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News imageWitness History, Witness History, Formation of the United Arab Emirates

Witness History

Witness History

Formation of the United Arab Emirates


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14 November 2022

9 minutes

Available for over a year

A new country, the United Arab Emirates, was formed in 1971. It’s a federation of seven states that has grown from a quiet backwater to one of the Middle East’s most important economic centres.

Laura Jones speaks to businessman Mohammed Al-Fahim about his country’s dramatic transformation.

(Photo: Mohammed Al-Fahim as a child. Credit: Mohammed Al-Fahim)

See more episodes

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