Emblem of the Sharjah branch of the Al Qasimi, which both ‘Abd al-‘Aziz and Sultan are members of
The UAE was formed on December 2, 1971, as a federation of the constituent emirates within the British protectorate of the Trucial States. Sheikh ‘Abd al-‘Aziz bin Muhammad al-Qasimi was the heir apparent for the throne of Sharjah. However, after his brother, Khalid bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, was killed during Saqr bin Sultan Al Qasimi's failed 1971 Sharjawi coup d'état attempt ‘Abd al-‘Aziz was passed over for his younger brother, Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi.[1] Despite being passed over for Emir, by the time of the coup ‘Abd al-‘Aziz was the Commander of the Sharjah Amiri Guard, the armed forces of Sharjah, and the Chairman of Sharjah's Chamber of Commerce.[6][5][7] At the time of the coup, Emirati diplomats went on record as saying ‘Abd al-‘Aziz had been planning the coup "for years."[8]
Sharjah is the third largest emirate in the UAE, with a population of 220,000. The entire Emirate's economy was based on the extraction and refinement of petroleum and other fossil fuels such as natural gas. As such, when oil prices plummeted in 1986, the Emirate was left with around 1 billion USD$ in debt.[7][4][1][3] Pundits at the time, such as the Middle East Research and Information Project, reported that the coup was less due to personal ambition, but rather for more rational economic management with greater input by the people. Aid to the poorer northern Emirates by the Emirati government where slashed, and Sharjah had a reputation as the hardliner of the Emirates when the sale and consumption of alcohol was banned in 1985, causing international business and tourism, which the other Emirates had used to bolster their own financials, refusing to invest and establish themselves in the Emirate.[1][3][9]
Coup
In the early morning of June 17, 1987, while Sultan was on one of his many trips to Britain, forces loyal to ‘Abd al-‘Aziz seized and fortified the Emir's court, so when the population woke in the morning they found it surrounded by soldiers in trenches, jeep-mounted guns, helicopters patrolling the air, and snipers on the roof.[9][1] ‘Abd al-‘Aziz also saw support from local Sharjawi police, who kept protesters and loyalists away from the Emir's court.[6] The plotters positioned troops at key intersections throughout the city, and even installed artillery pieces near government buildings, but did not interfere in the day-to-day lives of Sharjah's citizens, and allowed the free transport of people and materials in and out of the Emirate with journalists noting a general calm and peaceful atmosphere in the city.[10] However, the Sharjah International Airport was closed, and Dar Al Khaleej, the largest newspaper in Sharjah was shut down and evicted by the plotters, with the reporters fleeing to Dubai.[4][9]
Early in the morning, ‘Abd al-‘Aziz told the Emirates News Agency that his brother had resigned as Sheikh at the request of his family after admitting to gross financial mismanagement.[9] Sultan's wife who was in Dubai at the time quickly denied this to Emirati officials, with Sultan being rushed to Dubai shortly after to condemn the coup.[1] ‘Abd al-‘Aziz announced that the corrupt advisers squandered state money on expensive vacations to Europe and America for their families, and even used state money for gambling and that under his leadership he would fight for the widows, workers, and debtors.[1] Despite his pro-working class message, ‘Abd al-‘Aziz's platform did not resonate with the largely conservative population of Sharjah, and he saw little popular support.[1] However, he did get support from the Emirate's business elite, who supported his secular pro-tourist economic outlook.[8] Over the course of the coup it also became clear that ‘Abd al-‘Aziz had failed to win over the whole of the Sharjah Amiri Guard, the standing army of Sharjah which consisted of ~2,400 members. Of which one third, or 800, joined ‘Abd al-‘Aziz, while another 800 where pro-Sultan and the remaining 800 where loyal to the Emirati federal government.[1] However, it seemed that the leaders of the Emirates would be willing to recognize and accept him as the new leader of Sharjah, with Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Sheikh of Abu Dhabi, and then President of the UAE, seemingly supporting the coup as a way to reduce Dubai's political influence and Abu Dhabi's debt, however, backed off after it became clear that ‘Abd al-‘Aziz was isolated both internationally and domestically.[1]Reuters described the coup as a generation defining political event for residents of Sharjah, but that it was largely a power struggle between Abu Dhabi and Dubai.[11]
By midnight going into June 18, it was clear that the UAE's leadership was unanimously opposed to ‘Abd al-‘Aziz, and were going to take steps to reinstate his brother.[6] ‘Abd al-‘Aziz changed his message, instead calling for joint rule with his brother, and calling for a directly elected democratic parliament to be established in Sharjah as well as personal control over Sharjah's oil and financial departments.[10] By this time Western media started to take notice of the unfolding situation, with The Washington Post suggesting on June 20, that the coup could lead to an inter-Emirate war between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, which the UAE "blandly" denied.[3] Additionally, ‘Abd al-‘Aziz's pro-worker message, coupled with his soldiers using Soviet surplus equipment, led many to fear the coup was orchestrated by the Soviet Union.[3][4]
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, then the UAE's Minister of Defense, is credited with most of progress during the negotiation, and with making Zayed abandon ‘Abd al-‘Aziz, as well as drafting the proposed settlement and acting as principle negotiator at the Emir's court.[5] Additionally, the UAE was pressured by Saudi Arabia to resolve the dispute diplomatically before the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries general assembly in Vienna that year.[2] On June 21, the Federal Supreme Council sanctioned a deal with ‘Abd al-‘Aziz where he and his forces would surrender his arms, and walk out of the palace, in return ‘Abd al-‘Aziz would renounce his claims on Sharjah and he would be named crown prince, or deputy emir, a title which would be inherited by his son, and all participants in the coup where given a blanket amnesty.[1] ‘Abd al-‘Aziz accepted the deal on June 24, and walked out of the emir's court with his son and military leaders.[1][2][7]
