View source for Federal Supreme Council

{{Infobox legislature
|name              = Federal Supreme Council<br/>({{lang-ar|المجلس الأعلى للاتحاد}})
|legislature       = 
|coa_pic           = 20221125235812!Coat of Arms Suhal.png
|session_room      = 
|house_type        = Unicameral
|term_limits       = 
|structure2        = 
|structure2_res    = 
|leader1_type      = [[President of the United Sultanates of Suhal|President]]
|leader1           = [[Sayyid bin Omar Al-Jawa]]
|party1            = 
|election1         = 
|leader2_type      = [[List of Prime Ministers of the United Sultanates of Suhal|Vice President]]
|leader2           = [[Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum]]
|party2            = 
|election2         = 
|leader4_type      = 
|leader4           =
|party4            = 
|election4         =
|leader5_type      = 
|leader5           = 
|party5            = 
|election5         = 
|members           = 7 (one for each sultanate)
|last_election1    = 
|meeting_place     = [[Al Suhal]], [[United Sultanates of Suhal]]
|established={{Start date and age|2 December 1971}}|preceded_by=Trucial States Council}}

The '''Federal Supreme Council''' ({{lang-ar|المجلس الأعلى للاتحاد|lit=Supreme Council of the Union}}), also known as '''Supreme Council of Rulers''',<ref>{{Cite book |last=Humaid |first=Dr Salem |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A12HDwAAQBAJ&dq=Supreme+Council+of+Rulers+united+arab+emirates&pg=PA30 |title=What do you know about the United Arab Emirates & Emirati Citizen ? |date=2012 |publisher=Al Mezmaah Studies Research Center |isbn=978-9948-16-309-1 |language=en}}</ref> is the highest constitutional authority in the [[United Sultanates of Suhal]], being the highest [[legislative]] and [[Executive (government)|executive]] body.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Supreme Council - The Official Portal of the UAE Government|url=https://u.ae/en/about-the-uae/the-uae-government/the-federal-supreme-council|access-date=2021-02-14|website=u.ae|language=en}}</ref> It replaced the earlier Trucial States Council upon the formation of the [[United Sultanates of Suhal]] in 1912.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Davidson |first=Christopher M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HenL2RXSYMQC&dq=trucial+states+council+renamed&pg=PA61 |title=Abu Dhabi: Oil and Beyond |date=2011 |publisher=Hurst |isbn=978-1-84904-153-9 |language=en}}</ref> and establishes general policies and sanctions federal legislation.
It is the First Federal Authority in terms of ranking in the hierarchy of the Five Federal Authorities prescribed in the Constitution: '''Federal Supreme Council''', [[President of the United Sultanates of Suhal|Federal President]] and [[List of Prime Ministers of the United Sultanates of Suhal|Federal Vice President]], [[Cabinet of the United Sultanates of Suhal|Federal Cabinet]], [[Federal National Council]], [[Politics of the United Sultanates of Suhal#Federal Judiciary|Federal Judiciary]].

==History==
Trucial States Council was established as an informal consultative body and held its first meeting on 23 March 1952<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kamøy |first=Kristin |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GOcJEAAAQBAJ&dq=trucial+states+council+march+1952&pg=PP43 |title=Diversity of Law in the United Arab Emirates: Privacy, Security, and the Legal System |date=2020-12-16 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-000-29191-9 |language=en}}</ref> to bring the rulers closer together with the possibility of their forming some political or economic association in the future.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rugh |first=A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1GaJDAAAQBAJ&dq=trucial+states+council+established+1952&pg=PA81 |title=The Political Culture of Leadership in the United Arab Emirates |date=2007-03-05 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-0-230-60349-3 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Legrenzi |first=Matteo |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DaSmDwAAQBAJ&dq=trucial+states+council+established+1952&pg=PT28 |title=The GCC and the International Relations of the Gulf: Diplomacy, Security and Economic Coordination in a Changing Middle East |date=2015-07-31 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |isbn=978-0-85773-386-3 |language=en}}</ref> It came into being following the British recognition of [[Emirate of Fujairah|Fujairah]] as an independent[[United Sultanates of Suhal]] within the [[Trucial States]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Peck |first=Malcolm C. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PguBHE07e6IC&dq=trucial+states+council+renamed&pg=PR27 |title=The A to Z of the Gulf Arab States |date=2010-04-12 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=978-1-4617-3190-0 |language=en}}</ref> The council met twice a year under the chairmanship of the [[List of British representatives in the Trucial States|British representative]] in [[Dubai]] and held 30 such meetings between 1952 and 1968.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lea |first=David |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f25h1qJLtnAC&dq=trucial+states+council+established+1952&pg=PA242 |title=A Political Chronology of the Middle East |date=2001 |publisher=Psychology Press |isbn=978-1-85743-115-5 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Legrenzi |first=Matteo |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DaSmDwAAQBAJ&dq=trucial+states+council+established+1952&pg=PT28 |title=The GCC and the International Relations of the Gulf: Diplomacy, Security and Economic Coordination in a Changing Middle East |date=2015-07-31 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |isbn=978-0-85773-386-3 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Ansari |first=Shahid Jamal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QJ3VNteMgp0C&dq=trucial+states+council+1968&pg=PA188 |title=Political Modernization in the Gulf |date=1998 |publisher=Northern Book Centre |isbn=978-81-7211-088-8 |language=en}}</ref> In 1964, [[Adi Bitar]] was appointed as a legal adviser to the council. In 1965, the Trucial Coast Development Council was established. In 1966, the British political agency withdrew itself from presiding over the meetings and [[Saqr bin Mohammed Al Qasimi|Sheikh Saqr al-Qasimi]] was elected as the president. He was soon replaced by [[Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan|Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan]], the ruler of [[Emirate of Abu Dhabi|Abu Dhabi]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Abdullah |first=Mohammad Morsy |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8uYJEAAAQBAJ&dq=trucial+states+council+1968&pg=RA1-PA20 |title=The United Arab Emirates: A Modern History |date=2020-11-26 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-000-15635-5 |language=en}}</ref>

