30 major events that shaped the Nation

1. Dubai shows the way with salik

July 1, 2007: Dubai's road toll system, Salik, the first of its kind in the Middle East, comes into effect. The Roads and Transport Auth-ority introduces the Dh4 toll in a bid to reduce traffic on Al Garhoud Bridge and Shaikh Zayed Road.

2. Tense moments of a hijack

August 25, 1984: A 36-hour hijacking drama at Dubai airport ends when the seven hijackers surrender and release all passengers and crew following nearly ten hours of negotiations with a Dubai government team headed by Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Minister of Defence.

3. Kish plane crashes in sharjah

February 10, 2004: A Kish Airline plane crashes three kilometres short of the runway at Sharjah Airport. Forty-three people are killed aboard the twin-engine Fokker 50 aircraft on a scheduled flight from Kish island on a "visa change" run.

4. Four workers killed in Jumeirah fire

January 18, 2007: Four workers are killed when a high-rise building in the Jumeirah Lake Towers development catches fire. Several workers jumped from the building, trying to escape the inferno.

5. Polio outbreak in Dubai

October 24, 1978: A two-year-old boy dies and his three-year-old brother recovers in hospital following an outbreak of polio in Dubai. Officials at the Kuwaiti Hospital warn parents to vaccinate their children against the disease.

6. Hundreds evacuated as Gonu strikes

June 6, 2007: Hundreds of people living on the UAE's east coast are evacuated when Cyclone Gonu, the strongest tropical storm to hit the Arabian Peninsula in 30 years, brings heavy winds and floods.

7. Mohammad launches Green initiative

April 11, 2008: His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, launches a massive green initiative costing Dh200 billion. The Mohammad Bin Rashid Gardens project aims to protect the environment and conserve resources.

8. RAK rape accused faces firing squad

July 30, 1981: A 32-year-old Indian man is executed in public by firing squad for the rape and murder of two young girls. A crowd of around 10,000 gathers to watch the execution on a strip of desert in Ras Al Khaimah.

9. Heavy rainfall makes life difficult

January 16, 2008: Thousands of motorists face a frustrating day on the UAE's roads when heavy rainfall leaves many areas completely inundated. The Met Office says Dubai's average annual rainfall occurred in a couple of days.

10. Dubai Cares campaign launched

September 19, 2007: His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, unveils the Dubai Cares campaign to "break the cycle of poverty". The initiative aims to fund the education of poor children across the world.

11. US President bush visits the UAE

January 13, 2008: President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan holds talks with US President George W. Bush in Abu Dhabi. Bush also held talks with His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

12. New council formed for Abu Dhabi

December 8, 2004: President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan forms a new executive council for the Abu Dhabi Government. General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, is appointed chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council.

13. Poor visibility causes horrific pile-up

March 11, 2008: At least three people are killed and more than 350 injured in a horrific pile-up on the Abu Dhabi-Dubai highway near Ghantoot. A 25-km stretch of the country's busiest highway is closed for five hours following the accident, which police said was the result of poor visibility caused by thick fog.

14. UAE University holds first convocation

February 28, 1982: 278 young men pass out as graduates of the UAE University in a colourful ceremony at the Shaikh Khalifa Stadium in Al Ain. The historic ceremony is the first convocation to be held since the establishment of the university.

15. Six Gulf nations join hands to form GCC

May 25, 1981: Heads of State from six Gulf countries - UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman - formally launch the epoch-making Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in Abu Dhabi. The late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan expresses hope the GCC will "achieve cooperation and solidarity".

16. Nation a step closer to democracy

December 1, 2005: The UAE takes a step closer to democracy when President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan announces that half the members of the Federal National Council will be elected for the first time.

17. New cabinet members announced

February 9, 2006: The new UAE Cabinet is announced. Eight new faces, including a woman, are brought in to inject fresh blood into the council of ministers. The new cabinet, the seventh since the establishment of the federation in 1971, follows the death of Shaikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

18. Work on Dubai Metro tunnel begins

January 10, 2007: Tunnelling work on the Dubai Metro project begins. The tunnel starts at Union Square in Deira and stretches to BurJuman Centre in Bur Dubai. A tunnel boring machine is being used to excavate tunnels with a circular cross section through a variety of geologies.

19. Al Qubaisi first female member of FNC

December 16, 2006: Dr Amal Abdullah Juma Karam Al Qubaisi becomes the first woman in UAE history to be elected to the Federal National Council (FNC). The historic occasion is the first time elections to the FNC are held.

20. Wafi City jewellery store robbed

April 15, 2007: Armed robbers burst into a jewellery store in Wafi City. Two sedans crashed into the shopping complex at approximately 9.30pm and the armed men made off with a huge amount of valuables.

21. New weekend comes into effect

September 2, 2006: The new weekend comes into effect across the UAE. For the first time in the country's history, the official working week runs from Sunday to Thursday with a Friday-Saturday weekend.

22. Maktoum succeeds Rashid

October 7, 1990: His Highness Shaikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, dies. Shaikh Rashid was the architect of modern Dubai and one of the key men behind the formation of the UAE. He is succeeded by Shaikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

23. Mohammad named Crown Prince

January 3, 1995: His Highness Shaikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum appoints Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum as Crown Prince of Dubai and Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum as Deputy Ruler of Dubai.

24. Saqr appoints saud as RAK Crown Prince

June 14, 2003: His Highness Shaikh Saqr Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, issues a decree appointing Shaikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi as the Crown Prince of Ras Al Khaimah.

25. Zayed passes away

November 2, 2004: The country is plunged into grief when President His Highness Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan dies after ruling the UAE since its birth.

26. Khalifa new president

November 3, 2004: His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan becomes Ruler of Abu Dhabi and is elected President of the UAE. General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan is then appointed Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

27. Maktoum passes away

January 4, 2006: The UAE mourns Shaikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, following his death in the early hours of the morning. He is succeeded by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

28.Hamdan and Maktoum have new roles

February 1, 2008: Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum is appointed Crown Prince of Dubai and Shaikh Maktoum Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum is appointed Deputy Ruler of Dubai, alongside Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

29. Shaikh Zayed Road crash kills nine

December 14, 2006: Nine people are killed and 50 injured when a speeding bus carrying dozens of workers overturns on Shaikh Zayed Road in one of the country's worst traffic accidents. The Roads and Transport Authority describes the crash as 'horrendous'.

30 . Massive power outage halts life

June 9, 2005: A massive power outage plunges Dubai into darkness, impacting everything — from traffic to hospitals to businesses. The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority said the fault was caused by a sudden failure in one of the main transmission substations in Jebel Ali.