The UAE is working hard to shape its profile as an emerging regional and global power. It pulled out of the Gulf Monetary Union in 2009, angry that Riyadh had been chosen over Abu Dhabi as the headquarters for the monetary council, and has reservations about a more integrated Gulf Union. The federation is becoming an increasingly important part of US policy in the Gulf, and, despite concerns over human rights abuses, is widely perceived as one of the most stable countries in the region.
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