2000 Edition

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 Zaby, 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah, Dubayy, and Umm al Qaywayn - merged to form the UAE. They were joined in 1972 by Ra's al Khaymah. The UAE's per capita GDP is not far below the GDPs of the leading West European nations. Its generosity with oil revenues and its moderate foreign policy stance have allowed it to play a vital role in the affairs of the region.

Area

land

82,880 sq km

total

82,880 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Maine

Climate

desert; cooler in eastern mountains

Coastline

1,318 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Jabal Yibir 1,527 m

lowest point

Persian Gulf 0 m

Environment - current issues

lack of natural freshwater resources being overcome by desalination plants; desertification; beach pollution from oil spills

Environment - international agreements

party to

Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity, Law of the Sea

Geographic coordinates

24 00 N, 54 00 E

Geography - note

strategic location along southern approaches to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil

Irrigated land

50 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

border countries

Oman 410 km, Saudi Arabia 457 km

total

867 km

Land use

arable land

0%

forests and woodland

0%

other

98% (1993 est.)

permanent crops

0%

permanent pastures

2%

Location

Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia

Map references

Middle East

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

frequent sand and dust storms

Natural resources

petroleum, natural gas

Terrain

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 30% (male 359,134; female 345,518) 15-64 years: 68% (male 1,029,898; female 582,783) 65 years and over: 2% (male 35,928; female 15,892) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

18 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

3.68 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups

Emiri 19%, other Arab and Iranian 23%, South Asian 50%, other expatriates (includes Westerners and East Asians) 8% (1982)

note

less than 20% are UAE citizens (1982)

Infant mortality rate

17.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages

Arabic (official), Persian, English, Hindi, Urdu

Life expectancy at birth

female

76.61 years (2000 est.)

male

71.64 years

total population

74.06 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

79.8% (1995 est.)

male

78.9%

total population

79.2%

Nationality

adjective

Emirian

noun

Emirian(s)

Net migration rate

1.82 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population

2,369,153

note

includes 1,576,472 non-nationals (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

1.61% (2000 est.)

Religions

Muslim 96% (Shi'a 16%), Christian, Hindu, and other 4%

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.77 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 2.26 male(s)/female

total population

1.51 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.29 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Administrative divisions

7 emirates (imarat, singular - imarah); Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi), 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah (Sharjah), Dubayy (Dubai), Ra's al Khaymah, Umm al Qaywayn

Capital

Abu Dhabi

Constitution

2 December 1971 (made permanent in 1996)

Country name

abbreviation

UAE

conventional long form

United Arab Emirates

conventional short form

none

former

Trucial States

local long form

Al Imarat al Arabiyah al Muttahidah

local short form

none

Data code

TC

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Theodore H. KATTOUF

embassy

Al-Sudan Street, Abu Dhabi

mailing address

P. O. Box 4009, Abu Dhabi; American Embassy Abu Dhabi, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-6010 (pouch); note - work week is Saturday through Wednesday

telephone

(2) 436691, 436692

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

Suite 700, 1255 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20037

chief of mission

Ambassador Muhammad bin Husayn al-SHAALI

telephone

(202) 955-7999

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

chief of state

President ZAYID bin Sultan Al Nuhayyan (since 2 December 1971), ruler of Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) (since 6 August 1966) and Vice President MAKTUM bin Rashid al-Maktum (since 8 October 1990), ruler of Dubayy (Dubai)

election results

ZAYID bin Sultan Al Nuhayyan reelected president; percent of FSC vote - NA, but believed to be unanimous; MAKTUM bin Rashid al-Maktum elected vice president; percent of FSC vote - NA, but believed to be unanimous

elections

president and vice president elected by the FSC (a group of seven electors) for five-year terms; election last held NA October 1996 (next to be held NA 2001); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president

head of government

Prime Minister MAKTUM bin Rashid al-Maktum (since 8 October 1990), ruler of Dubayy (Dubai); Deputy Prime Minister SULTAN bin Zayid Al Nuhayyan (since 20 November 1990)

note

there is also a Federal Supreme Council (FSC) which is composed of the seven emirate rulers; the council is the highest constitutional authority in the UAE; establishes general policies and sanctions federal legislation, Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) and Dubayy (Dubai) rulers have effective veto power; meets four times a year

FAX

(2) 434771

consulate(s) general

Dubai

Flag description

three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and black with a thicker vertical red band on the hoist side

Government type

federation with specified powers delegated to the UAE federal government and other powers reserved to member emirates

Independence

2 December 1971 (from UK)

International organization participation

ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

Judicial branch

Union Supreme Court, judges appointed by the president

Legal system

federal court system introduced in 1971; all emirates except Dubayy (Dubai) and Ra's al Khaymah have joined the federal system; all emirates have secular and Islamic law for civil, criminal, and high courts

