UAE: Northern Emirates seek more room for economic manoeuvre

In economic terms, the Northern Emirates continue to stake out independent policies, underscoring autonomy from the central government – despite the centralising grain of recent UAE policy. Sharjah, poised to benefit from the tourism and construction boom associated with nearby Dubai’s Expo 2020, has made more effort than most to create its own institutions independent of the sovereign. In November, Sharjah issued a law regulating its own pension fund, the Sharjah Social Security Fund. This was seen as a clear example of enhancing economic autonomy.