This third volume of Dr al-Qasimi's memoirs recounts the years from January 1979 to February 1987, a few months prior to a failed coup. It describes how during this period the author continued to play a vital role in strengthening the federation of the newly founded United Arab Emirates, particularly following the formation of the Gulf Cooperation Council in 1981. 'Our aim is not only to establish a union in the United Arab Emirates but in the whole Arab world,' he said. On the domestic scene the priority was to develop the economic and cultural institutions of the Emirate of Sharjah and provide a haven of development in a region of instability. The Sharjah Book Fair (which began in 1982) and the National Arts Festival (1984) were two of the initiatives in Sharjah's own 'cultural revolution'.