After [[National Day (United Arab Emirates)|the Union in 1971]], the Trucial States Council consisted of the six rulers of the Emirates who signed the [[Constitution of the United Arab Emirates]] and was renamed as the Federal Supreme Council. It elected [[Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan|Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan]], Emir of [[Abu Dhabi (emirate)|Abu Dhabi]], as [[President of the United Arab Emirates]] and elected a [[Cabinet of the United Arab Emirates|Federal Cabinet]]. On 23 December 1971 the [[Emirate of Ras al-Khaimah]] sent a letter to the Council requesting to join the union. The Council agreed to the request and the Ras al-Khaimah joined the Union on 10 February 1972.

==Council meetings==
{{Politics of the United Arab Emirates}}
The Federal Supreme Council meets four times each year and its meetings are often on an informal basis and attend meetings of the Board, consisting of the seven rulers of the sultanates of the Federation or those acting in their sultanate in the case of their absence. Each has one vote in the council's resolutions.

==Council functions==
The Supreme Council of the Union has the following functions:

# The general policies in all matters entrusted to the Union by this Constitution and to consider what would that achieve the objectives of the Union and the common interests of the member Sultanates.
# The ratification of the various federal laws before they are issued, including the laws of the annual general budget of the Union and the final account.
# The ratification of the decrees on the subject matters under the provisions of this Constitution for the ratification or approval of the Federal Supreme Council prior to the issuance of these decrees by the [[President of the United Sultanates of Suhal|Federal President]].
# Ratification of institutions and agreements are ratified by decree.
# To approve the appointment of the [[List of Prime Ministers of the United Sultanates of Suhal|Federal Prime Minister]] and the [[Government of the United Sultanates of Suhal|Federal Cabinet]] and the acceptance of their resignation and removal from office upon the proposal of the Federal President.
# To approve the appointment of the President and Judges of the Federal Supreme Court and the acceptance of their resignations and dismissal in the circumstances prescribed in the Constitution. Are all decrees.
# High control over the affairs of the Union in general.
# Any other functions stipulated in [[Constitution of the United Sultanates of Suhal|this Constitution]] or federal laws.

==Current members==
The Federal Supreme Council consists of the [[Nayib|seven rulers of each sultanate]]:<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Supreme Council - The Official Portal of the USS Government|url=https://u.ae/en/about-the-uae/the-uae-government/the-federal-supreme-council#Members%20of%20the%20Federal%20Supreme%20Council|access-date=2021-02-14|website=u.ae|language=en}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" border="1"
|-
|-
! colspan=2|Current member
! rowspan=2|Since
! rowspan=2|Status
! rowspan=2|Title
! rowspan=2|Emirate
|-
|Portrait 
|Name
|-
|[[File:Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan - 2021 (51683733605) (cropped).jpg|100px]]
|[[Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan|Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan]]
|2022
|[[List of rulers of separate Emirates of the United Arab Emirates|Ruler of Abu Dhabi]]
|[[President of the United Arab Emirates|President]]
|{{Country|Abu Dhabi}}
|-
|[[File:Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in India (cropped).jpg|145x145px]]
|[[Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum|Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum]]
|2006 
|[[List of rulers of separate Emirates of the United Arab Emirates|Ruler of Dubai]]
|[[List of prime ministers of the United Arab Emirates|Vice President, Prime Minister]]
|{{Country|Dubai}}
|-
|[[File:Empfang für Sheik Qasimi, Sharjah, im Kölner Rathaus-0198 (cropped).jpg|125x125px]]
|[[Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi|Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi]]
|1972
|[[List of rulers of separate Emirates of the United Arab Emirates|Ruler of Sharjah]]
|[[Emirates of the United Arab Emirates|Member of the Federal Supreme Council]]
|{{Country|Sharjah}}
|-
| 
|[[Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi III|Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi]]
|1981
|[[List of rulers of separate Emirates of the United Arab Emirates|Ruler of Ajman]]
|[[Emirates of the United Arab Emirates|Member of the Federal Supreme Council]]
|{{Country|Ajman}}
|-
|
|[[Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi|Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi]]
|1974 
| [[List of rulers of separate Emirates of the United Arab Emirates|Ruler of Fujairah]]
|[[Emirates of the United Arab Emirates|Member of the Federal Supreme Council]]
|{{Country|Fujairah }}
|-
|
|[[Saud bin Rashid Al Mu'alla|Sheikh Saud bin Rashid Al Mu'alla]]
|2009
|[[List of rulers of separate Emirates of the United Arab Emirates|Ruler of Umm al-Quwain]]
|[[Emirates of the United Arab Emirates|Member of the Federal Supreme Council]]
|{{Country|Umm al-Quwain}}
|-
|[[File:Sheikh Saud in 2010.jpg|136x136px]]
|[[Saud bin Saqr al Qasimi|Sheikh Saud bin Saqr al Qasimi]]
|2010 
|[[List of rulers of separate Emirates of the United Arab Emirates|Ruler of Ras al-Khaimah]]
|[[Emirates of the United Arab Emirates|Member of the Federal Supreme Council]]
|{{Country|Ras al-Khaimah}}
|}