'Emarat': The Arabic word for Emirates conveys strength in unity

Across the Arab world’s long history, from the fortified settlements of central Arabia to the Mediterranean coast and the peaks of the Levant, emirates emerged wherever leadership, geography and community intersected.

The Emirate of Diriyah, founded in the 18th century, laid the foundation for the First Saudi State and became an influential political centre in the region. In North Africa, the Emirate of Cyrenaica took shape in the early 20th century under the Sanusi order, balancing tribal authority and emerging modern statehood.

The Emirate of Transjordan, established in 1921, would eventually evolve into today’s Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Farther west, the Emirate of Cordoba in Al Andalus stood as one of the most prominent political and cultural hubs of medieval Europe after asserting independence from the Abbasid Caliphate. These examples demonstrate how emirates were not peripheral or isolated units but adaptable political structures that played central roles in regional development and identity.

Our Arabic word of the week is emarat, the plural of emirate. The term reflects a political model that has long been common across the Middle East and North Africa: territories governed by recognised leaders entrusted with security, economic direction and social continuity. While today the word is most closely associated with the seven emirates of the UAE, its historical lineage shows that the concept far predates the modern federation.

Linguistically, emarat stems from the Arabic root alif – meem – raa, tied to leadership, authority and stewardship. From this comes emir, meaning a leader or commander. An imara is a domain under such leadership. The plural, emarat, speaks to a system rather than an isolated unit: multiple territories, each with its own leadership, character and responsibilities, but often linked by cultural, economic or tribal bonds.

This political model took on modern shape in the Gulf during the 19th and 20th centuries. Long before the formation of the UAE in 1971, the Trucial States functioned effectively as emirates – distinct territories such as Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah, each governed by ruling families whose leadership was recognised locally and engaged diplomatically with the wider region. The name Al Emarat became both a geographical description and a shared identity when these emirates united to form a single nation built on co-operation and mutual respect.

The word emarat has also taken on a commercial and cultural presen