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United Arab Emirates

2025 Edition · 412 data fields

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Introduction

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.

Geography

Area

Land: 83,600 sq km
Total: 83,600 sq km
Water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than South Carolina; slightly smaller than Maine

Climate

desert; cooler in eastern mountains

Coastline

1,318 km

Continent

Asia

Elevation

Highest point: Jabal Bil 'Ays 1,905 m
Lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
Mean elevation: 149 m

Geographic coordinates

24 00 N, 54 00 E

Geography - note

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

Irrigated land

940 sq km (2022)

Land boundaries

Border countries: Oman 609 km; Saudi Arabia 457 km
number of neighbors: 2
Total: 1,066 km

Land use

Agricultural land: 5.5% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 0.7% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 0.6% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 4.2% (2023 est.)
arable land: 0.71%
Forest: 4.6% (2023 est.)
Other: 89.7% (2023 est.)
permanent crops: 0.58%

Landlocked

Location

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

Map links

Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/AZZTDA6GzVAnKMVd8
OpenStreetMap: https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/307763

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

Population distribution

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

Subregion

Western Asia

Terrain

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

Time zone

UTC+04:00
number of time zones: 1

People and Society

Age structure

0-14 years: 16.4% (male 842,577/female 802,302)
15-64 years: 81.4% (male 5,812,470/female 2,353,750)
65 years and over: 2.2% (2024 est.) (male 169,084/female 52,030)

Alcohol consumption per capita

Beer: 0.21 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Other alcohols: 0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Spirits: 1.65 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Total: 2.03 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Wine: 0.14 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

10.65 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

67.4% (2018 est.)

Death rate

1.73 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
adult female: 18 per 1,000
adult male: 37 per 1,000

Dependency ratios

Elderly dependency ratio: 3 (2025 est.)
Potential support ratio: 33.4 (2025 est.)
Total dependency ratio: 23.4 (2025 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 20.4 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved total: 98.64%
Improved: rural: rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: total: total: 100% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: urban: urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: rural: rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: total: total: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: urban: urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP): 3.9% of GDP (2021 est.)
Education expenditure (% national budget): 14.8% national budget (2021 est.)

Education expenditures

4 % of GDP

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: note: data represent the total population; as of 2019, immigrants make up about 87.9% of the total population, according to UN data

Gross reproduction rate

0.78 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

5 % of GDP
Health expenditure (as % of GDP): 5.3% of GDP (2021)
Health expenditure (as % of national budget): 12.1% of national budget (2022 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.1%

Hospital bed density

2 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Infant mortality rate

Female: 4.4 deaths/1,000 live births
Male: 5.5 deaths/1,000 live births
neonatal: 3 deaths/1,000 live births
Total: 4.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

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.
number of languages: 1

Life expectancy at birth

Female: 81.4 years
Male: 78.6 years
Total population: 79.9 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

Female: 98.4% (2024 est.)
Male: 99% (2024 est.)
Total population: 98.8% (2024 est.)

Major urban areas - population

3.008 million Dubai, 1.831 million Sharjah, 1.567 million ABU DHABI (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

3 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Median age

Female: 29.8 years
Male: 38.1 years
Total: 35.8 years (2025 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

3 births/1,000 women 15-19

Nationality

Adjective: Emirati
Noun: Emirati(s)

Net migration rate

-2.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

31.7% (2016)

Physician density

2.99 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

Population

Female: 3,261,791
Male: 6,831,802
Total: 10,093,593 (2025 est.)

Population growth rate

0.62% (2025 est.)

