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The seven Arab Emirates rapidly united when oil was discovered in the region in the 1960s, since then no one could have failed to notice the huge developments that have completely transformed and modernized the area. Like Qatar, the United Arab Emirates gained independence from the British in 1971. Today, the Emirates are a federation of seven absolute monarchies. The Emirates have an active literary and cinema festival scene. Local writers, such as Abdullah Abdul Rahman, who made a collection of UAE folklore, and poet Khalid Albudoor, are yet to be translated into English but have a dedicated following in the Middle East.
With an annual festival of literature the UAE is encouraging its citizens to generate an output that can soon be enjoyed by all. The UAE is rapidly becoming a cultural and artistic hub for the Gulf region, with massive sums of funding devoted to improving the cultural profile of the Emirates.