Factbook dossier
Background
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.
Location
Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia
Area
total : 83,600 sq km land: 83,600 sq km water: 0 sq km
Natural resources
petroleum, natural gas
Natural hazards
frequent sand and dust storms
Population
total: 10,093,593 (2025 est.) male: 6,831,802 female: 3,261,791
Ethnic groups
Emirati 11.6%, South Asian 59.4% (includes Indian 38.2%, Bangladeshi 9.5%, Pakistani 9.4%, other 2.3%), Egyptian 10.2%, Filipino 6.1%, other 12.8% (2015 est.) note : data represent the total population; as of 2019, immigrants make up about 87.9% of the total population, according to UN data
Languages
Arabic (official), English, Hindi, Malayalam, Urdu, Pashto, Tagalog, Persian major-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
Environmental issues
air pollution; water scarcity; lack of natural freshwater resources; land degradation and desertification; waste generation, beach pollution from oil spills
Government type
federation of monarchies
Capital
name: Abu Dhabi geographic coordinates: 24 28 N, 54 22 E time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: in Arabic, abu means "father," and dhabi refers to a personal name, Dhabi or Zabi, that comes from the word zab , or "gazelle"
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 president election/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 president most recent election date: unscheduled election held on 14 May 2022, after the death of President KHALIFA bin Zayid Al-Nuhayyan election results: 2022: MUHAMMAD BIN ZAYID Al-Nuhayyan elected president; Federal Supreme Council vote - NA expected date of next election: 2027 note: 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
Legislative branch
legislature name: Federal National Council (Majlis Watani Itihadi) legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 40 (20 indirectly elected; 20 appointed) electoral system: other systems scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 4 years most recent election date: 10/7/2023 percentage of women in chamber: 50% expected date of next election: October 2027
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$745.994 billion (2024 est.) $718.95 billion (2023 est.) $693.842 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP per capita
$68,600 (2024 est.) $68,600 (2023 est.) $68,900 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
1.7% (2024 est.) 1.6% (2023 est.) 5.3% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Exports - partners
China 11%, India 11%, Japan 10%, Iraq 6%, Thailand 4% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Imports - partners
China 19%, India 7%, USA 6%, Turkey 4%, Japan 4% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Military and security forces
United Arab Emirates Armed Forces: Land Forces (Army), Navy, Air Force, Presidential Guard (includes special operations forces), National Guard (includes Coast Guard) (2025) note: each emirate maintains a local police force called a general directorate, which is officially a branch of the federal Ministry of Interior; all emirate-level general directorates of police enforce their respective emirate s laws autonomously; they also enforce federal laws within their emirate in coordination with one another under the federal ministry; the State Security Directorate (SSD) in Abu Dhabi and Dubai State Security (DSS) have primary responsibility for counterterrorism law enforcement efforts; local, emirate-level police forces, especially the Abu Dhabi Police and Dubai Police, are the first responders in such cases and provide technical assistance to SSD and DSS
Military expenditures
4% of GDP (2024 est.) 4.3% of GDP (2023 est.) 4% of GDP (2022 est.) 4.5% of GDP (2021 est.) 6.1% of GDP (2020 est.)