When Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne in 1952, Britain was the dominant power in the Middle East and North Africa. It had direct control over protectorates such as Sudan, Egypt and Iraq and indirect control over Gulf states such as Bahrain, Qatar, and what is now the United Arab Emirates, that had signed treaties with Britain.

(SOURCE) https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/12/middleeast/queen-middle-east-british-power-mime-intl/index.html