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: note: data represent the total population; as of 2020, immigrants make up about 88.1% of the total population, according to UN data

Sanitation facility access

improved total: 98.45%
Improved: rural: rural: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: total: total: 99.8% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: urban: urban: 99.8% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: rural: rural: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: total: total: 0.2% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: urban: urban: 0.2% of population (2022 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Female: 16 years (2023 est.)
Male: 15 years (2023 est.)
Total: 16 years (2023 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 2.47 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 3.25 male(s)/female
At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
Total population: 2.13 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

Female: 2.4% (2025 est.)
Male: 13.9% (2025 est.)
Total: 10.7% (2025 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.6 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

Rate of urbanization: 1.5% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Urban population: 87.8% of total population (2023)

Vaccination rate

measles: 98%

Government

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

Etymology: in Arabic, abu means "father," and dhabi refers to a personal name, Dhabi or Zabi, that comes from the word zab, or "gazelle"
Geographic coordinates: 24 28 N, 54 22 E
Name: Abu Dhabi
Time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

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

Coat of arms

svg: https://mainfacts.com/media/images/coats_of_arms/ae.svg

Constitution

Amendment 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
History: previous 1971 (provisional); latest drafted in 1979, became permanent May 1996

Country name

Abbreviation: UAE
alternative spellings: AE, UAE, Emirates
Conventional long form: United Arab Emirates
Conventional short form: none
Etymology: self-descriptive country name; the name Arabia can be traced back at least as far as the ancient Egyptians, who referred to the region as "Ar Rabi;" "emirates" derives from amir, the Arabic word for "commander," "lord," or "prince;" the former name, Trucial States, refers to a maritime truce from 1820 between the British and the Arab sheikhdoms
FIFA code: UAE
Former: Trucial Oman, Trucial States
Local long form: Al Imarat al Arabiyah al Muttahidah
local long form (ara): الإمارات العربية المتحدة
Local short form: none

Diplomatic representation from the US

Chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Eric GAUDIOSI (since August 2025)
Consulate(s) general: Dubai
Email address and website: abudhabiacs@state.gov https://ae.usembassy.gov/
Embassy: Embassies District, Plot 38, Sector W59-02, Street No. 4, Abu Dhabi
FAX: [971] (2) 414-2241
Mailing address: 6010 Abu Dhabi Place, Washington DC 20521-6010
Telephone: [971] (2) 414-2200

Diplomatic representation in the US

Chancery: 3522 International Court NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20008
Chief of mission: Ambassador Yousif AL OTAIBA (since 28 July 2008)
Consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, New York
Email address and website: info@uaeembassy-usa.org https://www.uae-embassy.org/
FAX: [1] (202) 243-2408
Telephone: [1] (202) 243-2400

Executive branch

Cabinet: Council of Ministers announced by the prime minister and approved by the president
Chief of state: President MUHAMMAD BIN ZAYID Al Nuhayyan (since 14 May 2022)
Election results: 2022: MUHAMMAD BIN ZAYID Al-Nuhayyan elected president; Federal Supreme Council vote - NA
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
Expected date of next election: 2027
Head of government: Prime Minister and Co-Vice President MUHAMMAD BIN RASHID Al Maktum (since 5 January 2006)
Most recent election date: unscheduled election held on 14 May 2022, after the death of President KHALIFA bin Zayid Al-Nuhayyan
Note: 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

Flag

description: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and black, with a wider vertical red band on the left side meaning: the flag incorporates all four pan-Arab colors, which in this case represent fertility (green), neutrality (white), oil (black), and unity (red); red is a traditional color that was part of all the emirates' flags before their unification

Flag description

The flag of United Arab Emirates features a red vertical band on its hoist side that takes up about one-fourth the width of the field and three equal horizontal bands of green, white and black adjoining the vertical band.

