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Middle East
Page last updated: April 24, 2024
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). They were joined in 1972 by Ra's al Khaymah. 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 of 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. On 15 September 2020, the UAE and Bahrain signed a peace agreement (the Abraham Accords) with Israel – brokered by the US – in Washington DC. The UAE and Bahrain thus became the third and fourth Middle Eastern countries, along with Egypt and Jordan, to recognize Israel.
Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia
24°00' N, 54°00' E
Middle East
Total: 83,600 km²
Land: 83,600 km²
Water: 0 km²
Slightly larger than South Carolina; slightly smaller than Maine
Area comparison map:
Total: 1,066 km
Border countries (2): Oman 609 km; Saudi Arabia 457 km
1,318 km
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Desert; cooler in eastern mountains
Flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert; mountains in east
Highest point: Jabal Bil 'Ays 1,905 m
Lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
Mean elevation: 149 m
Petroleum, natural gas
Agricultural land: 4.6% (2018 est.)
Arable land: 0.5% (2018 est.)
Permanent crops: 0.5% (2018 est.)
Permanent pasture: 3.6% (2018 est.)
Forest: 3.8% (2018 est.)
Other: 91.6% (2018 est.)
898 km² (2020)
Population is heavily concentrated to the northeast on the Musandam Peninsula; the three largest emirates - Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah - are home to nearly 85% of the population
Frequent sand and dust storms
Strategic location along southern approaches to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil; Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) and Dubayy (Dubai) together account for over 90% of the area of the country and two-thirds of the population
9,973,449 (2023 est.)
Note: the UN estimated the country's total population was 10,082,000 as of 2022; immigrants make up 88.1% of the total population, according to UN data (2020)
Noun: Emirati(s)
Adjective: Emirati
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
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.
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
MENA religious affiliation
0-14 years: 16.23% (male 829,266/female 789,187)
15-64 years: 81.77% (male 5,840,920/female 2,314,683)
65 years and over: 2% (2023 est.) (male 15,1340/female 48,053)
2023 population pyramid:
Total dependency ratio: 20.3
Youth dependency ratio: 18.2
Elderly dependency ratio: 2.1
Potential support ratio: 47.3 (2021 est.)
Total: 35.7 years (2023 est.)
Male: 37.9 years
Female: 29.9 years
0.58% (2023 est.)
10.8 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)
1.6 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)
-3.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)
Population is heavily concentrated to the northeast on the Musandam Peninsula; the three largest emirates - Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah - are home to nearly 85% of the population
Urban population: 87.8% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 1.5% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030
3.008 million Dubai, 1.831 million Sharjah, 1.567 million ABU DHABI (capital) (2023)
At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 2.52 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 3.15 male(s)/female
Total population: 2.16 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
9 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
Total: 5.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
Male: 5.6 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 4.5 deaths/1,000 live births
Total population: 79.8 years (2023 est.)
Male: 78.4 years
Female: 81.2 years
1.62 children born/woman (2023 est.)
0.79 (2023 est.)
NA
Improved: urban: NA
Rural: NA
Total: 100% of population
Unimproved: urban: NA
Rural: NA
Total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
5.5% of GDP (2020)
2.6 physicians/1,000 population (2019)
1.4 beds/1,000 population (2017)
Improved: urban: NA
Rural: NA
Total: 100% of population
Unimproved: urban: NA
Rural: NA
Total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
31.7% (2016)
Total: 2.03 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Beer: 0.21 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Wine: 0.14 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Spirits: 1.65 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Other alcohols: 0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
NA
72.4% (2023 est.)
3.9% of GDP (2020 est.)
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 98.1%
Male: 98.8%
Female: 97.2% (2021)
Total: 16 years
Male: 15 years
Female: 17 years (2020)
Air pollution; rapid population growth and high energy demand contribute to water scarcity; lack of natural freshwater resources compensated by desalination plants; land degradation and desertification; waste generation, beach pollution from oil spills
Party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
Signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Desert; cooler in eastern mountains
Agricultural land: 4.6% (2018 est.)
Arable land: 0.5% (2018 est.)
Permanent crops: 0.5% (2018 est.)
Permanent pasture: 3.6% (2018 est.)
Forest: 3.8% (2018 est.)
Other: 91.6% (2018 est.)
Urban population: 87.8% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 1.5% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030
0% of GDP (2018 est.)
0% of GDP (2018 est.)
Particulate matter emissions: 41.75 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 206.32 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 56.55 megatons (2020 est.)
Municipal solid waste generated annually: 5,413,453 tons (2015 est.)
Municipal solid waste recycled annually: 1,082,691 tons (2015 est.)
Percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 20% (2015 est.)
Municipal: 2.63 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Industrial: 69 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Agricultural: 2.32 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
150 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Conventional long form: United Arab Emirates
Conventional short form: none
Local long form: Al Imarat al Arabiyah al Muttahidah
Local short form: none
Former: Trucial Oman, Trucial States
Abbreviation: UAE
Etymology: self-descriptive country name; the name "Arabia" can be traced back many centuries B.C., the ancient Egyptians referred to the region as "Ar Rabi"; "emirates" derives from "amir" the Arabic word for "commander," "lord," or "prince"
Federation of monarchies
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 "gazelle"; the name may derive from an abundance of gazelles that used to live in the area, as well as a folk tale involving the "Father of the Gazelle," Shakhbut BIN DHIYAB AL NAHYAN, whose hunting party tracked a gazelle to a spring on the island where Abu Dhabi was founded
7 emirates (imarat, singular - imarah); Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi), 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah (Sharjah), Dubayy (Dubai), Ra's al Khaymah, Umm al Qaywayn
2 December 1971 (from the UK)
Independence Day (National Day), 2 December (1971)
History: previous 1971 (provisional); latest drafted in 1979, became permanent May 1996
Amendments: 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; amended 2009
Mixed legal system of Islamic (sharia) law and civil law
Has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: the father must be a citizen of the United Arab Emirates; if the father is unknown, the mother must be a citizen
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: 30 years
Limited; note - rulers of the seven emirates each select a proportion of voters for the Federal National Council (FNC) that together account for about 12 percent of Emirati citizens
Chief of state: President MUHAMMAD BIN ZAYID Al Nuhayyan (since 14 May 2022); Co-Vice President MUHAMMAD BIN RASHID Al Maktum (since 5 January 2006); Co-Vice President MANSUR bin Zayid Al Nuhayyan (since 29 March 2023); Crown Prince KHALID bin Muhammad Al Nuhayyan, the eldest son of the monarch, born 14 November 1982; note - MUHAMMAD BIN ZAYID Al Nuhayyan elected president by the Federal Supreme Council following the death of President KHALIFA bin Zayid Al nNuhayyan on 13 May 2022
Head of government: Prime Minister and Co-Vice President MUHAMMAD BIN RASHID Al Maktum (since 5 January 2006); Deputy Prime Ministers SAIF bin Zayid Al Nuhayyan, MANSUR bin Zayid Al Nuhayyan (both since 11 May 2009) and MAKTUM bin Muhammad bin Rashid Al Maktum (since 25 September 2021)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers announced by the prime minister and approved by the president
Elections/appointments: 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); unscheduled election held on 14 May 2022, following the death of President KHALIFA bin Zayid Al-Nuhayyan (next election expected in 2027); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: 2022: MUHAMMAD BIN ZAYID Al-Nuhayyan elected president; Federal Supreme Council vote - NA
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
Description: unicameral Federal National Council (FNC) or Majlis al-Ittihad al-Watani (40 seats; 20 members indirectly elected using single non-transferable vote by an electoral college whose members are selected by each emirate ruler proportional to its FNC membership, and 20 members appointed by the rulers of the 7 constituent states; members serve 4-year terms)
Elections: last held for indirectly elected members on 7 October 2023 (next to be held in October 2027); last held for appointed members in October 2023 (next appointments expected in late 2027)
Election results: seats by emirate - Abu Dhabi 4, Dubai 4, Sharjah 3, Ras al-Khaimah 3, Ajman 2, Fujairah 2, Umm al-Quwain 2; composition as of February 2024 - 13 men, 7 women, percentage elected women 35%; note - to attain overall FNC gender parity, 13 women and 7 men were appointed; total FNC percentage of women 50%
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 following approval by the Federal Supreme Council, the highest executive and legislative authority consisting of the 7 emirate rulers; judges serve until retirement age or the expiry of their appointment terms
Subordinate courts: Federal Court of Cassation (determines the constitutionality of laws promulgated at the federal and emirate level; federal level courts of first instance and appeals courts); 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 system; note - the Abu Dhabi Global Market Courts and the Dubai International Financial Center Courts, the country’s two largest financial free zones, both adjudicate civil and commercial disputes.
