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UAE Yearbook 2010
supreme council. the judges decide on the constitutionality of federal laws and arbitrate on inter-emirate disputes and disputes between the federal government and the emirates. local government corresponding to the federal institutions are the local governments of the seven emirates. varying in size, they have evolved along with the country s growth. however, their mechanisms differ from emirate to emirate, depending on factors such as population, area, and degree of development. the largest and most populous emirate, abu dhabi, has its own central governing organ, the executive council, chaired by crown prince h.h. sheikh mohammed bin zayed al nahyan, under which there are a number of separate departments, equivalent to ministries. a number of autonomous agencies also exist with clearly specified powers. these include the environmental agency abu dhabi, abu dhabi tourism authority, abu dhabi authority for culture and heritage and health authority abu dhabi. the emirate is divided into two regions al gharbia (previously known as the western region) and the eastern region, headed by ruler s representatives. the main cities, abu dhabi and al ain, are administered by municipalities, each of which has a nominated municipal council. a municipal authority has also been created for al gharbia. abu dhabi also has a national consultative council, chaired by a speaker, with 60 members selected from among the emirate s main tribes and families. the dubai executive council, established in 2003, has similar functions for the uae s second-largest emirate and is headed by crown prince sheikh hamdan bin mohammed bin rashid al maktoum. sharjah and ajman also have executive councils. in addition to an executive council, sharjah has developed its own consultative council. further, sharjah, with three enclaves on the country s east coast, has adopted the practice of devolving some authority on a local basis, with branches of the sharjah emiri diwan (court), headed by deputy chairmen, in both kalba and khor fakkan. a similar pattern of municipalities, departments and autonomous agencies can be found in each of the other emirates. in smaller or more remote settlements, the ruler of each emirate may choose a local representative, an emir or wali, to act as a conduit through which the concerns of inhabitants may be directed to government. in most cases, these are the leading local figures, whose authority emanates both from the consensus of their community and the confidence placed in them by the ruler. 31 > political system
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