Flag image

svg: https://flagcdn.com/ae.svg

Government type

federation of monarchies

Independence

2 December 1971 (from the UK)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

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

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 terms
Note: note: 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
Subordinate 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 system

Legal system

mixed system of Islamic (sharia) law and civil law

Legislative branch

Electoral system: other systems
Expected date of next election: October 2027
Legislative structure: unicameral
Legislature name: Federal National Council (Majlis Watani Itihadi)
Most recent election date: 10/7/2023
Number of seats: 40 (20 indirectly elected; 20 appointed)
Percentage of women in chamber: 50%
Scope of elections: full renewal
Term in office: 4 years

National color(s)

green, white, black, red

National heritage

Selected World Heritage Site locales: Cultural Sites of Al Ain (Hafit, Hili, Bidaa Bint Saud, and Oases Areas); Faya Palaeolandscape (c)
Total World Heritage Sites: 2 ( both cultural)

National holiday

Independence Day (National Day), 2 December (1971)

National symbol(s)

golden falcon

Political parties

note: political parties are banned; all candidates run as independents

Start of week

Sunday

Suffrage

limited
note: note: 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

UN Member

Yes

Economy

Agricultural products

dates, cucumbers/gherkins, camel milk, goat milk, tomatoes, chicken, goat meat, eggs, milk, camel meat (2023)
note: note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Average household expenditures

On alcohol and tobacco: 0.3% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
On food: 12.2% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Budget

Expenditures: $19.349 billion (2023 est.)
Note: note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
Revenues: $23.248 billion (2023 est.)

Currency

code: AED
name: United Arab Emirates dirham (AED) [د.إ]

Current account balance

$79.97 billion

Economic overview

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

Exchange rates

Currency: Emirati dirhams (AED) per US dollar -
Exchange rates 2020: 3.672 (2020 est.)
Exchange rates 2021: 3.672 (2021 est.)
Exchange rates 2022: 3.672 (2022 est.)
Exchange rates 2023: 3.672 (2023 est.)
Exchange rates 2024: 3.672 (2024 est.)

Exports

$558.4 billion
Exports 2021: $425.156 billion (2021 est.)
Exports 2022: $521.897 billion (2022 est.)
Exports 2023: $558.402 billion (2023 est.)
Note: note: GDP expenditure basis - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

crude petroleum, refined petroleum, gold, broadcasting equipment, natural gas (2023)
note: note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

China 11%, India 11%, Japan 10%, Iraq 6%, Thailand 4% (2023)
note: note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

Foreign direct investment

net inflows: $45.64 billion

GDP - composition, by end use

Exports of goods and services: 108.6% (2023 est.)
Government consumption: 12.4% (2023 est.)
Household consumption: 45.6% (2023 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -93.7% (2023 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 27.1% (2023 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0% (2023 est.)
Note: note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

Agriculture: 0.7% (2023 est.)
Industry: 47.7% (2023 est.)
Note: note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
Services: 51.6% (2023 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$537.079 billion (2024 est.)
note: note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

GDP per capita (nominal)

$50,274

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

26 (2018)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2018: 26.4 (2018 est.)
Note: note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

GNI (gross national income)

$568.34 billion

GNI per capita

$51,550

Gross domestic investment

27 % of GDP

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Highest 10%: 20.5% (2018 est.)
Lowest 10%: 2.8% (2018 est.)
Note: note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports

$481.85 billion
Imports 2021: $347.529 billion (2021 est.)
Imports 2022: $427.992 billion (2022 est.)
Imports 2023: $481.852 billion (2023 est.)
Note: note: GDP expenditure basis - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

gold, broadcasting equipment, cars, refined petroleum, diamonds (2023)
note: note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

China 19%, India 7%, USA 6%, Turkey 4%, Japan 4% (2023)
note: note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

0.8% (2023 est.)
note: note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Industries

petroleum and petrochemicals; fishing, aluminum, cement, fertilizer, commercial ship repair, construction materials, handicrafts, textiles

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.66%
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 5.3% (2022 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023: 1.6% (2023 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024: 1.7% (2024 est.)
Note: note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

7.09 million (2024 est.)
note: note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work
total: 7.42 million persons

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 1.44%
industry: 30.59%
services: 67.97%

Public debt

Note: note: central government debt as a % of GDP
Public debt 2017: 19.7% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

$870.44 billion
Note: note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $693.842 billion (2022 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $718.95 billion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024: $745.994 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

3.99%
Note: note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
Real GDP growth rate 2022: 7.5% (2022 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2023: 3.6% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2024: 3.8% (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita

$79,229
Note: note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP per capita 2022: $68,900 (2022 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2023: $68,600 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2024: $68,600 (2024 est.)