Legislative branch

unicameral Federal National Council or Majlis al-Ittihad al-Watani (40 seats; members appointed by the rulers of the constituent states to serve two-year terms)

elections

none

note

reviews legislation, but cannot change or veto

National holiday

National Day, 2 December (1971)

Political parties and leaders

none

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Suffrage

none

Agriculture - products

dates, vegetables, watermelons; poultry, eggs, dairy products; fish

Budget

expenditures

$6.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.)

revenues

$5.5 billion

Currency

1 Emirian dirham (Dh) = 100 fils

Debt - external

$15.5 billion (1998 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

$NA

Economy - overview

The UAE has an open economy with a high per capita income and a sizable annual trade surplus. Its wealth is based on oil and gas output (about 33% of GDP), and the fortunes of the economy fluctuate with the prices of those commodities. Since 1973, the UAE has undergone a profound transformation from an impoverished region of small desert principalities to a modern state with a high standard of living. At present levels of production, oil and gas reserves should last for over 100 years. Despite higher oil revenues in 1999, the government has not drawn back from the economic reforms implemented during the 1998 oil price depression. The government has increased spending on job creation and infrastructure expansion and is opening up its utilities to greater private-sector involvement.

Electricity - consumption

18.702 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - production

20.11 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

100%

hydro

0%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (1998)

Exchange rates

Emirian dirhams (Dh) per US$1 - central bank mid-point

rate

3.6725 (from 1998); 3.6711 (1997), 3.6710 (1995-96)

Exports

$34 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.)

Exports - commodities

crude oil 45%, natural gas, reexports, dried fish, dates

Exports - partners

Japan 30%, South Korea 10%, India 6%, Singapore 4.5%, Oman 3%, Iran (1998)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $41.5 billion (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

3%

industry

52%

services

45% (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $17,700 (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

2.5% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$27.5 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, food

Imports - partners

US 10%, Japan 9%, UK 9%, Germany 6%, South Korea 5%, Italy (1998)

Industrial production growth rate

0% (1997 est.)

Industries

petroleum, fishing, petrochemicals, construction materials, some boat building, handicrafts, pearling

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4% (1999 est.)

Labor force

1.38 million (1998 est.)

note

75% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (July 1998 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

services 60%, industry 32%, agriculture 8% (1996 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

NA%

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

1 (1999)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 13, FM 7, shortwave 2 (1998)

Radios

820,000 (1997)

Telephone system

modern system consisting of microwave radio relay and coaxial cable; key centers are Abu Dhabi and Dubai

domestic

microwave radio relay and coaxial cable

international

satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; submarine cables to Qatar, Bahrain, India, and Pakistan; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia

Telephones - main lines in use

915,223 (1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular

1 million (1999)

Television broadcast stations

15 (1997)

Televisions

310,000 (1997)

Airports

40 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total

22 over 3,047 m: 8 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 4 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

18 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 3 (1999 est.)

Heliports

2 (1999 est.)

Highways

paved

1,088 km

total

1,088 km

unpaved

0 km (1998 est.)

Merchant marine

ships by type

bulk 1, cargo 18, chemical tanker 3, container 8, liquified gas 1, livestock carrier 1, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 27, roll-on/roll-off 7, specialized tanker 1 (1999 est.)

total

68 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,107,442 GRT/1,795,235 DWT

Pipelines

crude oil 830 km; natural gas, including natural gas liquids, 870 km

Ports and harbors

'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Das Island, Khawr Fakkan, Mina' Jabal 'Ali, Mina' Khalid, Mina' Rashid, Mina' Saqr, Mina' Zayid, Umm al Qaywayn

Railways

0 km

Military branches

Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense, paramilitary (includes Federal Police Force)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$2.1 billion (FY99)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

4.8% (FY99)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 785,253

note

includes non-nationals (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 422,826 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - military age

18 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males

24,506 (2000 est.)

Disputes - international

location and status of boundary with Saudi Arabia is not final, de facto boundary reflects 1974 agreement; no defined boundary with most of Oman, but Administrative Line in far north; claims two islands in the Persian Gulf occupied by Iran: Lesser Tunb (called Tunb as Sughra in Arabic by UAE and Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Kuchek in Persian by Iran) and Greater Tunb (called Tunb al Kubra in Arabic by UAE and Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Bozorg in Persian by Iran); claims island in the Persian Gulf jointly administered with Iran (called Abu Musa in Arabic by UAE and Jazireh-ye Abu Musa in Persian by Iran) - over which Iran has taken steps to exert unilateral control since 1992, including access restrictions and a military build-up on the island; the UAE has garnered significant diplomatic support in the region in protesting these Iranian actions

Illicit drugs

growing role as heroin transshipment and money-laundering center due to its proximity to southwest Asian producing countries and the bustling free trade zone in Dubai

UNITED KINGDOM