The United Arab Emirates has not always been the country in which superlatives were the most common form of comparison.

Before the discovery of oil, a harsh environment and maritime trade characterized the region, according to “From Trucial States to United Arab Emirates,” a book by Frauke Heard-Bey. The environment has played a large role in shaping the country throughout history and continues to exert its influence today. Additionally, trade and global interconnectedness has long been a feature of the UAE. Before the discovery of oil, Emiratis had to rely upon trade to sustain themselves. Hence, while the UAE today may seem radically different from its past, many aspects have remained the same.

For much of the UAE’s pre-oil history, the environment was the most important factor. The harshness of the desert, which covers 80 percent of the country, dictated traditional lifestyles. One response was living a nomadic lifestyle, and was carried out by those living in the interior of the country. Despite this, oases allowed for some settled agriculture such as in Liwa. The more mountainous northern Emirates encouraged somewhat different ways of surviving as occasional rain flooded wadis and groundwater was more accessible. The mountains also had a strategic aspect as their rugged nature protected their inhabitants from invasion.

The third major environmental area was the coast. Although the desert extends all the way to the waters of the Arabian Gulf, the coast was important as it allowed the UAE to trade and connect with other nations in the region. Water was still a priority and so sources were closely guarded. Qasr al Hosn, the fort in Abu Dhabi, was built around the only freshwater source in Abu Dhabi and was designed to control access to this source. Further north, water was found due to runoff from the Al Hajar mountain range, which caused the underlying water table to be closer to the surface, making wells possible. Thus, the cities that we know now began to be built along the Arabian Gulf.

The profit made through trade encouraged coastal development. However, prior to treaties with the British in the 19th century, the Gulf region was known as the pirate coast, as shipping coming from Asia to Europe and vice versa would encounter pirates who would sail out in dhows and raid these routes. Legal trade did happen, however, and pearls were the primary export. In contrast to present day, the cities further north and closer to the Straits of Hormuz had greater influence, Ras Al Khaimah in particular. Ports here would also act as a point of distribution, and goods from elsewhere would stop in the UAE and then be shifted on further. India was the main point to which most of the trade either originated or was heading towards, and rupees were the main currency. Additionally, many migrants from South Asia came in this period, as many come now, and took up roles like pearl diving. The British had the greatest interest in the Gulf and their motivation to protect the trade routes to India from the so-called pirate coast led to British hegemony in the Gulf. To assert their control, the British sailed along the Emirati coast and burnt every ship in all of the ports. This led to the multiple sheikhs — of what would become the UAE — signing individual treaties with the British. Interestingly, the British required the flags of each sheikhdom to be red to signify British control. This accounts for the current colors of the flags in the Emirates. Thus, the UAE became the Trucial coast.