Remittances

$1.8 billion

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$237.93 billion
Note: note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022: $138.433 billion (2022 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023: $189.491 billion (2023 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024: $237.931 billion (2024 est.)

Revenue (excl grants)

3 % of GDP

Tax revenue

1 % of GDP

Taxes and other revenues

0.6% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
note: note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Unemployment rate

2.17%
Note: note: % of labor force seeking employment
Unemployment rate 2022: 2.9% (2022 est.)
Unemployment rate 2023: 2.2% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2024: 2.2% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

Female: 12.1% (2024 est.)
Male: 4.1% (2024 est.)
Note: note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
Total: 6.4% (2024 est.)

Energy

Coal

Consumption: 5.411 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Exports: 82,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
Imports: 5.512 million metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

Consumption: 157.974 billion kWh (2023 est.)
consumption per capita: 14,688 kWh
Exports: 613 million kWh (2023 est.)
Imports: 501.067 million kWh (2023 est.)
Installed generating capacity: 44.462 million kW (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 7.914 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

Electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)

Electricity generation sources

Fossil fuels: 75.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
hydroelectric: 0%
Nuclear: 19.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
renewable: 4.2%
Solar: 4.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

8,336 kg of oil equivalent
Total energy consumption per capita 2023: 450.432 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Natural gas

Consumption: 67.734 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Exports: 6.863 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Imports: 18.938 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Production: 55.8 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Proven reserves: 6.091 trillion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Nuclear energy

Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors: 5.35GW (2025 est.)
Number of operational nuclear reactors: 4 (2025)
Percent of total electricity production: 19.7% (2023 est.)

Petroleum

Crude oil estimated reserves: 97.8 billion barrels (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 846,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Total petroleum production: 4.146 million bbl/day (2023 est.)

Renewable energy consumption

Communications

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

per 100 inhabitants: 37 per 100
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 37 (2023 est.)
Total: 3.95 million (2023 est.)

Broadcast media

most TV and radio stations state-owned, but many private organizations now operating in media free zones in Abu Dhabi and Dubai; widespread use of satellite dishes to access pan-Arab and other international broadcasts (2022)

Internet country code

.ae

Internet users

Percent of population: 100% (2023 est.)

Telephone calling code

+971

Telephones - fixed lines

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 21 (2023 est.)
Total subscriptions: 2.259 million (2023 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100: 199 per 100
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 203 (2024 est.)
Total subscriptions: 22.4 million (2024 est.)

Transportation

Air transport

passengers carried: 91.06 million passengers
registered carrier departures: 435,257 departures

Airports

42 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Driving side

Right

Heliports

204 (2025)

Merchant marine

By type: bulk carrier 2, container ship 3, general cargo 122, oil tanker 16, other 512
Total: 655 (2023)

Ports

Key ports: Abu Zaby, Jabal Az Zannah/Ruways, Khawr Fakkan, Mina Jabal Ali, Zirkuh
Large: 1
Medium: 4
Ports with oil terminals: 17
Small: 9
Total ports: 20 (2024)
Very small: 6

Vehicle registration code

UAE

Military and Security

Land forces

armored vehicles
tanks

Military - note

the UAE Armed Forces (UAEAF) are responsible for defending the state, its resources, and territory, preserving internal security, and supporting the UAE's foreign policy objectives; key security concerns include regional stability and cross-border threats, such as piracy and terrorism; in recent years, the UAE has undertaken a military modernization program to go along with an assertive security policy which has included military involvements in Afghanistan, Libya, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen the UAE has close 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 thousands of US military troops, mostly air and naval personnel; it also has defense ties with a number 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 (2025)

