As a young graduate student in the 1970s, Jerry Green was fascinated by the story of the UAE—a former British protectorate known as the Trucial States. During his first visit to the new nation, he took a whirlwind tour of all seven emirates in a single day. Green went on to direct the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Arizona, and then the Center for Middle East Public Policy at the RAND Corporation. Today he leads the Pacific Council on International Policy in Los Angeles and continues to make regular visits to the Emirates—“too many to count,” he’ll tell you. From using a cell phone for the very first time during the UAE’s earliest days to spending time with the Ruler of Sharjah, Dr. Green’s stories reflect the rapid growth and evolution of a nation just fifty years young.
