ABSTRACT
The seven Emirates which comprise the United Arab Emirates, only two, Abu Dhabi and Dubai, produced oil in commercial quantities before the end of 1970, Abu Dhabi since 1962 and Dubai since 1969. This chapter is concerned with the period during which no central account of public revenue and expenditure was produced. This period consisted of five years in Abu Dhabi (1962–1966) and two years (1969–1970) in Dubai. Dubai Municipality provided many services and collected fees and taxes in excess of its expenditure needs. The main data for analysis are budgets, oil revenue and the reserve fund account. The chapter discusses the public revenue, public expenditure and public reserve of Abu Dhabi state. Information can be given concerning changes in some social and economic indicators whose movement is usually much influenced by public expenditure. Most significant is the change in these indicators in 1967 compared with their level of 1966.