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)
active duty personnel: 63,000
note: 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
percent of total labor force: 1.02 %

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 65,000 active Armed Forces (45,000 Land Forces; 3,000 Navy; 5,000 Air Force; 12,000 Presidential Guard) (2025)

Military deployments

maintains a few hundred troops in Somalia and Yemen (2025)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the military is equipped with mostly modern imported armaments, and a smaller amount of domestically produced weapons; foreign suppliers have included China, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Türkiye, and the US; the UAE's domestic defense industry produces or co-produces such items as armored vehicles, naval vessels, precision munitions, and unmanned aerial vehicles/drones for both internal use and export (2025)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2020: 6.1% of GDP (2020 est.)
Military Expenditures 2021: 4.5% of GDP (2021 est.)
Military Expenditures 2022: 4% of GDP (2022 est.)
Military Expenditures 2023: 4.3% of GDP (2023 est.)
Military Expenditures 2024: 4% of GDP (2024 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18-40 for voluntary service; 18-30 years of age for compulsory national service for men with a 36-month service obligation for those without a secondary education and 11 months for secondary school graduates; women may volunteer for national service (11-month service obligation regardless of education) (2025)
note: 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

Military strength ranking

PowerIndex score: 1.0188

Transnational Issues

Illicit drugs

USG identification: major precursor-chemical producer (2025)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Refugees: 7,634 (2024 est.)

Space

Key space-program milestones

1997 - initiated a national space sector 2009 - first remote sensing (RS) satellite (DubaiSat-1) developed jointly with South Korea and launched by Russia 2017 - announced Mars 2117 project, which included building a “Mars Science City” as the first step to establishing a human settlement on Mars within 100 years 2018 - first domestically produced RS satellite (KhalifaSat or DubaiSat-3) launched by Japan 2019 - first UAE astronaut (trained by Russia and US) in space on the International Space Station 2020 - signed US-led Artemis Accords for space and lunar exploration 2021 - became first Arab country to successfully place a probe (al Amal or Hope) in Mars orbit; announced plans to launch a probe in 2028 to land on an asteroid between Mars and Jupiter 2025 - domestically produced advanced RS/Earth imaging satellite (MBZ-SAT) launched by US

Space agency/agencies

UAE Space Agency (created in 2014); Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC; established 2006) (2025)

Space program overview

has an ambitious and growing national space program; focused on satellite development, including communications, remote sensing, and navigation, as well as deep space exploration; is building expertise, infrastructure, technology, and research and development capabilities; has elected to use foreign partners to launch payloads from spaceports abroad; has looked to invest in foreign commercial space companies and develop global partnerships; has a foreign-assisted astronaut training program; seeking to establish UAE as an international hub for space education; founding member of the Arab Space Cooperation Group; works with major global and regional players, including China, Egypt, the ESA, France, Germany, India, Japan, Russia, South Korea, Turkey, the UK, and the US; sees its commercial space industry as a key to diversifying and developing the country’s non-oil economy; dozens of space companies operate in the UAE, including international and start-ups, plus several space-science research centers (2025)

Environment

Carbon dioxide emissions

From coal and metallurgical coke: 12.788 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 132.876 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 126.038 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Total emissions: 271.703 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Environmental issues

air pollution; water scarcity; lack of natural freshwater resources; land degradation and desertification; waste generation, beach pollution from oil spills

International environmental agreements

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

Methane emissions

Agriculture: 47.4 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Energy: 1,573.7 kt (2022-2024 est.)
Other: 2.5 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Waste: 448.4 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

38.9 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Protected areas

16 % of total land area

Renewable electricity output

4 % of total

Total renewable water resources

150 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

1,510 % of internal resources
Agricultural: 2.466 billion cubic meters (2022)
Industrial: 55 million cubic meters (2022)
Municipal: 2.297 billion cubic meters (2022)

Waste and recycling

Municipal solid waste generated annually: 5.618 million tons (2024 est.)
Percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 24.5% (2022 est.)