Risk management report: UAE – Emirates

At the top of each emirate are the courts of the rulers, and of the crown princes. In practice, only the rulers of Abu Dhabi and Dubai make unilateral decisions and put out emiri decrees, with most of the smaller emirates using legislation crafted at federal level. Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah all have executive councils, although Dubai’s is relatively informal. Abu Dhabi and Sharjah also have national consultative councils, whose usefulness (like the federal consultative council) has been questioned.