None; political parties are banned; all candidates run as independents
ABEDA, AfDB (nonregional member), AFESD, AMF, BIS, BRICS, CAEU, CICA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OIF (observer), OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNOOSA, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and black with a wider vertical red band on the hoist side; the flag incorporates all four Pan-Arab colors, which in this case represent fertility (green), neutrality (white), petroleum resources (black), and unity (red); red was the traditional color incorporated into all flags of the emirates before their unification
Golden falcon; national colors: green, white, black, red
Name: "Nashid al-watani al-imarati" (National Anthem of the UAE)
Lyrics/music: AREF Al Sheikh Abdullah Al Hassan/Mohamad Abdel WAHAB
Note: music adopted 1971, lyrics adopted 1996; Mohamad Abdel WAHAB also composed the music for the anthem of Tunisia
Total World Heritage Sites: 1 (cultural)
Selected World Heritage Site locales: Cultural Sites of Al Ain (Hafit, Hili, Bidaa Bint Saud, and Oases Areas)
Historically oil-driven Middle Eastern economy; diversifying into a trade-oriented logistics and supply chain leader; strong foreign direct investment orientation; building trade and investment ties through partnership agreements; growing banking sector; recent economic linkages with Israel slowing due to Gaza conflict
$707.307 billion (2022 est.)
$655.823 billion (2021 est.)
$628.455 billion (2020 est.)
Note: data in 2017 dollars
7.85% (2022 est.)
4.35% (2021 est.)
-4.96% (2020 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
$74,900 (2022 est.)
$70,000 (2021 est.)
$67,700 (2020 est.)
Note: data in 2017 dollars
$507.064 billion (2022 est.)
Note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate
4.83% (2022 est.)
-0.01% (2021 est.)
-2.08% (2020 est.)
Note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Fitch rating: AA- (2020)
Moody's rating: Aa2 (2007)
Standard & Poors rating: AA (2007)
Note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
Agriculture: 0.9% (2017 est.)
Industry: 49.8% (2017 est.)
Services: 49.2% (2017 est.)
Comparison rankings: services 182; industry 13; agriculture 201
Household consumption: 34.9% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 12.3% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 23% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 1.8% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 100.4% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -72.4% (2017 est.)
Eggs, dates, cucumbers, camel milk, goat milk, tomatoes, goat meat, milk, poultry, camel meat
Petroleum and petrochemicals; fishing, aluminum, cement, fertilizer, commercial ship repair, construction materials, handicrafts, textiles
8.49% (2022 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
6.589 million (2022 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work
2.97% (2022 est.)
3.11% (2021 est.)
4.29% (2020 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment
Total: 10.7% (2021 est.)
Male: 7.9%
Female: 19.9%
19.5% (2003 est.)
26 (2018 est.)
Note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
On food: 13.7% of household expenditures (2018 est.)
On alcohol and tobacco: 0.4% of household expenditures (2018 est.)
Lowest 10%: 4%
Highest 10%: 20% (2018 est.)
Note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
Revenues: $129.741 billion (2019 est.)
Expenditures: $127.262 billion (2019 est.)
Note: the UAE federal budget does not account for emirate-level spending in Abu Dhabi and Dubai
-0.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
19.7% of GDP (2017 est.)
20.2% of GDP (2016 est.)
1.85% of GDP (2013 est.)
Note: central government debt as a % of GDP
0.54% (of GDP) (2021 est.)
Note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP
Calendar year
$26.47 billion (2017 est.)
$13.23 billion (2016 est.)
$335.238 billion (2020 est.) note: GDP expenditure basis - exports of goods and services in current dollars
$308.5 billion (2017 est.)
$298.6 billion (2016 est.)
India 13%, Japan 10%, China 8%, Saudi Arabia 7%, Iraq 5% (2022)
Crude and refined petroleum, gold, broadcasting equipment, natural gas, diamonds (2022)
$246.886 billion (2020 est.) note: GDP expenditure basis - exports of goods and services in current dollars
$229.2 billion (2017 est.)
$226.5 billion (2016 est.)
China 18%, India 10%, United States 6%, United Kingdom 4%, Saudi Arabia 3% (2022)
Gold, broadcasting equipment, refined petroleum, diamonds, cars (2022)
$138.433 billion (2022 est.)
$131.117 billion (2021 est.)
$106.702 billion (2020 est.)
Note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
$237.6 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$218.7 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Emirati dirhams (AED) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
3.673 (2022 est.)
3.673 (2021 est.)
3.673 (2020 est.)
3.673 (2019 est.)
3.673 (2018 est.)
Electrification - total population: 100% (2021)
Installed generating capacity: 35.173 million kW (2020 est.)
Consumption: 122.386 billion kWh (2019 est.)
Exports: 257 million kWh (2019 est.)
Imports: 245 million kWh (2019 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 7.011 billion kWh (2019 est.)
