UAE Social Studies Past Paper Notes - Grade 9

NOTES SUBJECT: UAE Social Studies GRADE 9 Lesson 2: Early Development of The Nation Learning Objectives: The students will be able to; ▪ To identify the origins and contributions of ADNO...

NOTES SUBJECT: UAE Social Studies GRADE 9 Lesson 2: Early Development of The Nation Learning Objectives: The students will be able to; ▪ To identify the origins and contributions of ADNOC and ADIA to the UAE economy. ▪ To explore how population of the UAE changed after 1970’s. ▪ To consider the impact of those changes on the society of the UAE. The Discovery of Oil: The first oil well called the murban-3 was completed in May of 1960 and began producing crude oil in the rate of 3674 barrels per day. More oil fields were quickly discovered and the revenue and the oil production started to grow dramatically. In 1971, ADNOC (the Abu Dhabi national oil company) was created by sheikh Zayed. ADNOC held the government’s share in the country’s oil industry. Under earlier agreements, all gas belonged to the government and foreign oil companies owned the oil. These foreign companies were required to pay the taxes and royalties on the oil that they owned. In 1973, ADNOC took a 25% share in the oil which increased to 60% in 1974. Currently, ADNOC manages and overseas the production of around three million barrels of oil per day - making it the twelfth largest oil producer in the world. With the funding of oil and gas industry the government was able to enact massive improvements to the infrastructure of the country through socio-economic construction. Sheikh Zayed created the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA)in 1976 with the aim of reinvesting funds into the Emirate to help it grow. This allowed hospitals, schools and roads to be created which greatly improved the quality of life and increased positive aspects of the UAE’s future. In Al Ain, the country’s first university, United Arab Emirate’s university opened in 1977. The growing population of the UAE: With the discovery of oil and its profit, not only did the infrastructure of the country grow, but so did the population. It is estimated that the UAE had a population of 9.44 million in 2014 and the number is steadily increasing till this day.  In the 20th century, it was estimated that the emirates had a population of roughly 80,000 people. Literacy rates, life expectancy, health care and economic opportunities rose. The first formal population census was conducted in 1968 and indicated that the total population was over 180,000. Due to the smart and strategic investment in oil and gas, initiated by Sheikh Zayed, the population growth of the UAE has been among the highest in the world with resources that fully support its inhabitants. This resulted in the UAE’s population nearly quadrupling over the past 25 years. Early years of the UAE: Life in the early years of the UAE was dramatically different from UAE life today. Change has happened to rapidly revolutionize the economic and social landscape in a very short time. Initially, fishing, pearling and regional trade dominated the Emirati workforce, however, as time went on, industries such as tourism, real estate, resource management, and technological fields dominate the UAE workforce. As the country grew, it became more and more important to symbolize the unity of the seven emirates. One way to do this was to create a national flag. The colors red, black, green and white are the pan-Arab colors which have been linked historically to Arabs and Islamic faith for centuries. The colors not only represent Arab unity, they also represent independence. The length of the flag was originally twice the width and was first used on the 2nd December 1971 when Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan hoisted upon the declaration of the UAE Federation. Points to remember: On 3rd November the United Arab Emirates celebrate “UAE Flag Day.” The Flag Day marks the anniversary of Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan becoming the president in 2004. The new flag was originally raised for the first time on 2nd December 1971 by the country’s founding father, His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.