Umm al-Qaiwain, sheikhdom (1995 pop. 35,157), c.300 sq mi (780 sq km), part of the federation of seven United Arab Emirates, SE Arabia, on the Persian Gulf. It is the least populous and least developed emirate. Fishing and boatbuilding remain important; dates are grown in a limited area. Oil has not been found there. The sheikhdom, formerly a British protectorate, became part of the United Arab Emirates in 1971.