A visitor driving the streets of any UAE city over the past week may puzzle over the large, rectangular photos of Emiratis along the sides of major roads.

The signs invariably picture an Emirati man or woman in national dress, with a few lines Arabic script below the photo and a three-digit number. And, sometimes, a phone number or two, as well.

These are not ads for kanduras or abayas … nor are they marketing tools for radio or TV personalities …

Those are would-be members of the UAE’s elected “parliament” — the Federal National Council, or FNC.

Elections are coming up on October 3 for the 20 FNC seats voted on by the country’s citizens — Emiratis — and the roadside signs may be the most effective campaign tools for the 329 candidates. They certainly are the most visible.

And the three-digit number serves as a reference for voters to search on the internet and find out the issues important to that candidate.

The FNC has 40 members, total. Twenty will be voted on in a few weeks; the other 20 are appointed by members of the country’s executive council. So it isn’t exactly one-man, one-vote, no.

The FNC can propose laws and has advisory tasks in a legislative council. Before 2006, the whole of the FNC was appointed by the government.

The electorate has expanded exponentially, over the past decade from 6,689 eligible (government-approved) voters in 2006 … to 129,274 in 2011 and now 224,279, from an Emirati population of about 1 million  — in a country of about 10 million full-time residents.

During its weekly meetings in Abu Dhabi, the FNC examines all proposed federal legislation and may amend it before forwarding it to the cabinet for potential approval. The FNC is empowered to summon and question any federal minister regarding performance in his or her role — which can be lively events often recounted in the pages of The National.

The FNC also debates the federal budget.

It is not a source of power unto itself, but the FNC allows prominent Emiratis, men and women, to stand up and debate the issues of the day, which serves to make the federal government more transparent.

It is an interesting and worthwhile exercise, and 329 citizens believe they would like to be part of the process.

As we can see along the major roads of the country.