United Arab Emirates - a federation of seven Arab emirates on the eastern Arabian peninsula; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1971; rich in oil reservesArab League - an international organization of independent Arab states formed in 1945 to promote cultural and economic and military and political and social cooperation Arabia, Arabian Peninsula - a peninsula between the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf; strategically important for its oil resources Gulf States - the countries in southwestern Asia that border the Persian Gulf Dubai - port city in the United Arab Emirates on the Persian Gulf Asia - the largest continent with 60% of the earth's population; it is joined to Europe on the west to form Eurasia; it is the site of some of the world's earliest civilizations |