Watching a nation grow, from close quarters

Over the last three decades, the UAE has developed at a rapid and astonishing rate. Previously the Trucial States, the country was born in 1971 and what has happened since is nothing short of being remarkable.

During the country's incredible growth from being a centre for the pearling trade to one of the world's leading tourism destinations, a number of significant news events have impacted the residents' lives and helped shape the nation.

From changing leaderships to landmark elections, hijack dramas to tropical storms, horrific road accidents to historic campaigns ... Gulf News has been there to cover it all.

Under the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the first President of the UAE, the country developed into one of the richest in the world. In the 1980s and early 1990s, Dubai, in particular, moved away from its reliance on oil to emerge as a major international tourism destination.

Shaikh Zayed's death in 2004 greatly saddened the UAE as he was known as the "Father of the Nation". However, under the guidance of the late Shaikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum and the current leaders - President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai - the country has continued to develop and remains a success story across the region.

Gulf News has been there at every step of the way to report on the nation's achievements - including historic graduation ceremonies, landmark elections to the Federal National Council and ambitious projects such as the ongoing Dubai Metro.

The paper has also recorded the darker, tragic stories of the last 30 years - including plane crashes, fires and polio outbreaks. Earlier this year, more than 350 vehicles were involved in a major road accident on the Abu Dhabi-Dubai highway near Ghantoot.

Drivers and police blamed the crash on poor visibility caused by thick fog. The scene was one of absolute carnage. But worryingly smaller road crashes can be seen around the country on an almost daily basis.

The UAE, however, now faces problems non-existent three decades ago.

Heavy traffic and dangerous driving, along with high rents and increasing food prices, are symptomatic of the big city life. They are problems Gulf News has not shied away from covering.

The political scene in the emirates has also progressed significantly over the last three decades.

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), a trade bloc comprising the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman, was formed in 1981 to strengthen ties and forge stronger relations. The bloc has gone from strength to strength and contains some of the world's fastest growing economies.

Half the members of the Federal National Council (FNC) are now elected to their positions and history was made in December 2006 when Dr Amal Abdullah Juma Karam Al Qubaisi became the first woman to win a seat.

The UAE's geographic location and diverse population ensure its continued importance in global political affairs, especially as tensions continue to grow between the US and Iran.

Gulf News has been there at every step to record key events in the UAE's history. Along with the country, the paper has progressed from its tiny offices on Airport Road to become one of the largest and most successful English-language newspapers in the region.

As the UAE continues to grow unabated, the country will undoubtedly remain a hotbed of news activity. There will be many more challenges, tragedies, triumphs and disasters over the next 30 years.

Gulf News will be there to report on all that as one of the modern world's most intriguing news stories - the UAE - continues to unfold.