The government system in the UAE is fairly complex. The UAE
is made up of seven emirates, each emirate with its own Emir, or leader. The
emir is in charge of the local government, which varies from emirate to
emirate. The emir of Abu Dhabi is the president of the UAE, and the emir of
Dubai is the prime minister. The president is officially “elected,” however
presidency is often passed down from father to son. The Cabinet is made up of
twenty-two people and is headed by the Prime Minister. It is the official
Executive authority. The Crown Prince of each emirate sits in at meetings that
the rulers attend, but have no formal rule in the executive council. There is also
a Federal National Council, which is mostly just involved in legislative
doings; it is made up of forty members. The Judicial branch is made up of the
Federal Judiciary. It is essentially five judges appointed by the Supreme
Council, and these judges arbitrate inter-emirate disputes, as well as disputes
between the Federal Government and the Emirates. It includes the Federal Supreme
Court and the Court of First Instance. All in all, the UAE does not have a
super-straight-forward governmental system.