Hundreds of FNC members have come and gone, all chosen or elected to mirror Emirati society.
The most notable change over that time, says Dr Mohammed Al Mazroui, a former member and the council's secretary general for 15 years, is the increasing level of education of its members.
That, too, mirrors the nation as a whole.
The simplicity of life in the 1970s made experience a better qualification for membership than did education.
"Now we have development in education in the UAE. Now members are more educated," Mr Al Mazroui said. "We cannot say they were worse before, but now life is more complex."
And the members with greater levels of education, many with strong skills in areas such as research, can tackle more complex issues, he said.
But of the current batch of members, the women have yet to step up, said Ali Jassim, a veteran member from Umm Al Qaiwain. None has yet asked a question of a minister.
"I told them to participate," Mr Jassim said. "There must be more participation and collaboration between the two."
He believes matters will change as members become more confident and work better together.
osalem@thenational.ae
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
The story of Edge
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, established Edge in 2019.
It brought together 25 state-owned and independent companies specialising in weapons systems, cyber protection and electronic warfare.
Edge has an annual revenue of $5 billion and employs more than 12,000 people.
Some of the companies include Nimr, a maker of armoured vehicles, Caracal, which manufactures guns and ammunitions company, Lahab
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