Comparison rankings: installed generating capacity 32; transmission/distribution losses 176; imports 99; exports 84; consumption 30
Fossil fuels: 95.7% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Nuclear: 1.3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Solar: 3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Number of operational nuclear reactors: 3 (2023)
Number of nuclear reactors under construction: 1
Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors: 4.01GW (2023)
Percent of total electricity production: 1.3% (2021)
Percent of total energy produced: 0.17% (2021)
Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down: 0
Production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Consumption: 2.563 million metric tons (2020 est.)
Exports: 2,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
Imports: 2.565 million metric tons (2020 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
Total petroleum production: 3,769,100 bbl/day (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 863,700 bbl/day (2019 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate exports: 2,427,200 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate imports: 172,900 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 97.8 billion barrels (2021 est.)
943,500 bbl/day (2017 est.)
817,700 bbl/day (2015 est.)
392,000 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Production: 62,889,064,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)
Consumption: 73,750,936,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)
Exports: 7,673,768,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)
Imports: 20,041,951,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)
Proven reserves: 6,090,887,000,000 cubic meters (2021 est.)
276.236 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 5.032 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 126.524 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 144.681 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
471.788 million Btu/person (2019 est.)
Total subscriptions: 2,286,104 (2022 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 24 (2021 est.)
Total subscriptions: 18 million (2021 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 190 (2021 est.)
General assessment: the UAE has a strong mobile market; while the 5G penetration rate is the second highest globally after China; this has underpinned growth in the mobile broadband sector, and has enabled the strong development in the take-up of rich content and applications, as well as m-commerce; to help increase the capacity of 5G networks in coming years, and so keep up with data demand, the government has allowed for the GSM networks to be closed down and for spectrum and other assets to be re-purposed for 5G by the end of 2022; the fixed-broadband network in the UAE is dominated by fiber, with DSL having a minor and declining presence; this focus on a fully fiber infrastructure has also facilitated growth in e-commerce, and has supported the government’s long-term aim of transitioning the economy from its dependence on oil to being knowledge-based and supported by digital services; the country stands to benefit from having signed the Abraham Accord Declaration with Israel, which aims to normalize relations between the two countries; such benefits can be seen in the agreement to enable local ISPs to access Bezeq International’s submarine cable infrastructure, and so improve direct connectivity to Europe, South East Asia, and Africa; the UAE’s ISPs can also access Bezeq International’s data center in Tel Aviv, improving internet services (2022)
Domestic: fixed-line is 24 per 100 and mobile-cellular is 190 per 100 (2021)
International: country code - 971; landing points for the FLAG, SEA-ME-WE-3 ,-4 & -5, Qater UAE Submarine Cable System, FALCON, FOG, Tat TGN-Gulf, OMRAN/EPEG Cable System, AAE-1, BBG, EIG, FEA, GBICS/MENA, IMEWE, Orient Express, TEAMS, TW1 and the UAE-Iran submarine cables, linking to Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Southeast Asia and Australia; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian) (2020)
Except for the many organizations now operating in media free zones in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, most TV and radio stations remain government-owned; widespread use of satellite dishes provides access to pan-Arab and other international broadcasts; restrictions since June 2017 on some satellite channels and websites originating from or otherwise linked to Qatar, but in early 2023 Abu Dhabi unblocked several sites, including Al Jazeera (2022)
.ae
Total: 9.4 million (2021 est.)
Percent of population: 100% (2021 est.)
Total: 3,245,123 (2020 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 33 (2020 est.)
Number of registered air carriers: 10 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 497
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 95,533,069 (2018)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 15,962,900,000 (2018) mt-km
A6
42 (2024)
203 (2024)
533 km condensate, 3,277 km gas, 300 km liquid petroleum gas, 3287 km oil, 24 km oil/gas/water, 218 km refined products, 99 km water (2013)
Total: 4,080 km
Paved: 4,080 km (2008) (includes 253 km of expressways)
Total: 655 (2023)
By type: bulk carrier 2, container ship 3, general cargo 122, oil tanker 16, other 512
Major seaport(s): Al Fujayrah, Mina' Jabal 'Ali (Dubai), Khor Fakkan (Khawr Fakkan) (Sharjah), Mubarraz Island (Abu Dhabi), Mina' Rashid (Dubai), Mina' Saqr (Ra's al Khaymah)
Container port(s) (TEUs): Dubai Port (13,742,000) (2021)
LNG terminal(s) (export): Das Island
United Arab Emirates Armed Forces: Land Forces, Navy Forces, Air Force, Presidential Guard (includes special operations forces)
Ministry of Interior: Coast Guard Forces, Critical Infrastructure and Coastal Patrol Agency (CICPA) (2023)
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 responsible 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
4% of GDP (2022 est.)
