As a result of determination, fo r esight a nd cooperation a country was bo r n in 1971 by joining seven neighbo r ing emirates to create the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Befo r e then, the economies of the separate emirates were essentially reliant upon pearl diving, fishing, ha ndicrafts a nd agriculture, but the eventual discovery of oil meant this new resource came to dominate their respective economies. Since 1971, effo r ts have been channeled toward developing an efficient infrastructure, with secto r s such as telecommunications, transpo r tations, health, education a nd industry being high on the UAE’s agenda.

While oil is still mainstay of the UAE’s economy today, its dominance is receding due to the rapid expansion of the roles played by other economic secto r s such as trade, tourism a nd finance. To reflect this, a critical chapter has been added to the UAE policy book titled ",International Openness.", This covers many areas in which Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) are considered to be a vital instrument that will assist the growing UAE economy to make its mark globally.