From wikipedia...
Quote:
On 24 January 1968, British Prime Minister
Harold Wilson announced its decision, reaffirmed in March 1971 by Prime Minister
Edward Heath to end the treaty relationships with the seven trucial sheikhdoms which had been, together with
Bahrain and
Qatar, under British protection. Days after the announcement, the ruler of Abu Dhabi Sheikh
Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, fearing vulnerability,
tried to persuade the British to honour the protection treaties by providing the full costs of keeping the British Armed Forces in the Emirates.
(that would be POD. Let's start a "special relationship" from this point)
Not only did the British
Labour government rebuff the offer, it did so in a way that offended the Emirati rulers.
[33] After Labour MP
Goronwy Roberts informed Sheikh Zayed of the news of British withdrawal, the nine Gulf sheikhdoms attempted to form a union of Arab emirates, but by mid-1971 they were still unable to agree on terms of union even though the British treaty relationship was to expire in December of that year.
[34] Bahrain became independent in August, and Qatar in September 1971. When the British-Trucial Sheikhdoms treaty expired on December 1, 1971, they became fully independent.
[35] The rulers of
Abu Dhabi and
Dubai decided to form a union between their two emirates independently, prepare a constitution, then call the rulers of the other five emirates to a meeting and offer them the opportunity to join. It was also agreed between the two that the constitution be written by December 2, 1971.
[36] On that date, at the Dubai Guesthouse Palace, four other emirates agreed to enter into a union called the United Arab Emirates.
Ras al-Khaimah joined later, in early 1972.
[37][38]
What if that arrangement worked - and then, the UAE did the same for the British space program ? Notably the diminutive Black Arrow ?
Man, that would be fun. British rockets launched from Somalia with UAE money...

I like this.
We should have a dedicated TL for that.