Coalition of Government Elites and Economic Development Strategies of the United Arab Emirates

Abstract

The United Arab Emirates (UAE), as one of the Persian Gulf countries, has succeeded in positioning itself at the forefront of transformation and development despite possessing a non-democratic political system and a traditional authoritarian system of governance. By adopting distinctive development strategies, the country has achieved remarkable economic progress. Against this background, the central research question of the present study is: How have the governing elites in the United Arab Emirates contributed to the realization of economic development? This study is based on the hypothesis that the governing elites of the United Arab Emirates have played a decisive role in promoting economic development by forming a cohesive governing elite coalition, adopting diverse fiscal, trade, and investment policies, and ensuring the rapid implementation of government decisions. These measures have significantly contributed to improving the country's economic development indicators and sustaining economic growth