5% of GDP (2021 est.)
5.6% of GDP (2020 est.)
5.4% of GDP (2019 est.)
5.5% of GDP (2018 est.)
Approximately 65,000 active personnel (45,000 Land Forces; 3,000 Navy; 5,000 Air Force; 12,000 Presidential Guard) (2023)
The military's inventory is comprised of a wide variety of mostly modern imported equipment; over the past decade, the UAE has acquired military equipment from more than 20 countries with the US as the leading supplier; in recent years, the UAE has tried to boost its domestic defense industry (2023)
18-30 years of age for compulsory military service for men (compulsory service initiated in 2014); 18-40 for voluntary service; 36-month service obligation for men without a secondary education and 11 months for secondary school graduates; women may volunteer (11-month service obligation regardless of education) (2023)
Note 1: compulsory service may be completed in the uniformed military, the Ministry of Interior, or other security institutions designated by the military leadership
Note 2: the UAE military employs a considerable number of foreign personnel on contracted service
Continues to maintain a small force in Yemen; also maintains some troops at military bases in Eritrea and Somalia (Somaliland) (2023)
Note: in 2015, UAE intervened militarily in Yemen as part of the Saudi-led coalition in support of the Republic of Yemen Government with an estimated 3,500 troops, as well as supporting air and naval forces; UAE withdrew its main military force from Yemen in 2019, but has retained a small military presence while working with proxies in southern Yemen, most notably the Southern Transitional Council (STC)
The UAE Armed Forces (UAEAF) are responsible for external defense and supporting the UAE’s foreign policy objectives; the military’s primary concerns include terrorism, regional instability, particularly in neighboring Yemen, and Iran, including a territorial dispute over three islands in the Strait of Hormuz and Iranian support to proxy forces in the region; in recent years, the UAE has undertaken a large military modernization program to go along with an assertive security policy which has included military interventions in Libya, Syria, and Yemen, as well as peacekeeping missions in Afghanistan and Somalia; the UAEAF has organized, trained, and equipped tens of thousands of militia forces in Yemen and offered training and equipment to several countries in Africa; the UAE also hosts the region’s first military school for women, which has trained female peacekeepers for deployment in Africa and Asia
The UAE has strong security ties to France and the US; it hosts a multi-service French military base, which includes the French naval command for the Indian Ocean (ALINDIEN); the UAE has a defense cooperation agreement with the US and hosts about 3,500 US troops, mostly air and naval personnel; it also has defense ties with a variety of other countries, including Australia, China, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Malaysia, South Korea, and the UK, as well as NATO and fellow members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, particularly Saudi Arabia
The UAEAF traces its origins to the establishment of the Trucial Oman Scouts in 1951, a joint UK-Abu Dhabi organization modeled after Jordan’s Arab Legion, which became the Abu Dhabi Defense Force in 1965; the modern UAEAF were formed in 1976; the modern UAE military is considered to be one of the best-trained and most capable forces in the Persian Gulf region; the Land Forces have approximately five brigades of armored, light infantry, and mechanized forces, plus supporting artillery units; the Presidential Guard, considered the elite of the Land Forces, has a mechanized brigade and a special operations command; the Air Forces and the Joint Aviation Command together have nearly 150 French- and US-made combat aircraft with more advanced US multipurpose fighters on order; the Navy’s principal warships include more than a dozen corvettes and offshore patrol vessels, also with more on order (2023)
UAE Space Agency (created in 2014); Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC; established 2006); in 2015, MBRSC combined with the Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technology (EIAST; established 2006) (2023)
Has an ambitious and growing space program and is recognized as one of the leading programs in the region; focused on satellite development, including communications, remote sensing, and navigational; also placing emphasis on building expertise, infrastructure, ground stations, technology, and research and development capabilities to support its space program domestically; rather than building its own launch capabilities, has elected to utilize foreign partners to launch payloads from spaceports abroad; invests heavily in foreign commercial space companies and has sought to encourage global partnerships; has a foreign-assisted astronaut training program; seeking to establish UAE as an international hub for space education; has signed more than 25 cooperation agreements or memorandums of understanding with major global and regional players in the space sector, including the Arab Space Cooperation Group, China, the European Space Agency (ESA), France, Germany, India, Japan, Russia, South Korea, the UK, and the US; sees the development of its commercial space industry as a key pillar for diversifying and developing the country’s non-oil economy; approximately 60 space companies and entities operate in the UAE, including international and start-ups, and five space science research centers (2023)
Note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in Appendix S
Stateless persons: 5 (mid-year 2021)
Major source of precursor chemicals used in the production of illicit narcotics