Eight volumes comprising approximately 5000 pages provide a wide-ranging sequence of key historical documents, evidence of the origins and development of the modern city and Emirate of Dubai. This new document collection makes available for study authentic original documents - reproduced in facsimile - including political correspondence and reports, letters to and from the Shaikhs (in Arabic versions wherever available), and maps. The subject matter includes: Ruling Family affairs; rivalries and conflicts with Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and elsewhere; tribal affairs; history of trade, including pearl fisheries; oil development; city development and administration.

This is a comprehensive collection of facsimile original British Government documents detailing the history of the Emirates between 1961 and 1965. Key events in the history and development of the Emirates are covered in great detail: inter-emirate boundary questions which were increasingly disputed as the position of oil deposits became clearer; OPEC's involvement when Sheikh Shakbut of Abu Dhabi refused to sign the 50-50 agreement; the relocation of Ras-al Khaimah, which was being submerged, was addressed with funds from Kuwait and Abu Dhabi; in 1964 the Arab League Mission visited as did the Arab League Gulf Committee in 1965 and caused a flurry of diplomatic activity on the part of the British who wished to remain central to the foreign policy of the Emirates; and Iran was involved in a dispute over territorial waters with Ajman fishermen operating out of Kuwait.

The period 1966–1971 witnessed important changes in the history of the United Arab Emirates. As Great Britain moved to extricate itself from a sustained presence of 150 years' duration, through which it had been responsible for the various emirates' external affairs, numerous controls were gradually transferred. The theory that the city states could resist regional absorption only if they banded together had become a platform of the British withdrawal policy. As the plans for the British withdrawal from the Gulf and intensive and detailed negotiations for unification proceed there tends to be less reportage on more local matters, such as education and development projects. In the face of a great deal of material pertaining to British and other Arab States' interest in the Emirates this collection concentrates on the central development of the Emirates infrastructure and government including extensive coverage of the process of achieving a union of the separate emirates.