For over 150 years, from 1820 up to the foundation of the United Arab Emirates in 1971, Britain and the emirates of the eastern Arabian Peninsula were linked by a relationship that was unique when compared to the traditional colonial models exercised in India and elsewhere. Using original archival material as well as select secondary sources, Muna M. Alhammadi charts the history of Britain's involvement in the evolution of the Trucial States - the predecessors of the modern-day United Arab Emirates - with a focus on its role in the foundation and growth of their administrative structures, security, and socio-economic development. This book provides a unique analysis of the role played by Britain in the internal administration of the Trucial States up to 1965, offering scholars valuable insight into the early administrative developments which would ultimately form the foundations of the United Arab Emirates as a modern-day federation.