With the announcement by the UK in 1968 that it would withdraw from the area of the Arabian or Persian Gulf by 1971, Sheikh Zayed became the main driving force behind the formation of the UAE.
Co anuncio feito polo Reino Unido en 1968 de que se retiraría da zona do Golfo Pérsico en 1971, o xeque Zayed converteuse na principal forza impulsora detrás da formación dos Emiratos Árabes Unidos.