) , legislature = , coa_pic = Emblem of the United Arab Emirates.svg , session_room = , house_type = Unicameral , term_limits = , structure2 = , structure2_res = , leader1_type =

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

, leader1 =

Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan ( ar, مُحَمّد بِن زَايد آل نَهيَان, Moḥamed bin Zāyed Āl Nahyān; born 11 March 1961), colloquially known by his initials as MBZ, is the third president of the United Arab Emirates ...

, party1 = , election1 = , leader2_type =

Vice President A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on ...

, leader2 =

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum ( ar, محمد بن راشد آل مكتوم, links=no; ; born 15 July 1949) is the vice president, prime minister, and minister of defence of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as well as the ruler of Dubai ...

, party2 = , election2 = , leader4_type = , leader4 = , party4 = , election4 = , leader5_type = , leader5 = , party5 = , election5 = , members = 7 (one for each emirate) , last_election1 = , meeting_place =

Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi (, ; ar, أَبُو ظَبْيٍ ' ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in the United Arab Emirates, second-most populous city (after Dubai) of the United Arab Emirates. It is also the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dha ...

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (Middle East, The Middle East). It is ...

, website
Official website
, established=, preceded_by=Trucial States Council The Federal Supreme Council ( ar, المجلس الأعلى للاتحاد, lit=Supreme Council of the Union), also known as Supreme Council of Rulers, is the highest constitutional authority in the

, being the highest

legislative A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country or city. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers of government. Laws enacted by legislatures are usually known ...

and

executive Executive ( exe., exec., execu.) may refer to: Role or title * Executive, a senior management role in an organization ** Chief executive officer (CEO), one of the highest-ranking corporate officers (executives) or administrators ** Executive di ...

body. It replaced the earlier Trucial States Council upon the formation of the

in 1971. and establishes general policies and sanctions federal legislation. It is the First Federal Authority in terms of ranking in the hierarchy of the Five Federal Authorities prescribed in the Constitution: Federal Supreme Council, Federal President and Federal Vice President, Federal Cabinet, Federal National Council,

Federal Judiciary The judiciary (also known as the judicial system, judicature, judicial branch, judiciative branch, and court or judiciary system) is the system of courts that adjudicates legal disputes/disagreements and interprets, defends, and applies the law ...

History

Trucial States Council was established as an informal consultative body and held its first meeting on 23 March 1952 to bring the rulers closer together with the possibility of their forming some political or economic association in the future. It came into being following the British recognition of

Fujairah Fujairah City ( ar, الفجيرة) is the capital of the emirate of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates. It is the seventh-largest city in UAE, located on the Gulf of Oman (part of the Indian Ocean). It is the only Emirati capital city on the ...

as an independent

emirate An emirate is a territory ruled by an emir, a title used by monarchs or high officeholders in the Muslim world. From a historical point of view, an emirate is a political-religious unit smaller than a caliphate. It can be considered equivalen ...

within the

Trucial States The Trucial States ( '), also known as the Trucial Coast ( '), the Trucial Sheikhdoms ( '), Trucial Arabia or Trucial Oman, was the name the British government gave to a group of tribal confederations in southeastern Arabia whose leaders had ...

. The council met twice a year under the chairmanship of the British representative in

Dubai Dubai (, ; ar, wikt:دبي, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the List of cities in the United Arab Emirates#Major cities, most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 ...

and held 30 such meetings between 1952 and 1968. In 1964, Adi Bitar was appointed as a legal adviser to the council. In 1965, the Trucial Coast Development Council was established. In 1966, the British political agency withdrew itself from presiding over the meetings and Sheikh Saqr al-Qasimi was elected as the president. He was soon replaced by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan, the ruler of

. After the Union in 1971, the Trucial States Council consisted of the six rulers of the Emirates who signed the

Constitution of the United Arab Emirates The Constitution of the United Arab Emirates ( ar, دستور دولة الامارات العربية المتحدة, ) provides a legal and political framework for the operation of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as a federation of seven emirate ...

and was renamed as the Federal Supreme Council. It elected Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Emir of

, as

President of the United Arab Emirates The president of the United Arab Emirates, or the Raʾīs ( ar, رَئِيْس), is the head of state of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The president and vice-president are elected every five years by the Federal Supreme Council. Though the ...

and elected a Federal Cabinet. On 23 December 1971 the Emirate of Ras al-Khaimah sent a letter to the Council requesting to join the union. The Council agreed to the request and the Ras al-Khaimah joined the Union on 10 February 1972.

Council meetings

The Federal Supreme Council meets four times each year and its meetings are often on an informal basis and attend meetings of the Board, consisting of the seven rulers of the emirates of the Federation or those acting in their emirate in the case of their absence. Each has one vote in the council's resolutions.

Council functions

The Supreme Council of the Union has the following functions: # The general policies in all matters entrusted to the Union by this Constitution and to consider what would that achieve the objectives of the Union and the common interests of the member Emirates. # The ratification of the various federal laws before they are issued, including the laws of the annual general budget of the Union and the final account. # The ratification of the decrees on the subject matters under the provisions of this Constitution for the ratification or approval of the Federal Supreme Council prior to the issuance of these decrees by the Federal President. # Ratification of institutions and agreements are ratified by decree. # To approve the appointment of the Federal Prime Minister and the Federal Cabinet and the acceptance of their resignation and removal from office upon the proposal of the Federal President. # To approve the appointment of the President and Judges of the Federal Supreme Court and the acceptance of their resignations and dismissal in the circumstances prescribed in the Constitution. Are all decrees. # High control over the affairs of the Union in general. # Any other functions stipulated in this Constitution or federal laws.

Current members

The Federal Supreme Council consists of the seven rulers of each emirate:

References

a. the Constitution provides that the Emirs of

and

have a

veto A veto is a legal power to unilaterally stop an official action. In the most typical case, a president or monarch vetoes a bill to stop it from becoming law. In many countries, veto powers are established in the country's constitution. Veto ...

تاريخ الإمارات العربية المتحدةالمجلس الأعلى للاتحاد
br/> Supreme Council/ Politics of the United Arab Emirates

External links

* {{United Arab Emirates topics

Government of the United Arab Emirates Politics of the United Arab Emirates

1971 establishments in the United Arab Emirates