The first coup in the Persian Gulf region since the 1973 oil crisis, foreign pundits speculated that the coup could spell the end for the UAE as a whole, with the 16 year-old federation nearly coming apart due to inter-Emirate rivalries.[1] Pundits speculated this coup would at least result in a reduction in oil output throughout the Persian Gulf.[10] Sultan was deeply disturbed by the precedent sent by the Federal Supreme Council's amnesty deal, stating that it would cause a “Central American situation in the Gulf” opening the region up to frequent coups and foreign intervention.[1] A committee of the Emirs of Ras Al Khaimah, Ajman and Fujairah led by Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum investigated the cause of the coup, and provided steps to ensure that any subsequent efforts would be unsuccessful.[6] After the failed coup Sultan purged his own guard and instead hired the Dubai emiri guards for his personal protection.[1] Sultan also spent several months after the coup living in Dubai claiming it was for his, and his family's safety.[6]
The power struggle between the two brothers would continue in an uneasy truce.[1] This would come to an end when `Abd al-`Aziz bin Muhammad Al Qasimi died of natural causes on January 23, 2005.[12] Before then the dispute largely ended with the death of Sultan's son and heir in 1999 with a compromise candidate from a distant branch of the family being named heir apparent.[13] This situation would be cemented with the 2019 death of Sultan's only other son, and the 2021 naming of Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi as crown prince, or deputy leader.[11] The coup would largely be forgotten in the wake of the Gulf War just three years later.[6]
Related Research Articles
The United Arab Emirates is a country in the eastern part of the Arabian Peninsula located on the southeastern coast of the Persian Gulf and the northwestern coast of the Gulf of Oman. The UAE consists of seven emirates and was founded on 2 December 1971 as a federation, after UK armed forces left the region. Six of the seven emirates declared their union on 2 December 1971. The seventh, Ras al Khaimah, joined the federation on 10 February 1972. The seven sheikdoms were formerly known as the Trucial States, in reference to the truce treaties established with the British in the 19th century.
The Emirate of Sharjah is one of the emirates of the United Arab Emirates, which covers 2,590 square kilometres (1,000 sq mi) and has a population of over 1,400,000 (2015). It comprises the capital city of Sharjah, after which it is named, and other minor towns and exclaves such as Kalba', Al Dhaid, Dibba Al-Hisn and Khor Fakkan.
Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum was an Emirati royal, politician and a founder of the United Arab Emirates. Al Maktoum was the first vice president and second prime minister of the United Arab Emirates, and was the ruler of Dubai. He ruled Dubai for 32 years from 1958 until his death in 1990. He was the vice president from the founding of the UAE until his death. Al Maktoum was the first vice president to serve as prime minister concurrently, when he became prime minister on 30 April 1979. Every prime minister after him was de facto also vice president.
Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid bin Sultan Al Qasimi is an Emirati politician and member of the ruling family of Sharjah and the niece to Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi. She was previously the Minister of State for Tolerance, Minister of State for International Cooperation, and Minister of Economic and Planning of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). She was the first woman to hold a ministerial post in the UAE.
Sheikh Sultan bin Saqr Al Qasimi (1781–1866) was the Sheikh of the Qawasim and ruled the towns of Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Jazirah Al Hamra and Rams; all within the then Trucial States and now part of the United Arab Emirates. Briefly a dependent of the first Saudi Kingdom, his rule over Ras Al Khaimah ran from 1803–1809, when he was deposed by order of the Saudi Amir and restored in 1820, going on to rule until his death in 1866 at the age of 85. He was Ruler of Sharjah from 1814–1866, with a brief disruption to that rule in 1840 by his elder son Saqr. He was a signatory to various treaties with the British, starting with the General Maritime Treaty of 1820 and culminating in the Perpetual Maritime Truce of 1853.
Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammed Al Qasimi was an Emirati royal, politician, and a founder of the United Arab Emirates who served as the ruler of the Emirate of Sharjah, from 1965 until his assassination in 1972.
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The Emirate of Dubai is one of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates. It is the most populous emirate of the UAE. The capital of the emirate is the eponymous city, Dubai.
Sheikh Saqr bin Mohammed Al Qasimi was the Ruler of Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah from 1948 to 2010. On 10 February 1972, under his leadership, Ras Al Khaimah become the seventh Trucial State to join the United Arab Emirates.
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The Trucial States, also known as the Trucial Coast, the Trucial Sheikhdoms, Trucial Arabia or Trucial Oman, was a group of tribal confederations to the south of the Persian Gulf whose leaders had signed protective treaties, or truces, with the United Kingdom between 1820 and 1892.
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Khalid bin Sultan Al Qasimi, known professionally as Khalid Al Qasimi, was an Emirati royal and fashion designer in London who founded the Qasimi fashion label. He was the second son of Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi, who has been ruler of the Emirate of Sharjah since 1972. Al Qasimi died in London on 1 July 2019.
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The political history of the United Arab Emirates covers political events and trends related to the history of the United Arab Emirates.
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This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
Saudi Arabia [2] 
Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi 
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum 
United Arab Emirates Army 
Emirati Mercenaries
