United Arab Emirates

Location

• Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia
• strategic location along southern approaches to Strait of Hormuz, a transit point for crude oil; Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) and Dubayy (Dubai) together account for over 90% of UAE's area and two-thirds of the population

Population

Notable Population Centers

City	Population	Note
Dubai	3,790,000
Abu Dhabi	1,807,000	Capital
Sharjah	1,800,000
Al Ain City	846,747
Ajman City	490,035
Dayrah	400,000
Ras Al Khaimah City	351,943
Musaffah	243,341
Jebel Ali	210,000
Business Bay	191,000

Size

• 32,000 square miles
• 82,880 square kilometers
• slightly larger than South Carolina; slightly smaller than Maine

History

The Trucial States of the Persian Gulf coast granted the UK control of their defense and foreign affairs in 19th-century treaties. In 1971, six of these states -- Abu Dhabi, 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah, Dubayy, and Umm al Qaywayn -- merged to form the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Ra's al Khaymah joined in 1972. The UAE's per-capita GDP is on par with those of leading West European nations. For more than three decades, oil and global finance drove the UAE's economy. In 2008-09, the confluence of falling oil prices, collapsing real estate prices, and the international banking crisis hit the UAE especially hard. The UAE did not experience the "Arab Spring" unrest seen elsewhere in the Middle East in 2010-11, partly because of the government's multi-year, $1.6-billion infrastructure investment plan for the poorer northern emirates, and its aggressive pursuit of advocates for political reform. The UAE in recent years has played a growing role in regional affairs. In addition to donating billions of dollars in economic aid to help stabilize Egypt, the UAE was one of the first countries to join the Defeat ISIS coalition, and to participate as a key partner in a Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen. In 2020, the UAE and Bahrain signed a peace agreement (the Abraham Accords) with Israel -- brokered by the US -- in Washington, D.C. The UAE and Bahrain thus became the third and fourth Middle Eastern countries, along with Egypt and Jordan, to recognize Israel.

Climate

desert; cooler in eastern mountains

Terrain

flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert; mountains in east

Languages

Arabic (official), English, Hindi, Malayalam, Urdu, Pashto, Tagalog, Persianmajor-language sample(s): كتاب حقائق العالم، المصدر الذي لا يمكن الاستغناء عنه للمعلومات الأساسية (Arabic)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Religions

Muslim 74.5% (official) (Sunni 63.3%, Shia 6.7%, other 4.4%), Christian 12.9%, Hindu 6.2%, Buddhist 3.2%, agnostic 1.3%, other 1.9% (2020 est.)note: data represent the total population; as of 2020, immigrants make up about 88.1% of the total population, according to UN data

Government

federation of monarchies

• Constitution: history: previous 1971 (provisional); latest drafted in 1979, became permanent May 1996amendment process: proposed by the Supreme Council and submitted to the Federal National Council; passage requires at least a two-thirds majority vote of Federal National Council members present and approval of the Supreme Council president
• Political Parties and Leaders: n/a
• Suffrage: limitednote: rulers of the seven emirates each select a proportion of voters for the Federal National Council (FNC) that accounts for about 12 percent of Emirati citizens
• Legal System: mixed system of Islamic (sharia) law and civil law
• Executive Branch: chief of state: President MUHAMMAD BIN ZAYID Al Nuhayyan (since 14 May 2022)head of government: Prime Minister and Co-Vice President MUHAMMAD BIN RASHID Al Maktum (since 5 January 2006)cabinet: Council of Ministers announced by the prime minister and approved by the presidentelection/appointment process: president and vice president indirectly elected by the Federal Supreme Council -- composed of the rulers of the 7 emirates -- for a 5-year term (no term limits);  prime minister appointed by the presidentmost recent election date: unscheduled election held on 14 May 2022, after the death of President KHALIFA bin Zayid Al-Nuhayyanelection results: 2022: MUHAMMAD BIN ZAYID Al-Nuhayyan elected president; Federal Supreme Council vote - NAexpected date of next election: 2027note: the Federal Supreme Council (FSC) is composed of the 7 emirate rulers and is the highest constitutional authority in the UAE; the FSC establishes general policies and sanctions federal legislation; meets 4 times a year; Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) and Dubayy (Dubai) rulers have effective veto power
• Judicial Branch: highest court(s): Federal Supreme Court (consists of the court president and 4 judges; jurisdiction limited to federal cases)judge selection and term of office: judges appointed by the federal president after approval from the Federal Supreme Council, the highest executive and legislative authority consisting of the 7 emirate rulers; judges serve until retirement age or the expiration of their appointment termssubordinate courts: Federal Court of Cassation (determines the constitutionality of laws); the emirates of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Ra's al Khaymah have parallel court systems; the other 4 emirates have incorporated their courts into the federal systemnote: the Abu Dhabi Global Market Courts and the Dubai International Financial Center Courts, the country’s two largest financial free zones, adjudicate civil and commercial disputes
• Legislative Branch: legislature name: Federal National Council (Majlis Watani Itihadi)legislative structure: unicameralnumber of seats: 40 (20 indirectly elected; 20 appointed)electoral system: other systemsscope of elections: full renewalterm in office: 4 yearsmost recent election date: 10/7/2023percentage of women in chamber: 50%expected date of next election: October 2027

Demographic Profile

n/a

Economy

• high-income, oil-driven Middle Eastern economy; fastest GDP growth of Gulf states; diversification through tourism, construction, and services; strong foreign direct investment orientation; continued government investment and business-friendly reforms
• Budget: revenues: $23.248 billion (2023 est.)expenditures: $19.349 billion (2023 est.)note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
• Credit Rating: n/a
• Natural Resources: petroleum, natural gas
• Industries: petroleum and petrochemicals; fishing, aluminum, cement, fertilizer, commercial ship repair, construction materials, handicrafts, textiles
• Agricultural Products: dates, cucumbers/gherkins, camel milk, goat milk, tomatoes, chicken, goat meat, eggs, milk, camel meat (2023)note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
• Land Use: agricultural land: 5.5% (2022 est.)arable land: 0.7% (2022 est.)permanent crops: 0.6% (2022 est.)permanent pasture: 4.2% (2022 est.)forest: 4.5% (2022 est.)other: 90% (2022 est.)
• Labor Force by Occupation: n/a
• Imports
• Imported Commodities: gold, broadcasting equipment, cars, refined petroleum, diamonds (2023)note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
• Import Partners: China 19%, India 7%, USA 6%, Turkey 4%, Japan 4% (2023)note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
• Exports
• Exported Commodities: crude petroleum, refined petroleum, gold, broadcasting equipment, natural gas (2023)note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
• Export Partners: China 11%, India 11%, Japan 10%, Iraq 6%, Thailand 4% (2023)note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports