{{Short description|Country in West Asia}}
{{redirect-multi|2|UAE|The Emirates|other uses|UAE (disambiguation)|and|Emirates (disambiguation)}}
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{{Use British English|date=May 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2025}}
{{Infobox country
| conventional_long_name = United Arab Emirates
| common_name = UAE
| native_name = {{native name|ar|الإِمَارَات العَرَبِيَّة المُتَّحِدة}}
{{resize|85%|{{transliteration|ar|al-Imārāt al-'Arabiyya al-Muttaḥida}}}}
| image_flag = Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg
| flag_type = [[Flag of the United Arab Emirates|Flag]]
| image_coat = Emblem of the United Arab Emirates.svg
| symbol_type = [[Emblem of the United Arab Emirates|Emblem]]
| national_anthem = {{lang|ar|عيشي بلادي}}
{{transliteration|ar|[[Ishy Bilady|Īshī Bilādī]]}}
"Long Live My Country" [[File:UAE national anthem.ogg]]
| image_map = United Arab Emirates (orthographic projection).svg
| map_width = 250px
| map_caption = {{map caption |location_color= green |region=the [[Arabian Peninsula]] |region_color= none}}
| image_map2 = {{maplink |frame=yes
| frame-width=250 |frame-height=250 |frame-align=center
| text= '''United Arab Emirates'''
| type=line|id=Q878|stroke-width=1|stroke-colour=#0000ff|title=UAE }}
| capital = [[Abu Dhabi]]
| coordinates = {{Coord|24|28|N|54|22|E|type:city}}
| largest_city = [[Dubai]]
{{coord|25|15|N|55|18|E|display=inline}}
| official_languages = [[Modern Standard Arabic|Arabic]][{{cite web |title=Fact sheet |url=https://u.ae/en/about-the-uae/fact-sheet |website=United Arab Emirates |publisher=U.ae |access-date=31 August 2020 |archive-date=18 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231118101755/https://u.ae/en/about-the-uae/fact-sheet |url-status=live }}]
| common_languages = {{hlist|[[Emirati Arabic]]|[[English language|English]]{{efn|English is the most commonly spoken language in the UAE.[{{cite journal |last1=Siemund |first1=Peter |last2=Al-Issa |first2=Ahmad |last3=Leimgruber |first3=Jakob R. E. |title=Multilingualism and the role of English in the United Arab Emirates |journal=World Englishes |date=June 2021 |volume=40 |issue=2 |pages=191–204 |doi=10.1111/weng.12507 |s2cid=219903631 |language=en |issn=0883-2919|doi-access=free }}][{{cite web |title=What Languages are Spoken in Dubai? {{!}} Visit Dubai |url=https://www.visitdubai.com/en/articles/spoken-languages-in-dubai#:~:text=Absolutely.,English%20is%20always%20an%20option. |website=www.visitdubai.com |publisher=Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism |access-date=15 May 2023 |language=en |archive-date=15 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220115224604/https://www.visitdubai.com/en/articles/spoken-languages-in-dubai#:~:text=Absolutely.,English%20is%20always%20an%20option. |url-status=live }}]}}}}
| ethnic_groups = {{tree list}}
* 59.4% [[South Asian diaspora|South Asian]]
** 38.2% [[Indians in the United Arab Emirates|Indian]]
** 9.5% [[Bangladeshis in the United Arab Emirates|Bangladeshi]]
** 9.4% [[Pakistanis in the United Arab Emirates|Pakistani]]
** 2.3% [[South Asian ethnic groups|other]]
* 12% [[Emiratis|Emirati Arab]]
* 10.2% [[Expatriates in the United Arab Emirates#Egyptians|Egyptian]]
* 6.1% [[Filipinos in the United Arab Emirates|Filipino]]
* 12.4% [[Expatriates in the United Arab Emirates|other]]
{{tree list/end}}
| ethnic_groups_ref = [{{cite book|last=Stewart|first=Dona J.|title=The Middle East Today: Political, Geographical and Cultural Perspectives|publisher=Routledge|date=2013|location=London and New York|isbn=978-0-415-78243-2|page=155}}][{{cite book|last=Day|first=Alan John|title=Political Parties of The World|publisher=Stockton|date=1996|isbn=1-56159-144-0|page=599}}][{{cite web|url=https://elaws.moj.gov.ae/MainArabicTranslation.aspx?val=UAE-MOJ_LC-En/00_CONSTITUTION/UAE-LC-En_1971-07-18_00000_Dos.html&np=&lmp=undefined|title=United Arab Emirates Constitution|work=UAE Ministry of Justice|access-date=10 October 2018|archive-date=11 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181011053637/https://elaws.moj.gov.ae/MainArabicTranslation.aspx?val=UAE-MOJ_LC-En/00_CONSTITUTION/UAE-LC-En_1971-07-18_00000_Dos.html&np=&lmp=undefined|url-status=live}}]}}
| leader_title1 = [[President of the United Arab Emirates|President]]
| leader_name1 = [[Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan]]
| leader_title2 = [[Vice President of the United Arab Emirates|Vice Presidents]]
| leader_name2 = {{plainlist|
* [[Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum]]
* [[Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan]]
}}
| leader_title3 = [[Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates|Prime Minister]]
| leader_name3 = Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
| leader_title4 = [[List of deputy prime ministers of the United Arab Emirates|Deputy Prime Minister]]
| leader_name4 = {{plainlist| * Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan
[[Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan]]
[[Maktoum bin Mohammed Al Maktoum]]
[[Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum]] }}
| legislature = {{plainlist|
* [[Federal Supreme Council]]
}}
| sovereignty_type = [[History of the United Arab Emirates|Establishment]]
| established_event1 = [[British protectorate]] as part of [[Trucial States]]
| established_date1 = 1820 and 1892
| established_event2 = [[Foundation of the United Arab Emirates|Independence]] from the United Kingdom
| established_date2 = 2 December 1971
| established_event3 = Admission of [[Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah|Ras Al Khaimah]]
| established_date3 = 10 February 1972
| area_km2 = 83,600
| area_rank = 114th
| area_sq_mi = 32,278
| percent_water = Negligible
| population_estimate_year = 2024
| population_estimate = 11,027,129[{{Cite web |title=Statistics by Subject - Population |url=https://fcsc.gov.ae/en-us/Pages/Statistics/Statistics-by-Subject.aspx#/?folder=Demography%20and%20Social/Population/Population&subject=Demography%20and%20Social |access-date=2 November 2023 |website=Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre |archive-date=4 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231204085440/https://fcsc.gov.ae/en-us/Pages/Statistics/Statistics-by-Subject.aspx#/?folder=Demography%20and%20Social/Population/Population&subject=Demography%20and%20Social |url-status=live }}]
| population_density_km2 = 132
| population_density_sq_mi = 341.6
| population_density_rank = 83rd
| GDP_PPP = {{increase}} $1.006 trillion[{{cite web |url=https://data.imf.org/en/Data-Explorer?datasetUrn=IMF.RES:WEO(9.0.0) |title=World Economic Outlook Database (April 2026 Edition) |publisher=[[International Monetary Fund]] |website=www.imf.org |date=14 April 2026 |access-date=19 April 2026}}]
| GDP_PPP_year = 2026
| GDP_PPP_rank = 35th
| GDP_PPP_per_capita = {{increase}} $87,774[{{cite web|title=GINI index (World Bank estimate) – United Arab Emirates|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SI.POV.GINI?locations=AE|website=data.worldbank.org|publisher=World Bank|access-date=30 March 2020|archive-date=30 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200330025458/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SI.POV.GINI?locations=AE|url-status=live}}][{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/gini-index-coefficient-distribution-of-family-income/country-comparison/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210204222738/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/gini-index-coefficient-distribution-of-family-income/country-comparison/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 February 2021 |title=Gini Index coefficient|publisher=[[The World Factbook]]|access-date=24 September 2024}}]
| HDI = 0.940
| HDI_year = 2023
| HDI_change = increase
| HDI_ref = [{{Cite web |date=6 May 2025 |title=Human Development Report 2025 |url=https://hdr.undp.org/system/files/documents/global-report-document/hdr2025reporten.pdf|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250506051232/https://hdr.undp.org/system/files/documents/global-report-document/hdr2025reporten.pdf |archive-date=6 May 2025 |access-date=6 May 2025 |publisher=[[United Nations Development Programme]] |language=en}}]
| HDI_rank = 15th
| currency = [[United Arab Emirates dirham|Emirati dirham]] ([[File:UAE Dirham Symbol.svg|class=skin-invert-image|15px|link=Emirati dirham sign]])
| currency_code = AED
| calling_code = [[Telephone numbers in the United Arab Emirates|+971]]
| time_zone = [[Time in the United Arab Emirates|GST]]
| utc_offset = +04:00
| cctld = {{unbulleted list |[[.ae]] |[[emarat|امارات.]]}}
| linking_name =
| official_website = {{URL|https://u.ae/}}
}}
The '''United Arab Emirates''' ('''UAE'''),{{efn|{{langx|ar|الإمارات العربيّة المتّحدة|translit=al-ʾImārāt al-ʿArabiyya al-Muttaḥida|engvar=gb}}
{{ALA-LC|ar|al-Imārāt al-{{ayn}}Arabīyah al-Muttaḥidah}}}} also known simply as the '''Emirates''',{{efn|{{langx|ar|الإمارات|translit=al-ʾImārāt|links=no|engvar=gb}}}} is a country in [[West Asia]], situated at the eastern end of the [[Arabian Peninsula]]. It is a [[Federal monarchy|federal]] semi-constitutional [[monarchy]] made up of [[Emirates of the United Arab Emirates|seven emirates]], with [[Abu Dhabi]] serving as its national capital. The UAE borders [[Oman]] to the east and northeast, and [[Saudi Arabia]] to the south and southwest. It shares [[Maritime boundary|maritime borders]] with Saudi Arabia, [[Qatar]], and [[Iran]] in the [[Persian Gulf]], and with Oman in the [[Gulf of Oman]]. In 2024, the UAE had an estimated population of over 11 million. [[Dubai]] is the country's [[List of cities in the United Arab Emirates|largest city]]. [[Islam]] is the [[state religion]]. [[Arabic]] is the official language while [[English language|English]] remains the most spoken language and the language of business.[{{cite web |title=The Federal Boundaries of the United Arab Emirates |url=http://people.exeter.ac.uk/nsaa201/UAE%20Federal%20Boundaries.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230713025710/http://people.exeter.ac.uk/nsaa201/UAE%20Federal%20Boundaries.pdf |archive-date=13 July 2023 |access-date=28 March 2024}}]
The present-day United Arab Emirates is located within the historical region of [[Eastern Arabia]], which was oriented to [[maritime trade]] and [[seafaring]]. The [[Portuguese Empire|Portuguese]] arrived in the region around 1500 and set up bases on the territory while waging [[Portuguese–Safavid wars|wars]] against the [[Safavid Iran|Persians]]. By the 19th century, with [[Pearling industry|pearling]] becoming a major economic activity, [[Piracy in the Persian Gulf|piracy became rampant in the gulf]], prompting [[British Empire|British]] intervention.[{{Cite book |last=Pennel |first=C.R. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uB7ODGowJ3AC |title=Bandits at Sea: A Pirates Reader |publisher=NYU Press |year=2001 |isbn=0814766781 |page=11}}][{{Cite news |date=28 August 2011 |title=United Arab Emirates country profile |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-14703998 |access-date=27 August 2025 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}] Local [[sheikhdoms]] formed a pact with the United Kingdom to create the [[Trucial States]], a [[British protectorate]] that was effectively shielded from attempted [[First Saudi state|Saudi]] and [[Omani Empire|Omani]] [[suzerainty]].[{{Cite book |last=Bowen |first=Wayne H. |title=The history of Saudi Arabia |publisher=[[Greenwood Press]] |year=2008 |isbn=9780313087691 |pages=88 |language=English}}] The Trucial States remained under British influence until full independence as the United Arab Emirates in 1971. [[Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan]], ruler of Abu Dhabi and the country's first president (1971–2004), oversaw rapid development of the Emirates by investing revenues from newly found [[Oil reserve|oil]] into [[Health care|healthcare]], [[education]], and [[infrastructure]].[{{cite news |date=14 November 2012 |title=United Arab Emirates profile |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-14703998 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127014200/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-14703998 |archive-date=27 November 2020 |access-date=28 March 2024 |work=BBC News}}]
The United Arab Emirates is considered a [[middle power]] in global affairs;[{{Cite web |author1=Renad Mansour |author2=Mark White |date=June 2025 |title=Why peacebuilding fails and what to do about it |url=https://www.chathamhouse.org/sites/default/files/2025-06/2025-06-11-why-peacebuilding-fails-mansour-white_0.pdf |website=www.chathamhouse.org}}] Dubai serves as an international hub of finance, tourism, and commerce.[{{Citation |title=United Arab Emirates Country Summary |work=The World Factbook |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/united-arab-emirates/summaries/ |access-date=2 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231102093228/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/united-arab-emirates/summaries/ |archive-date=2 November 2023 |url-status=dead |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency |language=en}}][{{cite web |title=By Location | Pivot Table | Data Portal |url=https://population.un.org/dataportal/data/indicators/49/locations/784/start/2024/end/2024/table/pivotbylocation?df=4a78fd51-e96f-4dee-936c-2f8b1b0566b8}}] Only 11% of the population are native [[Emiratis]]; the vast majority of inhabitants are [[expatriates]] and [[migrant workers]], most of whom are from [[South Asia]].[{{Cite web |title=Facts and figures: UAE population by nationality, and more |url=https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/the-uae/facts-and-figures |access-date=27 August 2025 |website=www.mofa.gov.ae}}] The UAE has the world's [[List of countries by proven oil reserves|seventh-largest oil reserves]] and [[List of countries by natural gas proven reserves|seventh-largest natural gas reserves]].[{{cite web |url= https://www.eia.gov/beta/international/data/browser/#/?pa=00000000000000000000000000000000002&c=vvvvuvo&ct=0&tl_id=5-A&vs=INTL.57-1-AFG-TBPD.A&vo=0&v=H&start=2014&end=2016 |title=Production of Crude Oil including Lease Condensate 2016|publisher=U.S. [[Energy Information Administration]] |format=CVS download|access-date=27 May 2017|archive-date=27 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170427031435/https://www.eia.gov/beta/international/data/browser/#/?pa=00000000000000000000000000000000002&c=vvvvuvo&ct=0&tl_id=5-A&vs=INTL.57-1-AFG-TBPD.A&vo=0&v=H&start=2014&end=2016|url-status=live}}][U.S. Energy Information Administration, [http://www.eia.gov/cfapps/ipdbproject/IEDIndex3.cfm?tid=5&pid=57&aid=6 International Energy Statistics] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160816185057/http://www.eia.gov/CFapps/ipdbproject/IEDIndex3.cfm?tid=5&pid=57&aid=6 |date=16 August 2016 }}, accessed 17 January 2019.] The UAE has the most diversified economy among the members of the [[Gulf Cooperation Council]] (GCC), having become less reliant on natural resources in the 21st century and increasingly focusing on tourism and business.[{{cite web|url=http://www.imf.org/external/datamapper/index.php|title=IMF Data Mapper|publisher=Imf.org|access-date=12 February 2016|archive-date=23 July 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723163119/http://www.imf.org/external/datamapper/index.php|url-status=live}}] The UAE is a member of the [[United Nations]], [[Arab League]], [[Organisation of Islamic Cooperation]], [[Non-Aligned Movement]], [[World Trade Organization]], and [[BRICS]]; it is also a dialogue partner of the [[Shanghai Cooperation Organisation]].
The [[Federal Supreme Council]], made up of the seven ruling [[emirs]], is the highest state authority. It jointly appoints one member as [[President of the United Arab Emirates|federal president]], who appoints a [[List of prime ministers of the United Arab Emirates|prime minister]], who forms and leads [[Cabinet of the United Arab Emirates|the cabinet]].[{{Cite web |title=Political System & Governance {{!}} UAE Embassy |url=https://www.uae-embassy.org/discover-uae/governance/political-system-governance |access-date=27 August 2025 |website=Political System & Governance {{!}} UAE Embassy |language=en}}] The UAE is an [[Authoritarianism|authoritarian]] state but generally liberal by regional standards.[{{Cite web |last=Newspaper |first=Aletihad |date=19 June 2025 |title=UAE scores high on Social Progress Index with top marks in housing, healthcare |url=https://en.aletihad.ae/news/uae/4584161/uae-scores-high-on-social-progress-index-with-top-marks-in-h |access-date=27 August 2025 |website=Aletihad Newspaper |language=en-EN}}] Human rights organisations consider the UAE substandard on human rights, ranking low in the [[Human Freedom Index|human freedom index]] due to reports of government critics being imprisoned and tortured, families harassed by the state security apparatus, and cases of [[forced disappearance]]s.[{{cite web |title=United Arab Emirates Archives |url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/middle-east-and-north-africa/united-arab-emirates/report-united-arab-emirates/ |website=[[Amnesty International]] |access-date=3 April 2022 |language=en |archive-date=3 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220403073642/https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/middle-east-and-north-africa/united-arab-emirates/report-united-arab-emirates/ |url-status=live }}] Individual rights such as the freedoms of [[Freedom of assembly|assembly]], [[Freedom of association|association]], [[freedom of expression|expression]], and the [[Press Freedom Index|freedom of the press]] are severely repressed.[{{cite web |title=Report on the situation of journalists in the UAE Input for the Secretary General Report on the safety of journalists and the issue of impunity |url=https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/Documents/Issues/Journalists/GA72/InternationalCentreJusticeHumanRights.pdf |website=ohchr.org |publisher=[[Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights]] |access-date=12 May 2022 |language=en |archive-date=12 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220512002620/https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/Documents/Issues/Journalists/GA72/InternationalCentreJusticeHumanRights.pdf |url-status=live }}]
== Etymology ==
The United Arab Emirates is named after the seven emirates that formed a federation: the Emirate of [[Abu Dhabi]], the Emirate of [[Dubai]], the Emirate of [[Ajman]], the Emirate of [[Sharjah]], the Emirate of [[Ras Al Khaimah]], the Emirate of [[Umm Al Quwain]], and the Emirate of [[Fujairah]].[{{Cite web |title=The World Factbook — Central Intelligence Agency |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ae.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180126230144/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ae.html |archive-date=26 January 2018 |access-date=21 July 2025 |website=www.cia.gov |language=en}}]
== History ==
{{Main|History of the United Arab Emirates}}
=== Antiquity ===
[[File:Cántaro (26738115330).jpg|thumb|left|upright|2nd century [[Common Era|BCE]] era jar found in [[Mleiha Archaeological Centre|Mleiha Archaeological site]] in Sharjah]]
Stone tools recovered reveal a settlement of people from Africa some 127,000 years ago and a stone tool used for butchering animals discovered on the Arabian coast suggests an even older habitation from 130,000 years ago.[{{Cite news|url = https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/uae-archaeologist-discovers-the-swiss-army-knife-from-130-000-years-ago-1.254963/|title = UAE archaeologist discovers the Swiss Army knife from 130,000 years ago|last = Pennington|first = Roberta|date = 5 February 2014|work = The National|access-date = 19 February 2017|archive-date = 27 December 2016|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161227134452/http://www.thenational.ae/uae/uae-archaeologist-discovers-the-swiss-army-knife-from-130-000-years-ago|url-status = live}}] In time, lively trading links developed with civilisations in [[Mesopotamia]], Iran, and the [[Indus Valley civilisation|Harappan culture]] of the Indus Valley. This contact persisted and became wider, probably motivated by the trade in copper from the [[Hajar Mountains]], which commenced around 3,000 BCE.[{{cite web |url=http://www.adias-uae.com/ |title=Abu Dhabi Islands Archaeological Survey (ADIAS) |publisher=Adias-uae.com |access-date=12 February 2016 |archive-date=2 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210302223259/http://www.adias-uae.com/ |url-status=live }}] Sumerian sources talk of the [[Magan (civilization)|Magan]] civilisation, which has been identified as encompassing the modern UAE and Oman.[{{Cite book|title=The Early History of Civilisation|last=Woolley|first=Leonard|publisher=UNESCO|year=1963|page=611}}]
There are six periods of human settlement with distinctive behaviours in the region before Islam, which include the [[Hafit period]] from 3,200 to 2,600 BCE, the [[Umm Al Nar culture]] from 2,600 to 2,000 BCE, and the [[Wadi Suq culture]] from 2,000 to 1,300 BCE. From 1,200 BCE to the advent of Islam in Eastern Arabia, through three distinctive [[Iron Age in the United Arab Emirates|Iron Ages]] and the [[Mleiha]] period, the area was variously occupied by the [[Achaemenid Empire|Achaemenids]] and other forces, and saw the construction of fortified settlements and extensive husbandry thanks to the development of the [[Qanat|''falaj'']] irrigation system.
===Islam===
The spread of [[Islam]] to the northeastern tip of the [[Arabian Peninsula]] is thought to have followed directly from a letter sent by the [[Islamic prophet]] [[Muhammad]] to the rulers of [[Oman]] in 630 CE. This led to a group of rulers travelling to [[Medina]], converting to Islam, and subsequently driving a successful uprising against the unpopular [[Sasanian Empire|Sassanids]], who dominated the coast at the time.{{sfnp|Heard-Bey|1996|p=127}} Following the death of Muhammad, the new Islamic communities south of the [[Persian Gulf]] threatened to disintegrate, with insurrections against the [[Muslim leaders]]. Caliph [[Abu Bakr]] sent an army from the capital Medina which completed its reconquest of the territory ([[Ridda wars|the Ridda Wars]]) with the [[Battle of Dibba]] in which 10,000 lives are thought to have been lost.{{sfnp|Heard-Bey|1996|pp=127–128}} This assured the integrity of the [[Caliphate]] and the unification of the Arabian Peninsula under the newly emerging [[Rashidun Caliphate]].
In 637, Julfar—situated within the geographic boundaries of modern-day [[Ras Al Khaimah]]—was an important port that was used as a staging post for the Islamic invasion of the [[Sasanian Empire]].[{{cite book|author1=Ibrahim Abed|author2=Peter Hellyer|title=United Arab Emirates, a New Perspective|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QcMz3zV0qAMC&pg=PA83|year= 2001|isbn=978-1-900724-47-0|pages=83–84|publisher=Trident Press }}] The area of the [[Al Ain]]/[[Buraimi Oasis]] was known as Tu'am and was an important trading post for camel routes between the coast and the Arabian interior.{{sfnp|Heard-Bey|1996|pp=22–23}}
The earliest [[Christianity|Christian]] site in the UAE was first discovered in the 1990s, an extensive monastic complex on what is now known as [[Sir Bani Yas]] Island and which dates back to the seventh century. Thought to be [[Nestorianism|Nestorian]] and built in 600 CE, the church appears to have been abandoned peacefully in 750 CE.[{{Cite news|url = https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/ancient-secrets-of-sir-bani-yas-island-unveiled-1.550370|title = Ancient secrets of Sir Bani Yas unveiled|last = Thomas|first = Jen|date = 12 December 2012|work = The National|url-status=live|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151222103357/http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/ancient-secrets-of-sir-bani-yas-island-unveiled|archive-date = 22 December 2015|df = dmy-all}}] It forms a rare physical link to a legacy of Christianity, which is thought to have spread across the peninsula from 50 to 350 CE following trade routes. Certainly, by the fifth century, Oman had a bishop named John – the last bishop of Oman being Etienne, in 676 CE.[{{Cite book|title = The Trucial States|last = Hawley|first = Donald|publisher= Allen & Unwin|year = 1971|isbn = 978-0-04-953005-8|location = UK|pages = 48–51}}]
=== Portuguese era ===
{{See also|Battle of the Strait of Hormuz (1553)|Piracy in the Persian Gulf}}
[[File:Forte de doba.jpg|thumb|A painting of the [[Portuguese Empire]] {{ill|Doba Fortress|pt|Forte de Doba|vertical-align=sup}} in [[Dibba Al-Hisn]] in 1620]]
The harsh desert environment led to the emergence of the "versatile tribesman", nomadic groups who subsisted due to a variety of economic activities, including animal husbandry, agriculture, and hunting. The seasonal movements of these groups led not only to frequent clashes between groups but also to the establishment of seasonal and semi-seasonal settlements and centres. These formed tribal groupings whose names are still carried by modern Emiratis, including the [[Bani Yas]] and [[Al Nahyan family|Al Bu Falah]] of [[Abu Dhabi]], Al Ain, [[Liwa Oasis|Liwa]], and the west coast; the [[Dhawahir]], Awamir, [[Al Ali (tribe)|Al Ali]], and [[Manasir (tribe)|Manasir]] of the interior; the [[Sharqiyin]] of the east coast; and the [[Al-Qasimi|Qawasim]] to the north.[{{Cite book|title = The Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf, Oman and Central Arabia|last = Lorimer|first = John|publisher= Government of India|year = 1908|location = Bombay|pages = 1432–1436}}]
With the expansion of European [[colonial empire]]s, [[Portuguese Empire|Portuguese]], [[British Empire|English]], and [[Dutch Empire|Dutch]] forces appeared in the Persian Gulf region. By the 18th century, the Bani Yas confederation was the dominant force in most of the area now known as Abu Dhabi,{{sfnp|Heard-Bey|1996|p=43}}[{{ cite journal | first=Kashf | last=Al Gumma | title=Annals of Oman from Early times to the year 1728 AD | journal= Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal | date= 1874}}][{{ cite book | last=Ibn Ruzaiq | translator= GP Badger | title= History of the Imams and Sayids of Oman |publisher=Hakluyt Society | place= London | date= 1871}}] while the Northern [[Al-Qasimi|Al Qawasim]] (Al Qasimi) dominated maritime commerce. The Portuguese maintained an influence over the coastal settlements, building [[Fortification|forts]] in the wake of the bloody 16th-century conquests of coastal communities by [[Afonso de Albuquerque|Albuquerque]] and the Portuguese commanders who followed him – particularly on the east coast at [[Muscat]], [[Sohar]], and [[Khor Fakkan]].{{sfnp|Heard-Bey|1996|p=282}}
The southern coast of the Persian Gulf was known to the British as the "[[History of the United Arab Emirates|Pirate Coast]]",[{{ cite book | last=Baker | first= Randall | date= 1979 | title= King Husain and the Kingdom of Hejaz | publisher= The Oleander Press | place=Great Britain}}][{{cite book|title=The British Threat to the Ottoman Presence in the Persian Gulf during the Era of Abdülhamid II and the Responses toward it| last= Biral | first= Bilal Emre|publisher= Middle East Technical University|place=Ankara|date=2009}}] as boats of the Al Qawasim federation harassed British-flagged shipping from the 17th century into the 19th.[{{cite web |url=http://www.waynemadsenreport.com/articles/20081102_3 |date=3 November 2008 |title=The UAE is the old Pirate Coast. Not much has changed. |work=Wayne Madsen Report |access-date=23 June 2009 |archive-date=8 December 2011 |archive-url=http://web.archive.bibalex.org/web/20111208145256/http://www.waynemadsenreport.com/articles/20081102_3 |url-status=dead }}] The charge of piracy is disputed by modern Emirati historians, including the current ruler of Sharjah, [[Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi|Sheikh Sultan Al Qasimi]], in his 1986 book ''The Myth of Arab Piracy in the Gulf''.[{{Cite book |title=The Myth of Arab Piracy in the Gulf |last=Al Qasimi |first=Sultan |publisher=Croom Helm |year=1986 |isbn=978-0-7099-2106-6 |location=UK}}]
[[File:Persian Gulf 1507-1750.gif|alt=|thumb|Purple – [[Portuguese Empire|Portuguese]] in the Persian Gulf in the 16th and 17th century. Main cities, ports, and routes.]]
[[File:Ras Al Khaimah under attack, 1809 01.jpg|thumb|A painting depicting the burning of the coastal town and port of [[Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah]] during the [[Persian Gulf campaign of 1809]]]]
British expeditions to protect their Indian trade routes led to campaigns against Ras Al Khaimah and other harbours along the coast, including the [[Persian Gulf campaign of 1809]] and the more successful [[Persian Gulf campaign of 1819|campaign of 1819]]. The following year, Britain and a number of local rulers signed a [[General Maritime Treaty of 1820|maritime truce]],[{{Cite web |title=British rule |url=https://www.nla.ae/en/our-history/historical-periods/british-era/ |access-date=2026-04-08}}] giving rise to the term [[Trucial States]], which came to define the status of the coastal emirates. A further treaty was signed in 1843 and in 1853, the [[Perpetual Maritime Truce]] was agreed. To this was added the 'Exclusive Agreements', signed in 1892, which made the Trucial States a British protectorate.[{{cite web|url=http://www.na.ae/en/education/historicalperiods/britishprince.aspx|title=British Era|website=National Archives of the United Arab Emirates|archive-date=18 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180718144851/http://www.na.ae/en/education/historicalperiods/britishprince.aspx|url-status=dead}}]
Under the 1892 treaty, the trucial sheikhs agreed not to dispose of any territory except to the British and not to enter into relationships with any foreign government other than the British without their consent. In return, the British promised to protect the Trucial Coast from all aggression by sea and to help in case of land attack. British maritime policing meant that pearling fleets could operate in relative security. However, the British prohibition of the [[History of slavery|slave trade]] meant an important source of income was lost to some sheikhs and merchants.[[http://countrystudies.us/persian-gulf-states/84.htm United Arab Emirates – The Economy] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101214091633/http://countrystudies.us/persian-gulf-states/84.htm |date=14 December 2010 }}. [[Library of Congress Country Studies]]. Retrieved 14 July 2013.]
In 1869, the Qubaisat tribe settled at [[Khor Al Adaid]] and tried to enlist the support of the Ottomans. Khor Al Adaid was claimed by Abu Dhabi at that time, a claim supported by the British. In 1906, the British Political Resident, [[Percy Cox]], confirmed in writing to the ruler of Abu Dhabi, [[Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan]] ('Zayed the Great'), that Khor Al Adaid belonged to his sheikhdom.[{{cite book|last1=Morton|first1=Michael Quentin|title=Keepers of the Golden Shore: A History of the United Arab Emirates|year=2016|publisher=Reaktion Books|location=London|isbn=978-1-78023-580-6|pages=49–50|url=http://www.reaktionbooks.co.uk/display.asp?ISB=9781780235806|access-date=19 February 2017|archive-date=20 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170220094206/http://www.reaktionbooks.co.uk/display.asp?ISB=9781780235806|url-status=dead}}]
=== British era and discovery of oil ===
{{See also|Persian Gulf campaign of 1809|Persian Gulf campaign of 1819|General Maritime Treaty of 1820|Trucial States}}
[[File:Dhayah Fort showing hilltop location.jpg|thumb|[[Dhayah Fort]] at the hill top. In 1819 it was the last [[Al-Qasimi]] stronghold to fall in the [[Persian Gulf campaign of 1819]]. The fall of Dhayah was to pave the way for the signing of the [[General Maritime Treaty of 1820]].]]
During the 19th and early 20th centuries, the [[Pearl hunting|pearling industry]] thrived, providing both income and employment to the people of the Persian Gulf.[{{Cite journal |last=Carter |first=Robert |date=2005 |title=The History and Prehistory of Pearling in the Persian Gulf |journal=Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient |volume=48 |issue=2 |pages=139–209 |doi=10.1163/1568520054127149 |jstor=25165089 |issn=0022-4995 |url=https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1591869 }}] The [[World War I|First World War]] had a severe impact on the industry, but it was the [[economic depression]] of the late 1920s and early 1930s, coupled with the invention of the [[cultured pearl]], that wiped out the trade. The remnants of the trade eventually faded away shortly after the [[World War II|Second World War]], when the newly independent [[Government of India]] imposed heavy taxation on imported pearls. The decline of pearling resulted in extreme economic hardship in the Trucial States.[{{cite web |url=http://www.uaeinteract.com/history/trad/trd08.asp |title=UAE History & Traditions: Pearls & pearling |work=UAEinteract |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160206103534/http://www.uaeinteract.com/history/trad/trd08.asp |archive-date=6 February 2016 }}]
In 1922, the British government secured undertakings from the rulers of the Trucial States not to sign concessions with foreign companies without their consent. Aware of the potential for the development of natural resources such as oil, following finds in Persia (from 1908) and Mesopotamia (from 1927), a British-led oil company, the [[Iraq Petroleum Company]] (IPC), showed an interest in the region. The [[Anglo-Persian Oil Company]] (APOC, later to become [[BP|British Petroleum]], or BP) had a 23.75% share in IPC. From 1935, onshore concessions to explore for oil were granted by local rulers, with APOC signing the first one on behalf of Petroleum Concessions Ltd (PCL), an associate company of IPC.[{{Cite book|title = From Pearls to Oil|last = Heard|first = David|publisher= Motivate|year = 2013|isbn = 978-1-86063-311-9|location = UAE|pages = 41–42}}]
APOC was prevented from developing the region alone because of the restrictions of the [[Red Line Agreement]], which required it to operate through IPC. A number of options between PCL and the trucial rulers were signed, providing useful revenue for communities experiencing poverty following the collapse of the pearl trade. However, the wealth of oil which the rulers could see from the revenues accruing to surrounding countries remained elusive. The first bore holes in Abu Dhabi were drilled by IPC's operating company, Petroleum Development (Trucial Coast) Ltd (PDTC) at Ras Sadr in 1950, with a {{convert|13000|ft|m|abbr=off|adj=mid|-deep}} bore hole taking a year to drill and turning out dry, at the tremendous cost at the time of £1 million.
[[File:Mid-20th century Dubai.JPG|thumb|left|Dubai in 1950: the area in this photo shows [[Bur Dubai]] in the foreground (centred on [[Al-Fahidi Fort]]), [[Deira, Dubai|Deira]] in middle-right on the other side of the creek, and [[Al Shindagha]] (left) and [[Al Ras, Dubai|Al Ras]] (right) in the background across the creek, from Deira.]]
The British set up a development office that helped in some small developments in the emirates. The seven [[sheikh]]s of the [[Emirates of the United Arab Emirates|emirates]] then decided to form a council to coordinate matters between them and took over the development office. In 1952, they formed the Trucial States Council,[{{cite web|url=http://nasibbitar.net/adi_sr/DocumentsArticle4.jpg|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080803020019/http://nasibbitar.net/adi_sr/DocumentsArticle4.jpg|archive-date=3 August 2008|url-status=usurped|title=Al Khaleej News Paper}}] and appointed [[Adi Bitar|Adi Al Bitar]], Dubai's [[Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum|Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum]]'s legal advisor, as secretary general and legal advisor to the council. The council was terminated once the United Arab Emirates was formed.[{{cite web|url=https://www.fotw.info/flags/ae_tsc.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429011257/https://www.fotw.info/flags/ae_tsc.html |archive-date=29 April 2011 |title=Trucial States Council until 1971 (United Arab Emirates) |publisher=Flags of the World |url-status=live }}{{user-generated inline |date=November 2023}}] The tribal nature of society and the lack of definition of borders between emirates frequently led to disputes, settled either through mediation or, more rarely, force. The [[Trucial Oman Scouts]] was a small military force used by the British to keep the peace.
In 1953, a subsidiary of [[BP]], D'Arcy Exploration Ltd, obtained an offshore concession from the ruler of Abu Dhabi. BP joined with [[Total SE|Compagnie Française des Pétroles]] (later Total) to form operating companies, Abu Dhabi Marine Areas Ltd (ADMA) and Dubai Marine Areas Ltd (DUMA). A number of undersea oil surveys were carried out, including one led by the famous marine explorer [[Jacques Cousteau]].[{{cite journal|last1=Cousteau|first1=Jacques|title=Calypso explores for underwater oil|url=https://www.librarything.com/work/18080895|journal=National Geographic Magazine|date=August 1955|volume=CVIII|issue=2|access-date=19 February 2017|author-link=Jacques Cousteau|archive-date=20 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170220093825/https://www.librarything.com/work/18080895|url-status=live}}][{{cite journal|last1=Morton|first1=Michael Quentin|title=Calypso in the Arabian Gulf: Jacques Cousteau's Undersea Survey of 1954|journal=Liwa|date=June 2015|volume=7|issue=13|pages=3–28|url=https://www.academia.edu/13056568|access-date=27 November 2016|archive-date=26 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220426051607/https://www.academia.edu/13056568|url-status=live}}]
In 1958, a floating platform rig was towed from [[Hamburg]], [[Germany]], and positioned over the [[Umm Shaif oil field|Umm Shaif]] pearl bed, in Abu Dhabi waters, where drilling began. In March, it struck oil in the Upper Thamama rock formation. This was the first commercial discovery of the Trucial Coast, leading to the first exports of oil in 1962. ADMA made further offshore discoveries at Zakum and elsewhere, and other companies made commercial finds such as the [[Fateh Oil Field|Fateh oilfield]] off Dubai and the Mubarak field off Sharjah (shared with Iran).[{{cite web|last1=Butt|first1=Gerald|title=Oil and Gas in the UAE|url=https://www.uaeinteract.com/uaeint_misc/pdf/perspectives/11.pdf|website=UAE Interact|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151123003948/http://www.uaeinteract.com/uaeint_misc/pdf/perspectives/11.pdf|archive-date=23 November 2015}}]
Meanwhile, onshore exploration was hindered by territorial disputes. In 1955, the [[United Kingdom]] represented Abu Dhabi and Oman in their dispute with Saudi Arabia over the [[Al Buraimi Governorate|Buraimi Oasis]].[{{cite web|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5444.htm|title=United Arab Emirates (06/07)|publisher=US Department of State|access-date=12 February 2016|archive-date=6 June 2002|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020606162024/https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5444.htm|url-status=live}}] A 1974 agreement between Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia seemed to have settled the Abu Dhabi-Saudi [[Territorial dispute|border dispute]], but this has not been ratified.[{{cite book|last1=Gray|first1=Matthew|title=Global Security Watch – Saudi Arabia|year= 2014|publisher=ABC-CLIO|location=Santa Barbara|isbn=978-0-313-38699-2|page=99|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dxvFBAAAQBAJ}}] The UAE's border with Oman was ratified in 2008.[{{Cite news|url = http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/government/historic-uae-oman-accord-involves-272km-of-border-1.119592|title = Historic UAE-Oman accord involves 272 km of border|date = 22 July 2008|work = Gulf News|access-date = 19 February 2017|archive-date = 29 November 2014|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141129030925/http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/government/historic-uae-oman-accord-involves-272km-of-border-1.119592|url-status = live}}]
PDTC continued its onshore exploration away from the disputed area, drilling five more bore holes that were also dry. However, on 27 October 1960, the company discovered oil in commercial quantities at the Murban No. 3 well on the coast near Tarif.[{{Cite book|title = From Pearls to Oil|last = Heard|first = David|publisher= Motivate|year = 2013|isbn = 978-1-86063-311-9|location = UAE|pages = 413–416}}] In 1962, PDTC became the [[Abu Dhabi Petroleum Company]]. As oil revenues increased, the ruler of Abu Dhabi, [[Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan]], undertook a massive construction program, building schools, housing, hospitals, and roads. When Dubai's oil exports commenced in 1969, Sheikh [[Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum]], the ruler of Dubai, was able to invest the revenues from the limited reserves found to spark the diversification drive that would create the modern [[global city]] of Dubai.[{{cite web |author=Gornall, Jonathan |date=2 December 2011 |url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/sun-sets-on-british-empire-as-uae-raises-its-flag-1.574721/ |title=Sun sets on British Empire as UAE raises its flag |work=The National |location=Abu Dhabi |access-date=28 March 2024 |archive-date=29 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170629152914/http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/sun-sets-on-british-empire-as-uae-raises-its-flag#page5 |url-status=live }}] After [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] MP [[Goronwy Roberts, Baron Goronwy-Roberts|Goronwy Roberts]] informed Sheikh Zayed of the news of British withdrawal, the nine Persian Gulf sheikhdoms attempted to form a union of Arab emirates, but by mid-1971 they were still unable to agree on terms of union even though the British treaty relationship was to expire in December of that year.[{{cite web |url=http://guide.theemiratesnetwork.com/basics/history_of_the_emirates.php |title=History the United Arab Emirates (UAE) – TEN Guide |work=Guide.theemiratesnetwork.com |date=11 February 1972 |access-date=23 June 2009 |archive-date=8 June 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090608021436/http://guide.theemiratesnetwork.com/basics/history_of_the_emirates.php |url-status=dead }}]
Fears of vulnerability were realised the day before independence. An Iranian destroyer group broke formation from an exercise in the lower Gulf, sailing to the [[Greater and Lesser Tunbs|Tunb islands]]. On 30 November 1971 the islands were [[Seizure of Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs|taken by force]], civilians and Arab defenders alike allowed to flee. Two British warships, the aircraft carrier [[HMS Eagle (R05)|HMS ''Eagle'']] and the [[HMS Albion (R07)|HMS ''Albion'']], stood idle during the course of the invasion.[{{cite web|url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/tonb |title=Tonb Islands (Greater and Lesser), two tiny islands of arguable strategic importance in the eastern Persian Gulf, south of the western tip of Qešm island |last1=Mirfendereski |first1=Guive |date=25 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150704222708/http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/tonb |archive-date=4 July 2015 }}] A destroyer group approached the island of [[Abu Musa]] as well. But there, [[Khalid bin Muhammad Al Qasimi|Sheikh Khalid bin Muhammad Al Qasimi]] had already negotiated with the Iranian shah, and the island was quickly leased to Iran for $3 million a year. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia laid claim to swathes of Abu Dhabi.[{{cite book|last1=Krane |first1=Jim |year=2009 |title=City of Gold: Dubai and the Dream of Capitalism |pages=81–84}}] It was not until 1974 that a [[Treaty of Jeddah (1974)|border agreement]] was signed with Saudi Arabia, formally demarcating the frontiers between the UAE and Saudi Arabia. The UAE's sense of threat from Iran influenced its financial support for [[Ba'athist Iraq|Iraq]] during the [[Iran–Iraq War]].[{{Cite web |date=20 April 2025 |title=United Arab Emirates - Gulf, Sheikhdoms, Federation {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/United-Arab-Emirates/History |access-date=21 April 2025 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}]
Originally intended to be part of the proposed Federation of Arab Emirates, Bahrain became independent in August, and Qatar in September 1971. When the British-Trucial Sheikhdoms treaty expired on 1 December 1971, both emirates became fully independent.[{{cite web |url=http://www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-1021.html |title=Bahrain – Independence |publisher=Country-data.com |access-date=28 March 2024 |archive-date=26 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090226201621/http://www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-1021.html |url-status=live }}] On 2 December 1971, six of the emirates (Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Sharjah, and Umm Al Quwain) agreed to enter into a union named the United Arab Emirates. [[Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah|Ras al-Khaimah]] joined later, on 10 January 1972.[{{cite book|author=Smith, Simon C. |title=Britain's Revival and Fall in the Gulf: Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and the Trucial States, 1950–71|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w_qCeBV9IW0C&pg=PA64|year=2004|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-0-415-33192-0|page=64}}][{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O209-TrucialOmanorTrucialStats.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111119060814/http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O209-TrucialOmanorTrucialStats.html|archive-date=19 November 2011 |title=Trucial Oman or Trucial States – Origin of Trucial Oman or Trucial States | Encyclopedia.com: Oxford Dictionary of World Place Names |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia.com }}] In February 1972, the [[Federal National Council]] (FNC) was created; it was a 40-member consultative body appointed by the seven rulers. The UAE joined the [[Arab League]] on 6 December 1971 and the [[United Nations]] on 9 December.[{{Cite book|title=Now the Dust Has Settled|last=De Butts|first=Freddie|publisher=Tabb House|year=1995|isbn=978-1-873951-13-2|page=228}}] It was a founding member of the [[Gulf Cooperation Council]] in May 1981, with Abu Dhabi hosting the first [[Gulf Cooperation Council#History and founding|GCC summit]].
=== Post-independence period ===
The founding fathers of the United Arab Emirates were: [[Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan]] of [[Abu Dhabi]]; [[Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum]] of [[Dubai]]; [[Khalid bin Muhammad Al Qasimi]] of [[Sharjah]]; [[Rashid bin Humaid Al Nuaimi III|Rashid bin Humaid Al Nuaimi]] of [[Ajman]]; [[Ahmad bin Rashid Al Mualla]] of [[Umm Al Quwain]]; [[Saqr bin Mohammed Al Qasimi]] of [[Ras Al Khaimah]] and [[Mohammed bin Hamad Al Sharqi]] of [[Fujairah]].[[File:Burj Khalifa (worlds tallest building) and the Dubai skyline (25781049892).jpg|thumb|Skyline of [[Dubai]]]]
The UAE supported military operations by the US and other [[Coalition of the Gulf War|coalition states]] engaged in the [[Gulf War]] against [[Saddam Hussein]] in [[Ba'athist Iraq]] (1991), as well as operations supporting the global [[war on terror]] for the [[Horn of Africa]] at [[Al Dhafra Air Base]] located outside of Abu Dhabi. The air base also supported Allied operations during the 1991 Persian Gulf War and [[Operation Northern Watch]]. The country had already signed a [[military]] defence agreement with the U.S. in 1994 and one with France in 1995.[{{cite web |url= http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/crs/rl31641.pdf |author=Prados, Alfred B. | date=2002 |title= Iraqi Challenges and U.S. Responses: March 1991 through October 2002 |url-status=unfit |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060818063026/http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/crs/rl31641.pdf |archive-date= 18 August 2006| publisher= Library of Congress}}][{{cite journal |author= Foley, Sean |url= http://www.gloria-center.org/meria/1999/03/foley.pdf |title= The UAE: Political Issues and Security Dilemmas |journal= Middle East Review of International Affairs |volume= 3 |issue= 1 |date= March 1999 |access-date= 8 April 2013 |archive-date= 13 June 2013 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130613164952/http://www.gloria-center.org/meria/1999/03/foley.pdf |url-status= dead }}] In January 2008, France and the UAE signed a deal allowing France to set up a permanent military base in the emirate of Abu Dhabi.[{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-14704414 |title=United Arab Emirates profile – Timeline |work=BBC News |date=14 November 2012 |access-date=28 March 2024 |archive-date=26 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240226130642/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-14704414 |url-status=live }}] The UAE joined international military operations in Libya in March 2011.
On 2 November 2004, the UAE's first president, Sheikh [[Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan]], died. Sheikh [[Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan]] was elected as the [[President of the United Arab Emirates|president of the UAE]]. Sheikh [[Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan]] succeeded Sheikh Khalifa as crown prince of Abu Dhabi.[{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3975737.stm |title=Veteran Gulf ruler Zayed dies |work=BBC News |date=2 November 2004 |access-date=28 March 2024 |archive-date=29 September 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090929223450/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3975737.stm |url-status=live }}] In January 2006, Sheikh [[Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum]], the prime minister of the UAE and the ruler of Dubai, died, and Sheikh [[Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum]] assumed both roles.
The first ever national elections were held on 16 December 2006. A number of voters chose half of the members of the [[Federal National Council]]. The UAE has largely escaped the [[Arab Spring]], which other countries have experienced; however, 60 Emirati activists from [[Al Islah (United Arab Emirates)|Al Islah]] were apprehended for an alleged coup attempt and the attempt of the establishment of an [[Islamism|Islamist]] state in the UAE.[{{cite news |last=Bakr |first=Amena |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-emirates-courts-norway-idUSBRE96K0AK20130721 |title=Woman jailed in Dubai after reporting rape hopes to warn others |work=Reuters |date=21 July 2013 |access-date=5 November 2013 |archive-date=10 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151210075642/http://www.reuters.com/article/us-emirates-courts-norway-idUSBRE96K0AK20130721 |url-status=live }}][{{cite news|title=Brotherhood 'sought Islamist state in UAE'|url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/brotherhood-sought-islamist-state-in-uae-1.576627/|access-date=20 November 2012|date=21 September 2012|archive-date=22 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022094439/http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/brotherhood-sought-islamist-state-in-uae|url-status=live}}][{{cite web |url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde25/0018/2014/en/ |title=United Arab Emirates: Silencing dissent in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) |date=18 November 2014 |publisher=Amnesty International |access-date=12 February 2016 |archive-date=6 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160106215938/https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde25/0018/2014/en/ |url-status=live }}] Mindful of the protests in nearby Bahrain, in November 2012 the UAE outlawed online mockery of its government or attempts to organise public protests through social media.[{{Cite news|last1=Hammond|first1=Ashley|url=https://gulfnews.com/uae/health/watch-how-the-first-coronavirus-case-in-uae-was-cured-1.1581323524356|title=Watch: How the first coronavirus case in UAE was cured|date=10 February 2020|work=Gulf News|access-date=11 February 2020|last2=Chaudhary|first2=Suchitra Bajpai|last3=Hilotin|first3=Jay|archive-date=10 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200210155105/https://gulfnews.com/uae/health/watch-how-the-first-coronavirus-case-in-uae-was-cured-1.1581323524356|url-status=live}}] Two months later, in March, the government announced the closure of shopping malls, schools, and places of worship, in addition to imposing a 24-hour curfew, and suspending all [[Emirates (airline)|Emirates]] passenger flights.[{{cite web|url=https://gulfnews.com/uae/government/coronavirus-uae-shuts-malls-for-two-weeks-1.1584914600541|title=Coronavirus: UAE shuts malls for two weeks|website=Gulf News|date=23 March 2020|access-date=28 March 2024|archive-date=23 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200323164723/https://gulfnews.com/uae/government/coronavirus-uae-shuts-malls-for-two-weeks-1.1584914600541|url-status=live}}][{{cite web|url=https://apnews.com/10aa229f979a05241ede3c349f5e4d2d |first1=Aya |last1=Batrawy |title=Dubai's Emirates cuts passenger flights to 13 destinations|website=[[Associated Press]]|date=22 March 2020|access-date=28 March 2024|archive-date=30 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230530142404/https://apnews.com/10aa229f979a05241ede3c349f5e4d2d|url-status=live}}] This resulted in a major economic downturn, which eventually led to the merger of more than 50% of the UAE's [[:Category:United Arab Emirates federal entities|federal agencies]].[{{cite news|url=https://www.ft.com/content/b2d8b670-8fd3-41e7-850b-e0c74302805e |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/https://www.ft.com/content/b2d8b670-8fd3-41e7-850b-e0c74302805e |archive-date=10 December 2022 |url-access=subscription|title=UAE merges ministries in ambitious government restructuring|access-date=5 July 2020|website=Financial Times|date=5 July 2020|last1=Kerr|first1=Simeon}}]
[[File:President Joe Biden stands with leaders of the GCC countries, Egypt, Iraq, and Jordan.jpg|thumb|UAE's President [[Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan]] and other leaders at the [[Gulf Cooperation Council|GCC]]+3 summit in [[Jeddah]], 16 July 2022]]
On 29 August 2020, the UAE established normal diplomatic relations with [[Israel]] and with the help of the [[United States]], they signed the [[Abraham Accords]] with [[Bahrain]].[{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-53770859|title=Israel and UAE strike historic deal to normalise relations|work=BBC News|date=13 August 2020|access-date=28 March 2024|archive-date=13 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200813152232/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-53770859|url-status=live}}]
On 9 February 2021, the UAE achieved a historic milestone when its probe, named ''[[Emirates Mars Mission|Hope]]'', successfully reached [[Mars]]'s orbit. The UAE became the first country in the [[Arab world]] to reach Mars, the fifth country to successfully reach Mars, and the second country, after an [[Mars Orbiter Mission|Indian probe]], to orbit Mars on its maiden attempt.
On 14 May 2022, Sheikh [[Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan]] was elected as the UAE's new president after the death of [[Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan|Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan]].[{{cite news |title=Who is MBZ, the UAE's new president? |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/5/14/who-is-sheikh-mohammed-bin-zayed-al-nahyan-mbz-uaes-new-president |work=Al Jazeera |language=en |access-date=28 March 2024 |archive-date=16 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220516064657/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/5/14/who-is-sheikh-mohammed-bin-zayed-al-nahyan-mbz-uaes-new-president |url-status=live }}]
Following the beginning of coordinated [[2026 Iran war|U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran]] on 28 February 2026, the UAE faced a series of retaliatory [[2026 Iranian strikes on the United Arab Emirates|drone and missile attacks]] from Iran, whose [[Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps]] targeted both U.S. military assets and critical Emirati economic infrastructure.[{{cite news |title=Iran's IRGC claims attacks on UAE, Bahrain aluminium facilities |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/29/irans-irgc-claim-attacks-on-uae-bahrain-facilities-linked-to-us-war |work=Al Jazeera |date=29 March 2026}}] The UAE is strengthening security cooperation with Israel.[{{Cite web |last=Lieber |first=Summer Said, Jared Malsin and Dov |date=2026-04-30 |title=The U.A.E.'s OPEC Bombshell Signals a New Middle East Order |url=https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/u-a-e-opec-new-middle-east-32ceda56 |access-date=2026-04-30 |website=The Wall Street Journal |language=en-US}}] At the start of the Iran war, Israel sent its [[Iron Dome]] missile-defence system and military personnel to operate it to the UAE, the first time the technology has been sent to another country.[{{Cite news |last=Rasgon |first=Adam |date=2026-05-01 |title=Israel Said to Have Helped Defend Emirates in Iran War With Iron Dome |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/01/world/middleeast/israel-emirates-iron-dome.html |access-date=2026-05-03 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}] ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'' reported citing people familiar with the matter that the UAE had been discreetly striking Iran throughout the war, including a strike on [[Lavan Island]] in early April, thus making it an active belligerent.[{{Cite news |last=Holliday |first=Shelby |last2=Said |first2=Summer |date=2026-05-11 |title=The U.A.E. Has Been Secretly Carrying Out Attacks on Iran |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-u-a-e-has-been-secretly-carrying-out-attacks-on-iran-f1745a0d |access-date=2026-05-11 |work=Wall Street Journal |language=en-US |issn=0099-9660}}]
The UAE announced its decision to quit OPEC on 28 April 2026 effective 1 May 2026, partially to allow increased oil production.[{{cite news |title=Faisal Islam: Why the UAE's exit from Opec is a big deal|work=bbc|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj4pxyklw1jo|accessdate=2026-04-28|date=28 April 2026}}][{{cite web|url=https://www.msn.com/en-sg/news/other/uae-qatar-seek-new-gulf-asia-trade-corridor-in-landmark-agreement-with-south-korea/ar-AA22jIUR?ocid=finance-verthp-feeds|title=UAE, Qatar seek new Gulf-Asia trade corridor in landmark agreement with South Korea|work=msn|accessdate=2026-05-04}}]
== Geography ==
{{Main|Geography of the United Arab Emirates}}
[[File:Satellite image of United Arab Emirates in October.jpg|thumb|left|Satellite image of United Arab Emirates]]
The United Arab Emirates is situated in the [[Middle East]], bordering the [[Gulf of Oman]] and the [[Persian Gulf]], between [[Oman]] and [[Saudi Arabia]]; it is in a strategic location slightly south of the [[Strait of Hormuz]], a vital transit point for world [[Petroleum|crude oil]].[{{cite web|url=http://www.uae.gov.ae/Government/oil_gas.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080705161411/http://www.uae.gov.ae/Government/oil_gas.htm|archive-date=5 July 2008 |title=UAE Oil and Gas |publisher=UAE Ministry of Finance and Industry | url-status=dead |date=19 June 1999 }}]
The UAE lies between 22°30' and 26°10' north latitude and between 51° and 56°25′ east longitude. It shares a {{convert|530|km|mi|adj=on}} border with Saudi Arabia on the west, south, and southeast, and a {{convert|450|km|mi|adj=on}} border with Oman on the southeast and northeast. The land border with Qatar in the [[Khor Al Adaid]] area is about {{convert|19|km|mi|spell=in|abbr=off}} in the northwest; however, it is a source of [[Saudi Arabia – United Arab Emirates border dispute|ongoing dispute]].[{{cite web|url=http://www.arabmediawatch.com/amw/CountryBackgrounds/SaudiArabia/SaudiUAEdisputes/tabid/174/Default.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100408121304/http://www.arabmediawatch.com/amw/CountryBackgrounds/SaudiArabia/SaudiUAEdisputes/tabid/174/Default.aspx |archive-date=8 April 2010 |title=Saudi-UAE Disputes |publisher=Arabmediawatch.com |date=21 August 1974 }}] Following Britain's military departure from the UAE in 1971, and its establishment as a new state, the UAE laid claim to Iranian-occupied islands of Abu Musa and the Greater and the Lesser Tunbs, when Iran captured them during the British rule, resulting in disputes with Iran that remain unresolved.[{{cite web|title=UAE official calls for international action to end "Iranian occupation" of disputed islands|url=https://www.mei.edu/publications/uae-official-calls-international-action-end-iranian-occupation-disputed-islands|access-date=27 July 2021|website=Middle East Institute|language=en|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727100431/https://www.mei.edu/publications/uae-official-calls-international-action-end-iranian-occupation-disputed-islands|url-status=live}}] The UAE also disputes claim on other islands against the neighbouring state of Qatar.[{{cite web|url=http://www.uaeprison.com/uae_disputes.htm|title=UAE Disputes, International UAE Disputes, UAE Boundary Dispute, UAE National Disputes, UAE Emirate Disputes, Claims Three Islands, Abu Musa Island, Greater & Lesser Tumb, The History of Islands, Human Resources UAE, Arab Emirates.|website=www.uaeprison.com|access-date=25 June 2018|archive-date=4 August 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090804050555/http://www.uaeprison.com/uae_disputes.htm|url-status=live}}] The largest emirate, [[Abu Dhabi (emirate)|Abu Dhabi]], accounts for 87% of the UAE's total area,[{{Cite book|author=((Oxford Business Group)) |title=The Report: Abu Dhabi 2015|publisher=Oxford Business Group|year=2016|isbn=978-1-910068-25-0|page=17}}] {{convert|67340|km2|0|abbr=out}}.[{{Cite book|last1=Brinkmann|first1=Robert|title=The Palgrave Handbook of Sustainability: Case Studies and Practical Solutions|last2=Garren|first2=Sandra J.|publisher=Springer|year=2018|isbn=978-3-319-71389-2|page=806}}] The smallest emirate, [[Emirate of Ajman|Ajman]], encompasses only {{convert|259|km2|0|abbr=on}}.[{{Cite book|last=D'Avanzo|first=Carolyn|title=Mosby's Pocket Guide to Cultural Health Assessment|publisher=Elsevier Health Sciences|year=2008|isbn=978-0-323-08604-2|page=751}}]
The UAE coast stretches for nearly {{convert|650|km|0|abbr=on}} along the southern shore of the [[Persian Gulf]], briefly interrupted by an isolated outcrop of the Sultanate of Oman. Six of the emirates are situated along the Persian Gulf, and the seventh, Fujairah, is on the eastern coast of the peninsula with direct access to the Gulf of Oman.[{{Cite book|title=The Middle East and North Africa 2004|publisher=Taylor Francis - Psychology Press|year=2003|isbn=1-85743-184-7|page=1175}}] Most of the coast consists of [[Salt pan (geology)|salt pans]] that extend {{convert|8|–|10|km|abbr=on}} inland.[{{Cite journal|last1=Schulz|first1=Stephan|last2=Horovitz|first2=Marcel|last3=Rausch|first3=Randolf|last4=Michelsen|first4=Nils|last5=Mallast|first5=Ulf|last6=Köhne|first6=Maximilian|last7=Siebert|first7=Christian|last8=Schüth|first8=Christoph|last9=Al-Saud|first9=Mohammed|last10=Merz|first10=Ralf|date=1 December 2015|title=Groundwater evaporation from salt pans: Examples from the eastern Arabian Peninsula|journal=Journal of Hydrology|language=en|volume=531|pages=792–801|doi=10.1016/j.jhydrol.2015.10.048|bibcode=2015JHyd..531..792S|issn=0022-1694|doi-access=free}}] The largest [[harbor|natural harbour]] is at Dubai, although other ports have been dredged at Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and elsewhere.[{{cite web|date=4 April 2020|title=Top 5 Ports in United Arab Emirates|url=https://www.icontainers.com/us/2020/03/30/top-five-ports-united-arab-emirates/|access-date=17 August 2021|website=iContainers|language=en|archive-date=17 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210817053645/https://www.icontainers.com/us/2020/03/30/top-five-ports-united-arab-emirates/|url-status=live}}] Numerous islands are found in the Persian Gulf, and the ownership of some of them has been the subject of international disputes with both [[Iran]] and [[Qatar]]. The smaller islands, as well as many [[coral reef]]s and shifting sandbars, are a menace to navigation. Strong tides and occasional windstorms further complicate ship movements near the shore. The UAE also has a stretch of the [[Al Batinah Region|Al Bāţinah]] coast of the Gulf of Oman. The [[Musandam Governorate|Musandam Peninsula]], the very tip of Arabia by the Strait of Hormuz, and [[Madha]] are [[enclave and exclave|exclaves]] of Oman separated by the UAE.[{{Cite book|last1=Lancaster|first1=William|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Le0Ryxzh7cQC&q=musandam|title=Honour is in Contentment: Life Before Oil in Ras Al-Khaimah (UAE) and Some Neighbouring Regions|last2=Lancaster|first2=Fidelity|date=2011|publisher=Walter de Gruyter|isbn=978-3-11-022339-2|language=en|access-date=28 March 2024|archive-date=6 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231106051754/https://books.google.com/books?id=Le0Ryxzh7cQC&q=musandam#v=snippet&q=musandam&f=false|url-status=live}}]
[[File:View from Jebel Jais - panoramio.jpg|thumb|Roads leading to [[Jebel Jais]], the highest mountain in the UAE (1,892 m), in [[Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah|Ras Al Khaimah]]]]
South and west of Abu Dhabi, vast, rolling [[dune|sand dunes]] merge into the [[Rub al-Khali]] (Empty Quarter) of Saudi Arabia.[{{cite web|date=31 August 2008|title=Empty Quarter|url=https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/9054/empty-quarter|access-date=6 September 2021|website=earthobservatory.nasa.gov|language=en|archive-date=6 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210906080241/https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/9054/empty-quarter|url-status=live}}] The desert area of Abu Dhabi includes two important oases with adequate underground water for permanent settlements and cultivation. The extensive [[Liwa Oasis]] is in the south near the undefined border with Saudi Arabia. About {{convert|100|km|0|abbr=on}} to the northeast of Liwa is the [[Al Buraimi Governorate|Al-Buraimi]] oasis, which extends on both sides of the Abu Dhabi-Oman border. [[Lake Zakher]] in Al Ain is a [[Man-made lake|human-made lake]] near the border with Oman that was created from treated waste water.[{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/14/world/meast/desert-lake-zakher-emirates/index.html?hpt=hp_t2 |title=The accidental lake: Birdwatcher's oasis or ecological disaster? |work=CNN |date=14 March 2013 |access-date=6 August 2013 |archive-date=18 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130518052304/http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/14/world/meast/desert-lake-zakher-emirates/index.html?hpt=hp_t2 |url-status=live }}]
Prior to withdrawing from the area in 1971, Britain delineated the internal borders among the seven emirates in order to preempt territorial disputes that might hamper formation of the federation. In general, the rulers of the emirates accepted the British interventions, but in the case of boundary disputes between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and also between Dubai and Sharjah, conflicting claims were not resolved until after the UAE became independent. The most complicated borders were in the [[Western Hajar Mountains]], where five of the emirates contested jurisdiction over more than a dozen enclaves.
=== Biodiversity{{anchor|Flora_and_fauna}} ===
{{Main|Wildlife of the United Arab Emirates}}
[[File:1501200713074 Acacia tortilis.jpg|thumb|[[Acacia]] trees growing in desert suburbs near [[Fujairah]]]]
The UAE contains the following terrestrial ecoregions: [[Al Hajar montane woodlands]] and shrublands, [[Gulf of Oman desert and semi-desert]], and Al-Hajar foothill [[Deserts and xeric shrublands|xeric woodlands and shrublands]].[{{cite journal|last1=Dinerstein|first1=Eric|last2=Olson|first2=David|last3=Joshi|first3=Anup|last4=Vynne|first4=Carly|last5=Burgess|first5=Neil D.|last6=Wikramanayake|first6=Eric|last7=Hahn|first7=Nathan|last8=Palminteri|first8=Suzanne|last9=Hedao|first9=Prashant|last10=Noss|first10=Reed|last11=Hansen|first11=Matt|last12=Locke|first12=Harvey|last13=Ellis|first13=Erle C|last14=Jones|first14=Benjamin|last15=Barber|first15=Charles Victor|last16=Hayes|first16=Randy|last17=Kormos|first17=Cyril|last18=Martin|first18=Vance|last19=Crist|first19=Eileen|last20=Sechrest|first20=Wes|last21=Price|first21=Lori|last22=Baillie|first22=Jonathan E. M.|last23=Weeden|first23=Don|last24=Suckling|first24=Kierán|last25=Davis|first25=Crystal|last26=Sizer|first26=Nigel|last27=Moore|first27=Rebecca|last28=Thau|first28=David|last29=Birch|first29=Tanya|last30=Potapov|first30=Peter|last31=Turubanova|first31=Svetlana|last32=Tyukavina|first32=Alexandra|last33=de Souza|first33=Nadia|last34=Pintea|first34=Lilian|last35=Brito|first35=José C.|last36=Llewellyn|first36=Othman A.|last37=Miller|first37=Anthony G.|last38=Patzelt|first38=Annette|last39=Ghazanfar|first39=Shahina A.|last40=Timberlake|first40=Jonathan|last41=Klöser|first41=Heinz|last42=Shennan-Farpón|first42=Yara|last43=Kindt|first43=Roeland|last44=Lillesø|first44=Jens-Peter Barnekow|last45=van Breugel|first45=Paulo|last46=Graudal|first46=Lars|last47=Voge|first47=Maianna|last48=Al-Shammari|first48=Khalaf F.|last49=Saleem|first49=Muhammad|display-authors=1|title=An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm|journal=BioScience|volume=67|issue=6|year=2017|pages=534–545|issn=0006-3568|doi=10.1093/biosci/bix014|pmid=28608869|pmc=5451287|doi-access=free}}]
The oases grow [[Phoenix dactylifera|date palms]], [[acacia]], and [[eucalyptus]] trees. In the desert, the flora is very sparse and consists of [[grasses]] and thorn bushes. The indigenous fauna had come close to extinction because of intensive hunting, which has led to a conservation program on [[Sir Bani Yas]] Island initiated by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in the 1970s, resulting in the survival of, for example, [[Arabian Oryx]], [[Arabian camel]], and [[leopard]]s. [[Coastal fish]] and [[mammals]] consist mainly of [[mackerel]], [[Estuary perch|perch]], and [[tuna]], as well as [[shark]]s and whales.
=== Climate ===
[[File:Water stress, top countries (2022).svg|thumb|United Arab Emirates was the second most water stressed country in the world in 2022.[[[FAO]]. 2023. ''[https://www.fao.org/3/cc8166en/cc8166en.pdf World Food and Agriculture – Statistical Yearbook 2023]''. Rome. p. 41–42]]]
The climate of the UAE is subtropical-arid with hot summers and warm winters. The climate is categorised as desert climate. The hottest months are July and August, when average maximum temperatures reach above {{convert|45|°C|°F|0}} on the [[coastal plain]]. In the Hajar Mountains, temperatures are considerably lower, a result of increased elevation.[{{cite web|url=http://www.manmm.net/eng/?page_id=35 |title= UAE Climate |publisher=Manmm.net |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160112072308/http://www.manmm.net/eng/?page_id=35 |archive-date=12 January 2016 }}] Average minimum temperatures in January and February are between {{convert|10|and|14|°C|°F|0|abbr=on}}.[{{cite web |url=http://www.abudhabi.ms/weather.html |title=Weather in Abu Dhabi |publisher=Abudhabi.ms |date=8 March 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090429193142/http://www.abudhabi.ms/weather.html |archive-date=29 April 2009 }}] During the late summer months, a humid southeastern wind known as Sharqi (i.e. "Easterner") makes the coastal region especially unpleasant. The average annual rainfall in the coastal area is less than {{convert|120|mm|in|1|abbr=on}}, but in some mountainous areas annual rainfall often reaches {{convert|350|mm|in|1|abbr=on}}. Rain in the coastal region falls in short, torrential bursts during the winter months, sometimes resulting in floods in ordinarily dry [[wadi]] beds.[{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/7189929.stm |title=In Pictures | Flooding in the UAE |work=BBC News |date=15 January 2008 |access-date=24 June 2009 |archive-date=29 September 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090929223446/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/7189929.stm |url-status=live }}] The region is prone to occasional, violent [[dust storm]]s, which can severely reduce visibility.
On 28 December 2004, snow was recorded in the UAE for the first time, in the [[Jebel Jais]] mountain cluster in Ras al-Khaimah.[[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4135857.stm Middle East | Cold snap brings Gulf rare snow] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150207190533/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4135857.stm |date=7 February 2015 }}. BBC News (30 December 2004). Retrieved 10 October 2015.] A few years later, there were more sightings of snow and hail.[[https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/abu-dhabi-snow-hail-dubai-236446-2015-01-19 Global warming or wonder! Hail the snow in Abu Dhabi : World, News – India Today] . Indiatoday.intoday.in. Retrieved 10 October 2015.][[https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/middle-east-snow-extreme-heatwaves-and-uae-fog-what-s-going-on-with-the-weather-1.644687/ Middle East snow, extreme heatwaves and UAE fog: what's going on with the weather? | The National] . Thenational.ae (29 January 2013). Retrieved 10 October 2015.] The Jebel Jais mountain cluster has experienced snow only twice since records began.[{{cite news|url=http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/general/heavy-snowfall-on-ras-al-khaimah-s-jebel-jais-mountain-cluster-1.46663|title=Heavy snowfall on Ras Al Khaimah's Jebel Jais mountain cluster|author=Nazzal, Gando|work=[[Gulf News]]|date=24 January 2009|access-date=1 January 2012|archive-date=24 January 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120124041115/http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/general/heavy-snowfall-on-ras-al-khaimah-s-jebel-jais-mountain-cluster-1.46663|url-status=live}}]
== Government and politics ==
{{Main|Politics of the United Arab Emirates}}
{{multiple image
| caption_align = center
| width1 =
| image1 = Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan - 2024 (cropped).jpg
| caption1 = [[Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan]]
[[President of the United Arab Emirates|President]]
| width2 =
| image2 = Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (15-02-2021).jpg
| caption2 = [[Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum]]
[[List of Prime Ministers of the United Arab Emirates|Prime Minister]] and
[[Vice President of the United Arab Emirates|Vice President]]
| total_width = 350
}}
The United Arab Emirates is a [[Federation|federal]] [[Semi-presidential republic|semi-presidential state]] under a [[semi-constitutional monarchy]] made up of seven [[Hereditary monarchy|hereditary]] tribal [[monarchy]]-styled political units called [[Sheikhdom]]s. It is governed by a [[Federal Supreme Council]] made up of the ruling Sheikhs of [[Abu Dhabi (emirate)|Abu Dhabi]], [[Emirate of Ajman|Ajman]], [[Emirate of Fujairah|Fujairah]], [[Sharjah (emirate)|Sharjah]], [[Emirate of Dubai|Dubai]], [[Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah|Ras Al Khaimah]], and [[Emirate of Umm Al Quwain|Umm Al Quwain]]. All responsibilities not granted to the federal government are reserved to the individual emirate.[{{cite web|url=http://www.uaeinteract.com/government/political_system.asp#B|title=UAE Government: Political system|work=UAEinteract|access-date=12 February 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160213062650/http://www.uaeinteract.com/government/political_system.asp#B|archive-date=13 February 2016}}] A percentage{{Quantify|date=December 2023}} of revenues from each emirate is allocated to the UAE's central budget.[{{cite web |url=http://www.uaeinteract.com/government/political_system.asp |title=UAE Government: Political system |work=UAEinteract |access-date=12 February 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160213062650/http://www.uaeinteract.com/government/political_system.asp |archive-date=13 February 2016 }}]
The UAE uses the title [[Sheikh]] instead of [[Emir]] to refer to the rulers of individual emirates. The title is used due to the [[sheikhdom]]-styled governing system in adherence to the culture of [[tribes of Arabia]], where Sheikh means leader, elder, or the tribal chief of the clan who partakes in shared decision making with his followers. The [[President of the United Arab Emirates|president]] and [[Vice President of the United Arab Emirates|vice president]] are elected by the [[Federal Supreme Council]]. Usually, the Head of the [[House of Nahyan|Al Nahyan]] family, who are based in Abu Dhabi, holds the presidency and the Head of the [[House of Maktoum|Al Maktoum]] family, based in Dubai, the prime ministership. All prime ministers but one have served concurrently as vice president.
The federal government is composed of three branches:
* [[Legislature|Legislative]]: A [[unicameralism|unicameral]] [[Federal Supreme Council]] and the [[advisory board|advisory]] [[Federal National Council]] (FNC).
* [[Executive (government)|Executive]]: The [[President of UAE|President]]—who is also [[commander-in-chief]] of the military—the [[List of Prime Ministers of the United Arab Emirates|prime minister]], and the [[Cabinet of the United Arab Emirates|Council of Ministers]].
* [[Judiciary|Judicial]]: The [[Federal Supreme Court of the United Arab Emirates|Supreme Court]] and lower federal courts.
[[File:Palacio Presidencial de los Emiratos, sede del Poder Ejecutivo Nacional..jpg|thumb|left|Entrance to [[Qasr Al Watan]], the presidential palace in Abu Dhabi.]]
The [[E-Government in the United Arab Emirates|UAE e-Government]] is the extension of the UAE federal government in its electronic form.[{{cite web|url=http://government.ae/en/web/guest/service-channels|title=Service Channels – The UAE Government Official Portal|author=UAE federal eGovernment|access-date=8 September 2014|archive-date=27 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140827092351/http://government.ae/en/web/guest/service-channels|url-status=live}}] The UAE's [[Cabinet of the United Arab Emirates|Council of Ministers]] ({{langx|ar|مجلس الوزراء}}) is the chief executive branch of the government presided over by the prime minister. The prime minister, who is appointed by the [[Federal Supreme Council]], appoints the ministers. The Council of Ministers is made up of 22 members and manages all internal and foreign affairs of the federation under its constitutional and federal law.[{{cite web|url=https://www.uaecabinet.ae/source/PMO%20Moca%20Manual%202010.pdf|title=دليل أعمال نظام مجلس الوزراء|publisher=United Arab Emirates Cabinet|date=January 2010|access-date=11 April 2019|archive-date=12 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412150241/https://www.uaecabinet.ae/source/PMO%20Moca%20Manual%202010.pdf|url-status=live}}] In December 2019,[{{cite web |title=Monthly ranking of women in national parliaments |url=https://data.ipu.org/women-ranking?month=12&year=2019 |website=ipu.org |publisher=Inter-Parliamentary Union |access-date=19 February 2022 |location=Switzerland |archive-date=19 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220219203648/https://data.ipu.org/women-ranking?month=12&year=2019 |url-status=live }}] the UAE became the only Arab country, and one of only five countries in the world, to attain [[gender parity]] in a national legislative body, with its lower house being 50 percent women.[{{cite web |title=Monthly ranking of women in national parliaments |url=https://data.ipu.org/women-ranking?month=1&year=2022 |website=ipu.org |publisher=Inter-Parliamentary Union |access-date=19 February 2022 |location=Switzerland |archive-date=19 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220219025029/https://data.ipu.org/women-ranking?month=1&year=2022 |url-status=live }}][{{cite web |title=Proportion of women parliamentarians worldwide reaches 'all-time high' |url=https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/03/1086582 |website=UN.org |publisher=United Nations |access-date=19 February 2022 |date=5 March 2021 |archive-date=19 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220219210314/https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/03/1086582 |url-status=live }}]
The UAE is the only country in the world that has a [[Ministry of Tolerance]],[{{cite news|url=http://wam.ae/en/details/1395302752575|title=UAE's tolerance model has 'potential to become a global movement for good': Sheikh Nahyan|publisher=Emirates News Agency|date=4 February 2019|access-date=11 April 2019|archive-date=11 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190411010142/http://wam.ae/en/details/1395302752575|url-status=live}}] a [[Ministry of Happiness]],[{{cite magazine|url=http://fortune.com/2016/02/10/uae-minister-happiness/|title=This Country Just Appointed a Minister Of Happiness|magazine=Fortune.com|date=10 February 2016|access-date=11 April 2019|archive-date=11 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190411010141/http://fortune.com/2016/02/10/uae-minister-happiness/|url-status=live}}] and a Ministry of Artificial Intelligence.[{{cite web|url=https://futurism.com/uae-minister-artificial-intelligence|title=An Inside Look at the First Nation With a State Minister for Artificial Intelligence|publisher=Futurism.com|date=11 December 2017|access-date=11 April 2019|archive-date=11 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190411010141/https://futurism.com/uae-minister-artificial-intelligence|url-status=live}}] The UAE also has a virtual ministry called the Ministry of Possibilities, designed to find solutions to challenges and improve quality of life.[{{cite web|url=https://u.ae/en/about-the-uae/the-uae-government/ministry-of-possibilities|title=Ministry of Possibilities|publisher=U.AE|date=24 September 2019|access-date=28 March 2024|archive-date=8 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231208032123/https://u.ae/en/about-the-uae/the-uae-government/ministry-of-possibilities|url-status=live}}][{{cite web|url=https://uaecabinet.ae/en/details/news/mohammed-bin-rashid-launches-ministry-of-possibilities-to-develop-radical-solutions-for-governments-key-challenges|title=Mohammed bin Rashid Launches 'Ministry of Possibilities' to Develop Radical Solutions for Government's Key Challenges|publisher=UAE Cabinet|date=2020|access-date=28 March 2024|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727143056/https://uaecabinet.ae/en/details/news/mohammed-bin-rashid-launches-ministry-of-possibilities-to-develop-radical-solutions-for-governments-key-challenges|url-status=live}}] The UAE also has a [[National Youth Council]], which is represented in the UAE cabinet by the Minister of Youth.[{{cite web|title = Women shining in new UAE Cabinet – Khaleej Times|url = http://www.khaleejtimes.com/nation/government/shaikh-mohammed-to-announce-new-cabinet-today|website = www.khaleejtimes.com|access-date = 11 February 2016|archive-date = 11 February 2016|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160211095401/http://www.khaleejtimes.com/nation/government/shaikh-mohammed-to-announce-new-cabinet-today|url-status = live}}][{{cite web|url=https://uaecabinet.ae/en/details/news/why-ministers-for-happiness-tolerance-youth-and-the-future|title=Why Ministries for Happiness, Tolerance, Youth and the Future?|publisher=United Arab Emirates Cabinet|access-date=11 April 2019|archive-date=11 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190411010145/https://uaecabinet.ae/en/details/news/why-ministers-for-happiness-tolerance-youth-and-the-future|url-status=live}}]
The UAE legislative body is the [[Federal National Council]] which convenes nationwide elections every four years. The FNC consists of 40 members drawn from all the emirates. Each emirate is allocated specific seats to ensure full representation. Half are appointed by the rulers of the constituent emirates, and the other half are elected by a small percentage of Emirati citizens, currently 33%, hand-picked by the rulers of each emirate.[{{Cite news |date=10 July 2023 |title=Federal National Council elections to take place on October 7 |language=en |website=The National |url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/government/2023/07/10/federal-national-council-elections-to-take-place-on-october-7/}}] By law, the council members have to be equally divided between males and females. The FNC is restricted to a largely [[:wikt:consultation|consultative]] role.[{{cite web|url=https://u.ae/en/about-the-uae/the-uae-government/the-federal-national-council-|title=The Federal National Council|publisher=U.AE|date=3 February 2020|access-date=28 March 2024|archive-date=22 September 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230922121108/https://u.ae/en/about-the-uae/the-uae-government/the-federal-national-council-|url-status=live}}][{{cite web|url=http://www.government.ae/gov/en/gov/federal/politics.jsp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051027123241/http://www.government.ae/gov/en/gov/federal/politics.jsp |url-status=dead |archive-date=27 October 2005 |title=UAE Federal e-Government Portal |publisher=Government.ae }}][[https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/government/sheikh-khalifa-uae-s-federal-national-council-to-be-50-per-cent-women-1.800357 Sheikh Khalifa: UAE's Federal National Council to be 50 per cent women] The National, 8 December 2018]
The UAE is an authoritarian [[federal monarchy]].[{{Cite journal |last=Herb |first=Michael |date=2009 |title=A Nation of Bureaucrats: Political Participation and Economic Diversification in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/international-journal-of-middle-east-studies/article/abs/nation-of-bureaucrats-political-participation-and-economic-diversification-in-kuwait-and-the-united-arab-emirates/E3527822940D0E8A2BCD98A320002C3E |url-status=live |journal=International Journal of Middle East Studies |language=en |volume=41 |issue=3 |pages=375–395 |doi=10.1017/S0020743809091119 |issn=1471-6380 |s2cid=154366494 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210526174658/https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/international-journal-of-middle-east-studies/article/abs/nation-of-bureaucrats-political-participation-and-economic-diversification-in-kuwait-and-the-united-arab-emirates/E3527822940D0E8A2BCD98A320002C3E |archive-date=26 May 2021 |access-date=28 March 2024|url-access=subscription }}][{{Cite book |last=Ledstrup |first=Martin |url=https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-319-91653-8 |title=Nationalism and Nationhood in the United Arab Emirates |date=2019 |publisher=Palgrave |isbn=978-3-319-91652-1 |page=10 |language=en-gb |doi=10.1007/978-3-319-91653-8 |access-date=28 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210526133319/https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-319-91653-8 |archive-date=26 May 2021 |url-status=live |s2cid=158959849}}][{{cite web |date=14 November 2018 |title=Hypocrisy of Dubai's World Tolerance Summit |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/11/14/hypocrisy-dubais-world-tolerance-summit |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210418003418/https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/11/14/hypocrisy-dubais-world-tolerance-summit |archive-date=18 April 2021 |access-date=6 April 2021 |website=Human Rights Watch |language=en}}][{{cite news |date=30 January 2021 |title=United Arab Emirates says it will offer citizenship to some |url=https://apnews.com/article/dubai-united-arab-emirates-abu-dhabi-coronavirus-pandemic-mohammed-bin-rashid-al-maktoum-708c588985bad97230b458b435cbfbc2 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210429135542/https://apnews.com/article/dubai-united-arab-emirates-abu-dhabi-coronavirus-pandemic-mohammed-bin-rashid-al-maktoum-708c588985bad97230b458b435cbfbc2 |archive-date=29 April 2021 |access-date=6 April 2021 |work=Associated Press}}][{{cite news |last1=Mazzetti|first1=Mark |last2=Hager|first2=Emily B. |date=14 May 2011 |title=Secret Desert Force Set Up by Blackwater's Founder |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/15/world/middleeast/15prince.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1& |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404064810/https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/15/world/middleeast/15prince.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1& |archive-date=4 April 2023 |access-date=28 March 2024 |work=[[The New York Times]] |quote=The United Arab Emirates – an autocracy with the sheen of a progressive, modern state – are closely allied with the United States, and American officials indicated that the battalion program had some support in Washington.}}] The UAE has been described as a "tribal autocracy" where the seven constituent monarchies are led by tribal rulers in an autocratic fashion.[{{Cite book |last=Krane |first=Jim |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mJWrVWZuUJEC |title=City of Gold: Dubai and the Dream of Capitalism |date=15 September 2009 |publisher=St. Martin's Publishing Group |isbn=978-1-4299-1899-2 |page=10 |language=en |access-date=28 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230219202257/https://books.google.com/books?id=mJWrVWZuUJEC |archive-date=19 February 2023 |url-status=live}}] There are no democratically elected institutions, and there is no formal commitment to free speech.[{{Cite news |last=Stack |first=Liam |date=30 April 2017 |title=Dubai Introduces Its Own Font, Lauding Free Expression It Does Not Permit |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/30/world/middleeast/dubai-introduces-its-own-font-lauding-free-expression-it-does-not-permit.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210525033202/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/30/world/middleeast/dubai-introduces-its-own-font-lauding-free-expression-it-does-not-permit.html |archive-date=25 May 2021 |access-date=25 May 2021 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}] According to human rights organizations, there are systematic human rights violations, including the torture and forced disappearance of government critics.[{{Cite web |title=BTI 2022: United Arab Emirates |url=https://bti-project.org/en/reports/country-dashboard?isocode=ARE&cHash=98c3237aa3b3bd62d4a082e9b709a514 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404121251/https://bti-project.org/en/reports/country-dashboard?isocode=ARE&cHash=98c3237aa3b3bd62d4a082e9b709a514 |archive-date=4 April 2023 |access-date=4 April 2023 |website=BTI 2022 |language=en}}][{{cite web |last=V-Dem Institute |date=2023 |title=The V-Dem Dataset |url=https://www.v-dem.net/data/the-v-dem-dataset/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221208183458/https://www.v-dem.net/data/the-v-dem-dataset/ |archive-date=8 December 2022 |access-date=14 October 2023}}] The country by all measurements is not democratic, with particular weaknesses in political representation, including inclusive suffrage and credible elections.[{{Cite web |title=United Arab Emirates {{!}} The Global State of Democracy |url=https://www.idea.int/democracytracker/country/united-arab-emirates |access-date=29 September 2025 |website=www.idea.int |language=en}}][{{Cite web |title=Global State of Democracy Indices {{!}} The Global State of Democracy |url=https://www.idea.int/democracytracker/gsod-indices |access-date=29 September 2025 |website=www.idea.int}}][{{Cite web |title=Home {{!}} The Global State of Democracy |url=https://www.idea.int/democracytracker/ |access-date=29 September 2025 |website=www.idea.int}}]
=== Administrative divisions ===
{{See also|Politics of the United Arab Emirates|List of cities in the United Arab Emirates|Emirates of the United Arab Emirates}}
{{UAE midsize imagemap with emirate names}}
The United Arab Emirates comprises seven emirates. The [[Emirate of Dubai]] is the most populous emirate with 35.6% of the UAE population. The [[Emirate of Abu Dhabi]] has 31.2%, meaning that over two-thirds of the UAE population lives in either Abu Dhabi or Dubai.
Abu Dhabi has an area of {{convert|67340|km2|0|abbr=off}}, which is 86.7% of the country's total area, excluding the islands. It has a coastline extending for more than {{convert|400|km|-1|abbr=on}} and is divided for administrative purposes into three major regions. The Emirate of Dubai extends along the Persian Gulf coast of the UAE for approximately {{convert|72|km|0|abbr=on}}. Dubai has an area of {{convert|3885|km2|0|abbr=off}}, which is equivalent to 5% of the country's total area, excluding the islands. The Emirate of Sharjah extends along approximately {{convert|16|km|0|abbr=on}} of the UAE's Persian Gulf coastline and for more than {{convert|80|km|0|abbr=on}} into the interior. The northern emirates which include Fujairah, Ajman, Ras al-Khaimah, and [[Umm al-Quwain|Umm al-Qaiwain]] all have a total area of {{convert|3881|km2|0|abbr=off}}. There are two areas under joint control. One is jointly controlled by Oman and Ajman, the other by Fujairah and Sharjah.
There is an Omani [[enclave and exclave|exclave]] surrounded by UAE territory, known as [[Madha|Wadi Madha]]. It is located halfway between the [[Musandam Governorate|Musandam]] peninsula and the rest of Oman in the Emirate of [[Sharjah]]. It covers approximately {{convert|75|km2|0|abbr=off}} and the boundary was settled in 1969. The north-east corner of Madha is closest to the Khor Fakkan-Fujairah road, barely {{convert|10|m|ft|abbr=off}} away. Within the Omani exclave of Madha, is a UAE exclave called [[Nahwa]], also belonging to the Emirate of Sharjah. It is about {{convert|8|km|mi|spell=in|abbr=off}} on a dirt track west of the town of New Madha. It consists of about forty houses with its own clinic and telephone exchange.
=== Foreign relations ===
{{Main|Foreign relations of the United Arab Emirates}}
[[File:President Trump and The First Lady Participate in an Abraham Accords Signing Ceremony (50346677397).jpg|thumb|Emirati Minister of Foreign Affairs [[Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan]] (furthest right) at the signing of the [[Abraham Accords]]]]
The United Arab Emirates has broad diplomatic and commercial relations with most countries and members of the [[United Nations]], despite significant human rights abuses. It played a significant role in [[OPEC]], prior to its exit from the group on 1 May 2026 and is one of the founding members of the [[Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf|Gulf Cooperation Council]] (GCC). The UAE is a member of the United Nations and several of its specialised agencies ([[ICAO]], [[International Labour Organization|ILO]], [[UPU]], [[World Health Organization|WHO]], [[WIPO]]), as well as the [[World Bank]], [[International Monetary Fund|IMF]], [[Arab League]], [[Organisation of Islamic Cooperation]] (OIC), and the [[Non-Aligned Movement]]. Also, it is an observer in the [[Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie]]. Most countries have diplomatic missions in the capital [[Abu Dhabi]] with most consulates being in UAE's largest city, [[Dubai]].
Emirati foreign relations are motivated to a large extent by identity and relationship to the [[Arab world]].[{{cite web|url=https://www.sciencespo.fr/kuwait-program/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Shahrour-Karam-The-evolution-of-Emirati-foreign-policy-1971-2020.pdf|title=The evolution of Emirati foreign policy (1971–2020): The unexpected rise of a small state with boundless ambitions|publisher=SciencesPo|date=2020|access-date=28 March 2024|archive-date=27 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231127095009/https://www.sciencespo.fr/kuwait-program/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Shahrour-Karam-The-evolution-of-Emirati-foreign-policy-1971-2020.pdf|url-status=live}}] The United Arab Emirates has strong ties with Bahrain,[{{cite news|url=https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/609429/World/Mena/King-Hamad-hails-strong-Bahrain-UAE-ties-in-meeting-with-Abu-Dhabi-crown-prince|title=King Hamad hails strong Bahrain-UAE ties in meeting with Abu Dhabi crown prince|publisher=Saudi Gazette|date=3 August 2021|access-date=28 March 2024|archive-date=26 September 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230926055700/https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/609429/World/Mena/King-Hamad-hails-strong-Bahrain-UAE-ties-in-meeting-with-Abu-Dhabi-crown-prince|url-status=live}}] China,[{{cite news |title=Strong bilateral relations serve the strategic interests of both China and the UAE |url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/opinion/comment/strong-bilateral-relations-serve-the-strategic-interests-of-both-china-and-the-uae-1.749584 |work=The National |access-date=13 July 2018 |archive-date=30 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181130122411/https://www.thenational.ae/opinion/comment/strong-bilateral-relations-serve-the-strategic-interests-of-both-china-and-the-uae-1.749584 |url-status=live }}] Egypt, India,[{{cite web|url=https://www.mei.edu/publications/india-uae-relations-poised-climb-new-heights|title=India-UAE Relations: Poised to Climb to New Heights|publisher=Middle East Institute|date=23 March 2021|access-date=28 March 2024|archive-date=27 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231227092123/https://mei.edu/publications/india-uae-relations-poised-climb-new-heights|url-status=live}}] Jordan,[{{cite web|url=https://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/jordan-uae-ties-%E2%80%98strong-guarantor%E2%80%99-security-peace-%E2%80%94-ambassador|title=Jordan-UAE ties a 'strong guarantor' for security, peace — ambassador|work=Jordan Times |publisher=The Jordan Times|date=12 April 2021|access-date=28 March 2024|archive-date=28 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230528224306/https://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/jordan-uae-ties-%E2%80%98strong-guarantor%E2%80%99-security-peace-%E2%80%94-ambassador|url-status=live}}] Pakistan,[{{cite web|url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/2276704/uae-fm-terms-ties-with-pakistan-unique-case-in-arab-asian-relations|title=UAE FM terms ties with Pakistan "unique case in Arab-Asian relations"|publisher=Tribune|date=20 December 2020|access-date=28 March 2024|archive-date=29 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230329092559/https://tribune.com.pk/story/2276704/uae-fm-terms-ties-with-pakistan-unique-case-in-arab-asian-relations|url-status=live}}] Russia,[{{cite web|url=https://responsiblestatecraft.org/2020/01/24/why-the-relationship-between-russia-and-the-united-arab-emirates-is-strengthening/|title=Why the Relationship Between Russia and the United Arab Emirates is Strengthening|publisher=Responsible Statecraft|date=24 January 2020|access-date=28 March 2024|archive-date=29 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230329092601/https://responsiblestatecraft.org/2020/01/24/why-the-relationship-between-russia-and-the-united-arab-emirates-is-strengthening/|url-status=live}}] Saudi Arabia, and the United States.[{{cite news|url=https://www.arabianbusiness.com/politics-economics/463351-us-states-playing-critical-role-in-widening-uae-bilateral-ties|title=US states play 'critical' role in widening bilateral ties with the UAE|newspaper=Arabian Business|date=16 May 2021|access-date=28 March 2024|archive-date=30 December 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221230082314/https://www.arabianbusiness.com/politics-economics/463351-us-states-playing-critical-role-in-widening-uae-bilateral-ties|url-status=live}}]
Following the British withdrawal from the UAE in 1971 and the establishment of the UAE as a state, the UAE disputed rights to three islands in the Persian Gulf against Iran, namely [[Abu Musa]], [[Greater Tunb]], and [[Lesser Tunb]]. The UAE tried to bring the matter to the [[International Court of Justice]], but Iran dismissed the notion.[{{cite web |url=http://www.hiik.de/konfliktbarometer/pdf/Konfliktbarometer_2001.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080229133058/http://www.hiik.de/konfliktbarometer/pdf/Konfliktbarometer_2001.pdf |archive-date=29 February 2008 |title=Konfliktbarometer 2001 |url-status=dead |access-date=1 June 2016}}. Heidelberger Institut für Internationale Konfliktforschung] Pakistan was the first country to formally recognise the UAE upon its formation.[{{cite web|url=http://pakobserver.net/200811/26/Editorial01.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090626001001/http://pakobserver.net/200811/26/Editorial01.asp |archive-date=26 June 2009 |title=Relations with UAE get wider, deeper|work=Pakistan Observer |date=26 November 2008 }}] The UAE alongside multiple [[Middle Eastern countries|Middle Eastern]] and [[African countries|African]] countries cut diplomatic ties with [[Qatar]] in June 2017 due to allegations of [[Qatar and state-sponsored terrorism|Qatar being a state sponsor of terrorism]], resulting in the [[Qatar diplomatic crisis]]. Ties were restored in January 2021.[{{cite web|title=UAE to restore Qatar trade and travel links 'within a week' after row ends|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-55579014|publisher=BBC|date=7 January 2021|access-date=28 March 2024|archive-date=24 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210824022154/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-55579014|url-status=live}}] The UAE recognised Israel in August 2020, reaching a historic [[Israel–United Arab Emirates peace agreement]] and leading towards full normalisation of relations between the two countries.[{{Cite news|date=13 August 2020|title=With President Trump's help, Israel and the United Arab Emirates reach historic deal to normalize relations|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-emirates-trump-idUSKCN25926W|access-date=13 August 2020|archive-date=13 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200813221727/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-emirates-trump-idUSKCN25926W/|url-status=live}}][{{cite news |author=Toi Staff |title=Full text of the Abraham Accords signed by Israel, the UAE and Bahrain |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/full-text-of-the-abraham-accords-signed-by-israel-the-uae-and-bahrain/ |access-date=10 October 2020 |publisher=The Times of Israel |date=16 September 2020 |archive-date=13 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201013235112/https://www.timesofisrael.com/full-text-of-the-abraham-accords-signed-by-israel-the-uae-and-bahrain/ |url-status=live }}]
[[File:16th BRICS Summit family photograph (2024).jpg|thumb|UAE President [[Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan|Mohamed bin Zayed]] at the [[16th BRICS summit]] in October 2024]]Gulf Arab states, including the United Arab Emirates, showed interest in engaging with the [[Syrian transitional government]] to promote political transition and address regional concerns following the [[fall of the Assad regime]]. Additionally, the UAE leadership see the change in Syria as an opportunity to undermine Iranian influence in the Levant. The hope is to help push Iran out of Syria and cut its pathways between Iraq and Lebanon.[{{Cite web |last=Tasinato |first=Emily |date=3 February 2025 |title=All change: How Europeans and Gulf Arab states can promote Syria's political transition |url=https://ecfr.eu/article/all-change-how-europeans-and-gulf-arab-states-can-promote-syrias-political-transition/ |access-date=5 February 2025 |website=ECFR |language=en-GB |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250208174009/https://ecfr.eu/article/all-change-how-europeans-and-gulf-arab-states-can-promote-syrias-political-transition/ |archive-date= 8 February 2025 }}][{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Mary Kate |date=2 January 2025 |title=The Gulf in 2025: Expert Outlook |url=https://gulfif.org/the-gulf-in-2025-expert-outlook/ |access-date=5 February 2025 |website=Gulf International Forum |language=en}}][{{Cite web |title=The Gulf Shifts Policies in Response to the "New" Syria |url=https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2025/01/the-gulf-shifts-policies-in-response-to-the-new-syria?lang=en |access-date=5 February 2025 |website=Carnegie Endowment for International Peace |language=en}}]
The UAE is the primary supporter of the rebel [[Rapid Support Forces|Rapid Support Forces (RSF)]] in the ongoing [[Sudanese civil war (2023–present)|Sudanese Civil War]].[{{Cite web |last=Kottasová |first=Ivana |date=7 November 2025 |title=Sudan's bloody conflict is plagued by foreign influence – here is what we know |url=https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/07/africa/sudan-conflict-foreign-influence-intl-cmd |access-date=12 November 2025 |website=CNN |language=en}}] In 2025, multiple reports exposed the UAE for supplying the RSF with weapons, in violation of international sanctions, and used to commit [[Masalit genocide|genocide]] in the region.[{{Cite web |last1=Wallis |first1=William |last2=Cornish |first2=Chloe |title=Sudan civil war atrocities cast spotlight on UAE |url=https://www.ft.com/content/e88e0973-3218-4ce6-a73e-20961c71c33b |access-date=12 November 2025 |website=www.ft.com |publisher=[[The Financial Times]]}}] On 6 March 2025, Sudan filed a case against the UAE at the [[International Court of Justice]], accusing the UAE of complicity in [[Darfur genocide (2023–present)|genocide]] by supporting the RSF, which are alleged to have committed atrocities against the [[Masalit people|Masalit]] people in [[Darfur]].[{{Cite web |date=6 March 2025 |title=Sudan files case to UN court alleging UAE is breaching genocide convention by funding rebels |url=https://apnews.com/article/sudan-war-icj-uae-8b27cb3b8e4fef5b05a6b45084c967c7 |access-date=13 March 2025 |website=AP News |language=en}}] In late 2025, the fall of [[El Fasher]] to the RSF led to [[El Fasher massacre|widespread massacres]] and intensified global scrutiny of the UAE for its role in supporting the paramilitary group.[{{cite web |last=Wintour |first=Patrick |date=4 November 2025 |title=As criticism grows, is UAE ready to walk away from Sudan's RSF militia? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/04/sudan-rsf-militia-uae-united-arab-emirates |website=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=28 November 2025}}]
Joining [[Chris Van Hollen|US Senator Chris Van Hollen]], United States Congress has pushed for an [[Export control|export ban]] of weapons to the UAE.[{{Cite news |last=Zengerle |first=Patricia |date=21 November 2024 |title=US lawmakers seek to halt weapons sales to UAE, citing Sudan |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us-lawmakers-seek-halt-weapons-sales-uae-citing-sudan-2024-11-21/ |access-date=12 November 2025 |work=[[Reuters]]}}] As of November 2025, the bill remained in Congress.[{{Cite web |title=CAIR Action Alert: Urge Senate to Support Sen. Van Hollen's Bill Halting Arms Sales to UAE Amid RSF Genocide in Sudan |date=30 October 2025 |url=https://www.cair.com/action_alerts/cair-action-alert-urge-senate-to-support-sen-van-hollens-bill-halting-arms-sales-to-uae-amid-rsf-genocide-in-sudan/ |access-date=12 November 2025 |language=en-US}}]
=== Military ===
{{Main|United Arab Emirates Armed Forces}}
{{Multiple image
| direction = vertical
| caption_align = center
| image1 = Baynunah-class corvette Al Dhafra P-173 at NAVDEX.JPG
| caption1 = [[Baynunah-class corvette|''Baynunah''-class corvette]] of the [[United Arab Emirates Navy]]
| image2 = F-16e block60.jpg
| caption2 = [[General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon variants#F-16E/F Block 60|F-16 Desert Falcon]] of the [[United Arab Emirates Air Force]]
}}
The armed forces of the United Arab Emirates consist of 44,000 active personnel in the [[United Arab Emirates Army|Army]], 2,500 personnel and 46 ships in the [[United Arab Emirates Navy|Navy]], 4,500 personnel and 386 aircraft in the [[United Arab Emirates Air Force|Air Force]], and 12,000 personnel in the [[United Arab Emirates Presidential Guard|Presidential Guard]]. In 2022 the country spent US$20.4 billion on defence, which is 4% of its GDP. The UAE is considered to have the most capable military among the Gulf states.[{{Cite book |author=IISS |author-link=International Institute for Strategic Studies |date=2023 |title=The Military Balance 2023 |publisher=International Institute for Strategic Studies |pages=351–354 }}][{{cite news|title=UAE confirms discussions with France on purchase of Rafale aircraft|url=http://www.wam.org.ae/servlet/Satellite?c=WamLocEnews&cid=1200074664706&p=1135099400124&pagename=WAM%2FWamLocEnews%2FW-T-LEN-FullNews|agency=Emirates News Agency|date=5 June 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130509014605/http://www.wam.org.ae/servlet/Satellite?c=WamLocEnews&cid=1200074664706&p=1135099400124&pagename=WAM%2FWamLocEnews%2FW-T-LEN-FullNews|archive-date=9 May 2013}}]
Some of the UAE military deployments include an infantry battalion to the United Nations [[UNOSOM II]] force in [[Somalia]] in 1993, the 35th Mechanised Infantry Battalion to [[Kosovo]], a regiment to Kuwait during the [[Iraq War]], [[demining]] operations in [[Lebanon]], [[Operation Enduring Freedom]] in [[Afghanistan]], [[2011 military intervention in Libya|American-led intervention in Libya]], [[American-led intervention in the Syrian Civil War|American-led intervention in Syria]], and the [[Saudi-led intervention in Yemen]]. The active and effective military role, despite its small active personnel, has led the UAE military to be nicknamed as "Little Sparta" by [[United States Armed Forces]] Generals and former US defence secretary [[James Mattis]].[{{cite news|title=In the UAE, the United States has a quiet, potent ally nicknamed 'Little Sparta'|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/in-the-uae-the-united-states-has-a-quiet-potent-ally-nicknamed-little-sparta/2014/11/08/3fc6a50c-643a-11e4-836c-83bc4f26eb67_story.html|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=15 September 2018|archive-date=18 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180818041917/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/in-the-uae-the-united-states-has-a-quiet-potent-ally-nicknamed-little-sparta/2014/11/08/3fc6a50c-643a-11e4-836c-83bc4f26eb67_story.html|url-status=live}}]
The UAE intervened in the [[Libyan Civil War (2014–present)|Libyan Civil War]] in support of General [[Khalifa Haftar]]'s [[Libyan National Army]] in its conflict with the internationally recognised [[Government of National Accord]] (GNA).[{{cite news |title=UAE and Egypt behind bombing raids against Libyan militias, say US officials |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/26/united-arab-emirates-bombing-raids-libyan-militias |work=The Guardian |date=26 August 2014 |access-date=28 March 2024 |archive-date=17 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117223306/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/26/united-arab-emirates-bombing-raids-libyan-militias |url-status=live }}][{{cite news |title=Libya migrant attack: UN investigators suspect foreign jet bombed centre |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-50302602 |work=BBC News |date=6 November 2019 |access-date=28 March 2024 |archive-date=4 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200304005920/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-50302602 |url-status=live }}][{{cite news |title=UAE implicated in lethal drone strike in Libya |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-53917791 |work=BBC News |date=27 August 2020 |access-date=29 August 2020 |archive-date=11 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201211090852/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-53917791 |url-status=live }}]
Examples of the military assets deployed include the enforcement of the [[Operation Odyssey Dawn|no-fly-zone over Libya]] by sending six [[UAEAF]] [[F-16]] and six [[Dassault Mirage 2000|Mirage 2000]] [[Multirole combat aircraft|multi-role fighter aircraft]],[{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12806112|title=Libya no-fly zone: Coalition firepower|newspaper=BBC News|access-date=25 December 2014|date=21 October 2011|archive-date=9 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141209222012/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12806112|url-status=live}}] ground troop deployment in Afghanistan,[{{cite news|url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/europe/nato-officially-initiates-uae-into-afghan-mission-1.749833|title=Nato officially initiates UAE into Afghan mission|author=The National|date=12 July 2018|access-date=11 April 2019|archive-date=11 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190411030210/https://www.thenational.ae/world/europe/nato-officially-initiates-uae-into-afghan-mission-1.749833|url-status=live}}] 30 UAEAF F-16s and ground troops deployment in Southern Yemen,[{{cite news|url=http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/03/26/GCC-states-to-repel-Houthi-aggression-in-Yemen-statement-.html|publisher=Al Arabiya|title=Saudi warplanes bomb Houthi positions in Yemen|date=25 March 2015|access-date=25 March 2015|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402125058/http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/03/26/GCC-states-to-repel-Houthi-aggression-in-Yemen-statement-.html |archive-date=2 April 2015}}] and helping the US launch its first airstrikes against [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant|ISIL]] targets in Syria.[{{cite news|title=US launches air strikes against Isil in Syria|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/11114991/US-launches-air-strikes-against-Isil-in-Syria-live.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/11114991/US-launches-air-strikes-against-Isil-in-Syria-live.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|work=The Telegraph|date=24 September 2014|last1=Winch|first1=Jessica}}{{cbignore}}]
The UAE has begun production of a greater amount of military equipment, in a bid to reduce foreign dependence and help with national industrialisation. Example of national military development include the Abu Dhabi Shipbuilding company (ADSB), which produces a range of ships and is a prime contractor in the [[Baynunah-class corvette|Baynunah Programme]], a programme to design, develop, and produce corvettes customised for operation in the shallow waters of the [[Persian Gulf]]. The UAE is also producing weapons and ammunition through [[Caracal International]], military transport vehicles through [[NIMR (vehicle manufacturer)|Nimr LLC]], and unmanned aerial vehicles collectively through [[Emirates Defence Industries Company]]. The UAE operates the [[General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon]] F-16E Block 60 unique variant unofficially called "[[General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon variants#F-16E/F Block 60|Desert Falcon]]", developed by [[General Dynamics]] in collaboration with the UAE and specifically for the [[United Arab Emirates Air Force]].[{{cite web |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2007/11/11/219363/dubai-2007-uae-shows-off-its-most-advanced-falcons.html |title=Dubai 2007: UAE shows off its most advanced Falcons |website=[[Flightglobal]] |date=11 November 2007 |access-date=11 April 2019 |archive-date=2 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090402230254/http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2007/11/11/219363/dubai-2007-uae-shows-off-its-most-advanced-falcons.html |url-status=live }}] The [[United Arab Emirates Army]] operates a customised [[Leclerc tank]] and is the only other operator of the tank aside from the French Army.[{{cite web|url=https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/one-tough-tank-why-frances-leclerc-one-best-planet-44577|title=One Tough Tank: Why France's Leclerc Is One of the Best on the Planet|publisher=nationalinterest.org|date=19 February 2019|access-date=11 April 2019|archive-date=11 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190411035552/https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/one-tough-tank-why-frances-leclerc-one-best-planet-44577|url-status=live}}] The largest defence exhibition and conference in the Middle East, [[International Defence Exhibition]], takes place biennially in Abu Dhabi.
The UAE introduced a [[Mandatory National Service in United Arab Emirates|mandatory military service]] for adult males, since 2014, for 16 months to expand its reserve force.[{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-emirates-military/uae-extends-compulsory-military-service-to-16-months-idUSKBN1JY093|title=UAE extends compulsory military service to 16 months|work=Reuters|date=8 July 2018|access-date=11 April 2019|archive-date=29 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230329100921/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-emirates-military/uae-extends-compulsory-military-service-to-16-months-idUSKBN1JY093|url-status=live}}] The highest loss of life in the history of UAE military occurred in the [[2015 Marib attack]] on Friday 4 September 2015, in which 52 soldiers were killed in [[Ma'rib|Marib]] area of central Yemen by a [[OTR-21 Tochka|Tochka]] missile launched by the [[Houthis]] which targeted a weapons cache and caused a large explosion.[{{cite news|title = UAE, Bahrain say 50 soldiers killed in Yemen attack|url = http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-yemen-security-idUKKCN0R40V120150904|access-date = 17 September 2015|newspaper = Reuters|date = 4 September 2015|archive-date = 26 January 2016|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160126010335/http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-yemen-security-idUKKCN0R40V120150904|url-status = dead}}]
=== Law ===
{{Main|Legal system of the United Arab Emirates|Crime in the United Arab Emirates}}
{{See also|LGBT rights in the United Arab Emirates}}
[[File:Police helicopter at sunset (Unsplash).jpg|thumb|[[Dubai Police]] helicopter flying at sunset]]
The United Arab Emirates has a federal court system, and the emirates of [[Emirate of Abu Dhabi|Abu Dhabi]], [[Emirate of Dubai|Dubai]], and [[Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah|Ras Al Khaimah]] also have local court systems. The UAE's judicial system is derived from the [[civil law system]] and [[Sharia]] law. The court system consists of civil courts and Sharia courts. Sharia courts have exclusive jurisdiction in Muslim family law matters, while civil courts deal with all other legal matters.[{{Cite web |title=Federal Decree Law No. (15) of 2020 |url=https://www.moj.gov.ae/assets/2021/Federal%20Decree%20Law%20No.%20(15)%20of%202020%20Concerning%20the%20Penal%20Code.pdf.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230531203636/https://www.moj.gov.ae/assets/2021/Federal%20Decree%20Law%20No.%20(15)%20of%202020%20Concerning%20the%20Penal%20Code.pdf.aspx |archive-date=31 May 2023 |access-date=8 June 2023 |website=Ministry of Justice |at=Pages 1, Article 1 "The provisions of the Islamic Shari'a shall apply to the retribution and blood money crimes. Other crimes and their respective punishments shall be provided for in accordance with the provisions of this Law and other applicable penal codes". |publication-date=27 September 2020}}] Article 1 of the Federal Penal Code was amended in 2020 to state that Islamic Law applies only to retribution and blood money punishments; previously the article stated that "provisions of the [[Islamic Law]] shall apply to the crimes of doctrinal punishment, punitive punishment and blood money."[{{cite web |title=Federal Law No (3) of 1987 on Issuance of the Penal Code |url=https://www.unodc.org/tldb/showDocument.do?documentUid=6385&country=UAE |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130525044622/https://www.unodc.org/tldb/showDocument.do?documentUid=6385&country=UAE |archive-date=25 May 2013 |work=United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime}}] Before 2020, [[flogging]], [[stoning]], [[amputation]], and [[crucifixion]] were technically legal punishments for criminal offences such as [[adultery]], [[premarital sex]], and drug or alcohol use.[{{cite web|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/2013/nea/220380.htm|title=2013 Human Rights Reports: United Arab Emirates|work=[[US Department of State]]|quote=Sharia (Islamic law) courts, which adjudicate criminal and family law, have the option of imposing flogging as punishment for adultery, [[prostitution]], consensual premarital sex, pregnancy outside marriage, defamation of character, and drug or alcohol abuse.|access-date=21 May 2019|archive-date=19 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419095257/https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/2013/nea/220380.htm|url-status=live}}][{{cite web|url=http://www.humanrightsvoices.org/EYEontheUN/un_101/figures/?p=2484|title=U.N. Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice: United Arab Emirates|work=Human Rights Voices|access-date=12 February 2016|archive-date=11 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111230016/http://www.humanrightsvoices.org/EYEontheUN/un_101/figures/?p=2484|url-status=dead}}] In recent history, the UAE has declared its intention to move towards a more tolerant legal code, and to phase out corporal punishment altogether in favour of private punishment.[{{Cite web |title=United Arab Emirates {{!}} Global Initiative to End All Corporal Punishment of Children |date=3 November 2017 |url=https://endcorporalpunishment.org/reports-on-every-state-and-territory/united-arab-emirates/ |access-date=24 April 2022 |language=en-GB |archive-date=30 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220630015349/https://endcorporalpunishment.org/reports-on-every-state-and-territory/united-arab-emirates/ |url-status=live }}] With alcohol and cohabitation laws being loosened in advance of the [[Expo 2020|2020 World Expo]], Emirati laws have become increasingly acceptable to visitors from non-Muslim countries.[{{Cite web |title=The United Arab Emirates relaxes laws on alcohol |url=https://drinksint.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/9215/The_United_Arab_Emirates_relaxes_laws_on_alcohol.html |access-date=25 April 2022 |website=Drinks International |date=9 November 2020 |first1=Oli |last1=Dodd |archive-date=25 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220525070905/https://drinksint.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/9215/The_United_Arab_Emirates_relaxes_laws_on_alcohol.html |url-status=live }}]
[[File:Dubai Police at work (12385410394) (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|[[Dubai Police]] super-car motorcade at [[Jumeirah Road]]]]
Sharia courts have exclusive jurisdiction over Muslim family law matters such as marriage, divorce, child custody, and inheritance.[{{cite web |date=6 August 2014 |title=Divorcees, widows concerned about receiving 'permission' before remarrying |url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/divorcees-widows-concerned-about-receiving-permission-before-remarrying-1.341200/ |first1=Shireena |last1=Al Nowais |work=[[The National (Abu Dhabi)|The National]] |access-date=28 March 2024 |archive-date=29 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170629144850/http://www.thenational.ae/uae/courts/divorcees-widows-concerned-about-receiving-permission-before-remarrying#ixzz3F1sb6IYa |url-status=live }}][{{Cite web |last=Sebugwaawo |first=Ismail |title=New Abu Dhabi marriage law: How tourists and expats can tie the knot in four steps |date=10 February 2022 |url=https://www.khaleejtimes.com/legal/explainer-how-expats-tourists-can-get-married-under-abu-dhabis-new-family-law |access-date=8 June 2023 |website=Khaleej Times |language=en |archive-date=8 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230608171832/https://www.khaleejtimes.com/legal/explainer-how-expats-tourists-can-get-married-under-abu-dhabis-new-family-law |url-status=live }}] Muslim women must receive permission from a male guardian to marry and remarry. This requirement is derived from [[Sharia]] law and has been federal law since 2005.[{{cite web |title=United Arab Emirates International Religious Freedom Report 2009 |url=https://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2009/127360.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091031224349/http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2009/127360.htm |archive-date=31 October 2009 |work=Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor |publisher=U.S. Department of State |date=26 October 2009 }}] Non-Muslim expatriates were liable to Sharia rulings on marriage, divorce, child custody, and inheritance, however, federal law was changed to introduce non-Sharia personal status law for non-Muslims.[{{cite web |url-status=live |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-28638553 |title=Britons 'liable to Sharia divorces' in UAE |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210512043653/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-28638553 |archive-date=12 May 2021 |website=BBC |date=5 August 2014 |first1= Sheetal |last1=Parmar |access-date=26 November 2015}}][{{Cite web |last=Husain |first=Zainab |date=27 December 2022 |title=New UAE law for non-Muslims – 5 criteria for civil marriage |url=https://gulfnews.com/living-in-uae/ask-us/new-uae-law-for-non-muslims--5-criteria-for-civil-marriage-1.1672143291028 |access-date=8 June 2023 |website=Gulf News |language=en |archive-date=8 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230608171827/https://gulfnews.com/living-in-uae/ask-us/new-uae-law-for-non-muslims--5-criteria-for-civil-marriage-1.1672143291028 |url-status=live }}] Recently, the emirate of Abu Dhabi opened a civil law family court for non-Muslims and Dubai has announced that non-Muslims can opt for civil marriages.[{{Cite web |last=Abdulla |first=Nasreen |title=New UAE law: Dubai residents can now get marriage licences in 24 hours |url=https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/new-uae-law-dubai-residents-can-now-get-marriage-licences-in-24-hours |access-date=8 June 2023 |website=Khaleej Times |language=en |archive-date=8 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230608171829/https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/new-uae-law-dubai-residents-can-now-get-marriage-licences-in-24-hours |url-status=live }}][Evans, Robert. (9 December 2013) [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-religion-atheists-idUSBRE9B900G20131210 Atheists face death in 13 countries, global discrimination: study] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821110306/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-religion-atheists-idUSBRE9B900G20131210 |date=21 August 2021 }}. Reuters. Retrieved 26 November 2015.][{{cite web |title=The International Briefing: Persecution of Atheists and Apostates |url=http://beaveronline.co.uk/the-international-briefing-persecution-of-atheists-and-apostates/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150428131415/http://beaveronline.co.uk/the-international-briefing-persecution-of-atheists-and-apostates/ |archive-date=28 April 2015}}] [[Blasphemy#Punishment and definition|Blasphemy]] is illegal; expatriates involved in insulting Islam are liable for deportation.[{{cite web |date=22 July 2015 |title=UAE to deport expats abusing religions |url=http://www.emirates247.com/news/emirates/uae-to-deport-expats-abusing-religions-2015-07-22-1.597619 |work=Emirates 247 |access-date=28 March 2024 |archive-date=25 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525072642/http://www.emirates247.com/news/emirates/uae-to-deport-expats-abusing-religions-2015-07-22-1.597619 |url-status=live }}][{{cite journal |author=Butti Sultan Butti Ali Al-Muhairi |year=1996 |title=The Islamisation of Laws in the UAE: The Case of the Penal Code |journal=Arab Law Quarterly |volume=11 |issue=4 |pages=350–371 |doi=10.2307/3381546 |jstor=3381546| issn=0268-0556 }}][Al-Muhairi (1997), Conclusion to the Series of Articles on the UAE Penal Law. Arab Law Quarterly, Vol. 12, No. 4]
[[LGBT rights in the United Arab Emirates|Sodomy]] is illegal and is punishable by a minimum of 6-month imprisonment or a fine or both, but the law does not apply "except on the basis of a complaint from the husband or legal guardian", but the penalty may be suspended if the complaint is waived.[{{Cite web |date=5 June 2022 |title=UAE: Sweeping Legal 'Reforms' Deepen Repression |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/06/05/uae-sweeping-legal-reforms-deepen-repression |access-date=21 June 2023 |website=Human Rights Watch |language=en |quote="Under the 2021 law, if men and women have sex outside of marriage, the act carries a penalty of no less than six months imprisonment. Sodomy with an adult male is also criminalized under the law. In both cases, the offenses can only be prosecuted on the basis of a complaint by a husband or male guardian." |archive-date=11 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240311045529/https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/06/05/uae-sweeping-legal-reforms-deepen-repression |url-status=live }}] In 2013, an Emirati man was on trial for being accused of a "gay handshake".[{{cite web |title=Man Accused of 'Gay Handshake' Stands Trial in Dubai |url=http://www.care2.com/causes/man-accused-of-gay-handshake-stands-trial-in-dubai.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151030104723/http://www.care2.com/causes/man-accused-of-gay-handshake-stands-trial-in-dubai.html |archive-date=30 October 2015 |access-date=11 January 2015}}]
Due to local customs, public shows of affection in certain public places are illegal and could result in [[deportation]], but holding hands is tolerated.[{{Cite web |last=Simpson |first=Colin |date=4 July 2013 |title=The rules are clear, says lawyer: no kissing allowed in Dubai |url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/heritage/2023/03/06/the-rules-are-clear-says-lawyer-no-kissing-allowed-in-dubai/ |access-date=21 June 2023 |website=The National |language=en |archive-date=7 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231207101610/https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/heritage/2023/03/06/the-rules-are-clear-says-lawyer-no-kissing-allowed-in-dubai/ |url-status=live }}] Expats in Dubai have been deported for kissing in public.[[https://www.bbc.com/news/10507147 London man tells of 'shock' jailing in Dubai over kiss] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210517221054/https://www.bbc.com/news/10507147 |date=17 May 2021 }}. [[BBC News]]. Retrieved 26 November 2015.] In several cases, the courts of the UAE have jailed women who have reported rape.{{efn|Attributed to multiple sources:[{{Cite news|title = UAE imprisoning rape victims under extramarital sex laws – investigation|url = https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/26/hundreds-of-women-prosecuted-for-extramarital-sex-in-uae-finds-bbc|newspaper = The Guardian|date = 26 October 2015|author = Topping, Alexandra|access-date = 13 December 2016|archive-date = 17 October 2016|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161017152837/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/26/hundreds-of-women-prosecuted-for-extramarital-sex-in-uae-finds-bbc|url-status = live}}][{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/22/world/meast/uae-norway-rape-controversy/index.html|title=Dubai ruler pardons Norwegian woman convicted after she reported rape|work=CNN.com|access-date=10 September 2013|archive-date=16 September 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130916124444/http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/22/world/meast/uae-norway-rape-controversy/index.html|url-status=live}}][{{cite web|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/witw/articles/2013/07/30/dubai-s-progressive-charade.html|title=Dubai's Progressive Charade|work=[[The Daily Beast]]|date=30 July 2013 |access-date=12 February 2016|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304125248/http://www.thedailybeast.com/witw/articles/2013/07/30/dubai-s-progressive-charade.html|url-status=live}}][{{cite web|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/dubai-rape-vic-arrested-drinking-article-1.1214682|title=Gang-rape victim in Dubai arrested for drinking alcohol: report|work=[[New York Daily News]]|date=6 December 2012|access-date=12 February 2016|archive-date=5 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305072601/http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/dubai-rape-vic-arrested-drinking-article-1.1214682|url-status=live}}][{{cite web|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2010/06/the-court-in-abu-dhabi-ruled-today-that-the-18-year-old-emirati-woman-who-accused-six-men-of-gang-rape-will-serve-a-one-year.html|title=Dubai: Victim of gang rape sentenced to one year in prison|date=17 June 2010|access-date=20 September 2014|archive-date=21 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180821161906/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2010/06/the-court-in-abu-dhabi-ruled-today-that-the-18-year-old-emirati-woman-who-accused-six-men-of-gang-rape-will-serve-a-one-year.html|url-status=live}}]}} Federal law in the UAE prohibits swearing on social media.[{{cite news |date=16 June 2015 |title=Swearing on WhatsApp 'will result in £40,000 fine and deportation, UAE rules' |work=[[The Independent]] |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/swearing-on-whatsapp-will-result-in-40000-fine-and-deportation-uae-rules-10324188.html |access-date=28 March 2024 |archive-date=29 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190629124207/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/swearing-on-whatsapp-will-result-in-40000-fine-and-deportation-uae-rules-10324188.html |url-status=live }}][{{cite web|date=16 June 2015|title=British Expats Face Being Deported From UAE For Swearing on WhatsApp|url=https://uk.news.yahoo.com/british-expats-face-being-deported-from-uae-for-swearing-on-whatsapp-161318056.html#GTeWLi4|work=Yahoo News|access-date=28 March 2024|archive-date=23 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923004636/https://uk.news.yahoo.com/british-expats-face-being-deported-from-uae-for-swearing-on-whatsapp-161318056.html#GTeWLi4|url-status=live}}] Dancing in public is illegal in the UAE.[{{cite web |date=23 October 2012 |title=Criminal Law of Dubai |url=http://www.lawyersuae.com/court-cases/criminal-law-of-dubai |publisher=lawyersuae.com |access-date=25 December 2014 |archive-date=6 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006095228/http://www.lawyersuae.com/court-cases/criminal-law-of-dubai |url-status=live }}][{{cite web |title=المشارق |url=http://al-shorfa.com/en_GB/articles/meii/features/2009/03/20/feature-03 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141219073733/http://al-shorfa.com/en_GB/articles/meii/features/2009/03/20/feature-03 |archive-date=19 December 2014 |access-date=15 February 2015 |work=al-shorfa.com}}][[http://www.arabnews.com/node/322024 No dancing in public: Dubai] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225062212/https://www.arabnews.com/node/322024 |date=25 February 2021 }}. Arab News (15 March 2009). Retrieved 26 November 2015.] In November 2020, UAE announced that it decriminalised alcohol, lifted the ban on unmarried couples living together, and ended lenient punishment on [[honor killing]]. Foreigners living in the Emirates were allowed to follow their native country's laws on divorce and inheritance.[{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/07/united-arab-emirates-to-relax-islamic-laws-on-personal-freedoms|title=UAE decriminalises alcohol and lifts ban on unmarried couples living together|access-date=9 November 2020|website=The Guardian|date=9 November 2020|archive-date=11 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220111155359/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/07/united-arab-emirates-to-relax-islamic-laws-on-personal-freedoms|url-status=live}}]
Despite the Sharia laws that restrict gambling tools and machines in the UAE, the country granted its first commercial gaming operator's licence to [[Wynn Resorts]] that was developing a luxury resort, including a {{Convert|224000|ft2|abbr=on}} casino component, at [[Al Marjan Island]] in [[Ras Al Khaimah]]. In September 2023, the UAE established the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA), hinting towards its plans to legalise [[gambling]]. The GCGRA has outlined a comprehensive framework that includes licenses for casinos, [[slot machine]]s, and [[poker]] tables, as well as [[Lottery|lotteries]], [[Online game|internet gaming]], and sports wagering. The GCGRA emphasises responsible gaming, requiring operators to implement socially responsible gaming programs and undergo audits every two years. These programs include player education, responsible marketing, employee training, and evaluation plans to measure their effectiveness. Gaming operators must have a "qualifying domestic entity" in the UAE, defined as any UAE company with substantial business operations in the jurisdiction. The GCGRA also mandates player management tools, including deposit limits and cooling-off periods for online gaming.[{{Cite web |last=Corder |first=Josh |date=28 July 2024 |title=UAE Publishes Rules For Legal Gambling and Casino Licenses – Here's What They Say |url=https://skift.com/2024/07/28/uae-publishes-rules-for-legal-gambling-and-casino-licenses-heres-what-they-say/ |access-date=16 December 2024 |website=Skift |language=en-US}}][{{cite news|title=Wynn Resorts says it gets UAE's first gambling license|date=5 October 2024|url=https://www.reuters.com/business/wynn-resorts-says-it-gets-uaes-first-gambling-license-2024-10-05/ |access-date=23 October 2024}}][{{cite news|title=The United Arab Emirates Is Building Its Own Las Vegas|date=6 October 2024|url=https://skift.com/2024/10/06/the-united-arab-emirates-is-building-its-own-las-vegas/ |access-date=23 October 2024}}]
=== Human rights violations ===
{{Main|Human rights in the United Arab Emirates}}
[[Human Rights Watch]] has reported on the country's ongoing unfair mass trials, restrictions of freedom of speech and abuses to migrant labour forces.[{{Citation |last=Human Rights Watch |title=United Arab Emirates: Events of 2024 |date=17 December 2024 |work=Share this via Facebook |url=https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2025/country-chapters/united-arab-emirates |access-date=12 November 2025 |language=en}}] The annual [[Freedom House]] report on ''[[Freedom in the World]]'' has listed the United Arab Emirates as "Not Free" every year since 1999, the first year for which records are available on their website.[{{cite web|url=https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2014/united-arab-emirates|title=United Arab Emirates Reports|work=Freedom House|access-date=7 May 2015|date=22 August 2014|archive-date=13 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150513050714/https://www.freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2014/united-arab-emirates|url-status=dead}}] In 2025, the country ranked 18 out of 100 in terms of the freedom index, due to a lack of [[free elections]], lack of [[government transparency]] and accountability, and a lack of free media and [[Judicial independence|independent judicial system]], and low scores against other metrics.[{{Cite web |title=United Arab Emirates: Freedom in the World 2025 Country Report |url=https://freedomhouse.org/country/united-arab-emirates/freedom-world/2025 |access-date=12 November 2025 |website=Freedom House |language=en}}]
[[Freedom of association]] is also severely curtailed, and in most cases, banned under existing law. In the UAE an association requires twenty individuals, none of which can have previous convictions and must be preauthorized and registered with the government.[{{Cite web |year=2022 |title=Freedom of Association in the Middle East and North Africa |url=https://romena.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/2022-02/Freedom%20of%20Association%20Report%20.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250831083838/https://romena.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/2022-02/Freedom%20of%20Association%20Report%20.pdf |archive-date=31 August 2025 |access-date=12 November 2025 |website=romena.ohchr.org |publisher=[[United Nations Human Rights Council]]}}] All associations have to be submitted to [[Censorship in the Middle East|censorship guidelines]] and all publications have first to be approved by the government.[{{cite web |last1=Fanack |title=Stifling Dissent in the UAE |url=https://chronicle.fanack.com/united-arab-emirates/administration-politics/human-rights-uae-modern-facade-bleak-reality/stifling-dissent/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150713130807/https://chronicle.fanack.com/united-arab-emirates/administration-politics/human-rights-uae-modern-facade-bleak-reality/stifling-dissent/ |archive-date=13 July 2015 |access-date=13 July 2015 |website=Fanack.com}}] Updated in 2022, article 188 in the Penal Code makes the establishment of an association with the intended goal of challenging the existing regime punishable by life imprisonment or the death penalty.[{{Cite web |title=United Arab Emirates |url=https://fot.humanists.international/countries/asia-western-asia/united-arab-emirates/ |access-date=12 November 2025 |website=Freedom of Thought Report |language=en}}][{{Cite web |date=10 November 2025 |title=New UAE penal code: increased restrictions on fundamental freedoms {{!}} MENA Rights Group |url=https://menarights.org/en/articles/new-uae-penal-code-increased-restrictions-fundamental-freedoms |access-date=12 November 2025 |website=menarights.org |language=en}}] In its 2025 Annual Report, [[Amnesty International]] has continuously identified severe human rights violations, particularly against freedom of assembly, freedom speech and an uptick in [[arbitrary arrest and detention|arbitrary arrest]] and torture.[{{Cite web |title=Human rights in United Arab Emirates |url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/middle-east-and-north-africa/middle-east/united-arab-emirates/report-united-arab-emirates/ |access-date=12 November 2025 |website=Amnesty International |language=en}}]
Immigrant workers are often subject to harsh forms of the law within the country, and are often victims of arbitrary detention or torture within the country.[{{Cite web |title=United Arab Emirates |url=https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/united-arab-emirates/ |access-date=12 November 2025 |website=United States Department of State |language=en-US}}][{{Cite web |title=UN paints grim picture of human rights abuses in UAE |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/1/10/un-raises-concern-over-human-rights-in-uae |access-date=12 November 2025 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}}] One notable example is [[Ryan Cornelius]], a 71-year-old British citizen who has been unlawfully detained in the UAE since 2008.[{{Cite web |date=10 July 2025 |title=Human rights violations in Dubai, Central African Republic and Syria {{!}} Aktualności {{!}} Parlament Europejski |url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/pl/press-room/20250704IPR29457/human-rights-violations-in-dubai-central-african-republic-and-syria |access-date=12 November 2025 |website=www.europarl.europa.eu |language=pl}}] The [[Arab Organization for Human Rights]] obtained testimonies from defendants who claimed being kidnapped, tortured and abused in detention centres; they reported sixteen methods of torture including beatings, threats with [[electrocution]] and denial of medical care.[{{cite web |date=November 2014 |title=Forced Disappearances and Torture in the United Arab Emirates |url=http://aohr.org.uk/images/releases/forced-disappearance-torture-in-UAE.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160115030038/http://aohr.org.uk/images/releases/forced-disappearance-torture-in-UAE.pdf |archive-date=15 January 2016 |access-date=4 February 2016 |work=Arab Organisation for Human Rights}}] Repressive measures, including deportation, were applied on foreigners based on allegations of attempts to destabilize the country.[[https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/articles/middle-east/15084-uaes-crackdown-on-democracy-short-sighted UAE's crackdown on democracy short-sighted] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151126114449/https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/articles/middle-east/15084-uaes-crackdown-on-democracy-short-sighted|date=26 November 2015}}. Middleeastmonitor.com. Retrieved 26 November 2015.] The issue of [[sexual abuse]] among female [[domestic workers]] is another area of concern, particularly given that domestic servants are not covered by the UAE labour law of 1980 or the draft labour law of 2007.[{{cite web |author=Whitson, Sarah Leah |date=24 March 2007 |title=UAE: Draft Labor Law Violates International Standards |url=https://www.hrw.org/en/news/2007/03/24/uae-draft-labor-law-violates-international-standards |publisher=Human Rights Watch |access-date=28 March 2024 |archive-date=5 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200805224836/https://www.hrw.org/en/news/2007/03/24/uae-draft-labor-law-violates-international-standards |url-status=live }}] Additionally, the ''[[kafala system]]'', or sponsorship for work results in a significant cost to migrant workers and conditions comparable to [[indentured servitude]].[Guthrie, Daniel (2023) Reconstructing Power: Addressing the Exploitation of Migrant Construction Workers in the UAE, The Beacon Journal, 2023 Edition, 2-8
https://beaconjournal.lse.ac.uk/articles/6/files/64e376bdef3d1.pdf] Protests by foreign workers have been suppressed, and protesters imprisoned without due process; including in 2008, 2012, and most recently in 2023.[{{cite news |date=24 February 2008 |title=Indian workers jailed in Dubai over violent protest |work=Reuters |url=http://in.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-32118620080224 |access-date=6 July 2021 |archive-date=12 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160112072424/http://in.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-32118620080224 |url-status=dead }}][{{Cite web |title=Hunger strikes in Dubai over imprisonments |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2012/5/2/foreigners-launch-hunger-strike-in-uae-jail |access-date=12 November 2025 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}}][{{Cite web |title=Govt continues efforts to free 25 Bangladeshis from UAE jail |url=https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/foreign-affairs/393587/govt-continuing-efforts-to-free-25-bangladeshis |access-date=12 November 2025 |website=Dhaka Tribune |language=en}}]
The state security apparatus in the UAE has been accused of human rights abuses including forced disappearance, arbitrary arrests and torture.[{{cite web |title=Human Rights in The UAE |url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/region/uae |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150213013240/http://www.amnesty.org/en/region/uae |archive-date=13 February 2015}}][{{Cite web |date=10 November 2025 |title=MENA Rights Group highlights widespread practice of enforced disappearance in the United Arab Emirates in general allegation to the UN {{!}} MENA Rights Group |url=https://menarights.org/en/articles/mena-rights-group-highlights-widespread-practice-enforced-disappearance-united-arab |access-date=12 November 2025 |website=menarights.org |language=en}}][{{Cite web |title=200 Days of Abdulrahman Yusuf's Enforced Disappearance: Reveal His Whereabouts. Ensure His Safety. Release Him Now. |url=https://euromedrights.org/publication/200-days-of-abdulrahman-yusufs-enforced-disappearance-reveal-his-whereabouts-ensure-his-safety-release-him-now/ |access-date=12 November 2025 |website=EuroMed Rights |language=en-US}}] In a mass trial in 2013, human rights activist and lawyer, [[Salim al-Shehhi]] claimed he was held in solitary confinement and forced to give a confession to crimes he was accused of.[{{Cite web |title=Salem Al-Shehhi |url=https://edacrights.com/prisoner/11 |access-date=12 November 2025 |website=Edacrights |language=en}}][{{Cite web |last=Webteam |first=Web |date=9 August 2012 |title=UAE Activist Asks Police for Help, Gets Arrested Instead |url=https://www.amnestyusa.org/blog/uae-activist-asks-police-for-help-gets-arrested-instead/ |access-date=12 November 2025 |website=Amnesty International USA |language=en-US}}] In 2023, the country held its largest mass trial where defendants were not given fair treatment. Beginning in December 2023, a trial with 84 defendants resulted in 43 people sentenced to life in prison, ten received sentences up to fifteen years for peaceful protests against the government. Those convicted were Bangladeshi individuals in the UAE, protesting their home government, while the UAE claimed the defendants were a part of a terrorist organization. The [[Closed trial|trial took place in secrecy]] with no documents or evidence provided in the court.[{{Cite web |date=4 March 2025 |title=UAE: Unfair Mass Trial Convictions Upheld {{!}} Human Rights Watch |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/03/04/uae-unfair-mass-trial-convictions-upheld |access-date=12 November 2025 |language=en}}] In January 2025, [[Human Rights Watch]] (HRW) published a report highlighting the human rights abuses committed by the UAE in 2024, majorly focusing on the unfair mass trial, where the UAE's use of Federal Penal Code and the Cybercrime Law were used to silence government critics, journalists, dissidents and activists, while restricting their freedom of expression.
A December 2024 report by [[European Centre for Democracy and Human Rights|European Centre for Democracy and Human Rights (ECDHR)]] highlights the country's acute issue with unlawful, political persecution and absence of judicial independence. Trials are often held in secrecy and the defendants' lawyers are neglected from accessing case files and court documents. The UAE's 2014 Counter-Terrorism Law is used to enforce travel bans, life imprisonment and even death penalty for peaceful critics of the regime and those managing an organization.[{{Cite web |title=United Arab Emirates: UN experts alarmed by new charges brought against civil society in UAE87 trial |url=https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/01/united-arab-emirates-un-experts-alarmed-new-charges-brought-against-civil |access-date=12 November 2025 |website=OHCHR |language=en}}] The UAE's counterterrorism law represses freedom of expression. The country's judicial system lacks any form of transparency or independence, and international organizations have called on the UN to form an independent committee to review all allegations of torture, incommunicado detention, and unfair trials.[{{cite news |date=30 December 2024 |title=Undermining Justice: The UAE's Struggle with Judicial Independence, Human Rights, and Unfair Trials |url=https://www.ecdhr.org/undermining-justice-the-uaes-struggle-with-judicial-independence-human-rights-and-unfair-trials/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250107125606/https://www.ecdhr.org/undermining-justice-the-uaes-struggle-with-judicial-independence-human-rights-and-unfair-trials/ |archive-date=7 January 2025 |access-date=8 January 2025 |website=ECDHR}}]
Investigations have found that Qatari men have been abducted by the UAE government and allegedly withheld information about the men's fate from their families.[{{cite web |title=Urgent Action: Enforced Disappearance of Qatari Nationals |url=http://www.amnestyusa.org/sites/default/files/uaa25614.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141225122354/http://www.amnestyusa.org/sites/default/files/uaa25614.pdf |archive-date=25 December 2014 |access-date=25 December 2014 |publisher=[[Amnesty International]]}}] Over 4,000 Shia expatriates have been deported from the UAE;[[http://majlis.org.uk/thousands-of-shias-coercively-deported-from-uae/ Thousands of Shias Coercively deported from UAE – Majlis-e-Ulama-e-Shia Europe] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141225122717/http://majlis.org.uk/thousands-of-shias-coercively-deported-from-uae/|date=25 December 2014}}. Majlis.org.uk. Retrieved on 21 August 2018.][Luca, Ana Maria (5 June 2013) [https://web.archive.org/web/20141225122615/https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/reportsfeatures/hezbollah-and-the-gulf Hezbollah and the Gulf]. mmedia.me] including Lebanese Shia families for their alleged sympathies for [[Hezbollah]].[{{cite web |year=2013 |title=UAE Deports 125 Lebanese Citizens |url=https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2013/02/uae-deports-lebanese-expatriates.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141225122306/http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/02/uae-deports-lebanese-expatriates.html |archive-date=25 December 2014 |work=Al Monitor}}][{{cite web |year=2010 |title=UAE/Lebanon: Allow Lebanese/Palestinian Deportees to Appeal |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2010/07/19/uaelebanon-allow-lebanesegazan-deportees-appeal |publisher=Human Rights Watch |access-date=28 March 2024 |archive-date=3 January 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150103213242/http://www.hrw.org/news/2010/07/19/uaelebanon-allow-lebanesegazan-deportees-appeal |url-status=live }}][{{cite news |last1=Wigglesworth |first1=Robin |date=19 July 2010 |title=UAE urged to allow appeal on deportations |work=[[Financial Times]] |url=http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/37f1883c-934d-11df-bb9a-00144feab49a.html |url-status=dead |access-date=16 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525062330/https://www.ft.com/content/37f1883c-934d-11df-bb9a-00144feab49a |archive-date=25 May 2017}}] In 2013, 94 Emirati activists were held in secret detention centres and put on trial for allegedly attempting to overthrow the government;[{{cite web |author=Hearst, David |year=2013 |title=The UAE's bizarre, political trial of 94 activists |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/mar/06/uae-trial-94-activists |work=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=13 December 2016 |archive-date=20 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170220095051/https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/mar/06/uae-trial-94-activists |url-status=live }}] a relative of a defendant was arrested for tweeting about the trial, and sentenced to 10 months in jail.[{{cite news |author=Brumfield, Ben |author2=Faraj, Caroline |author3=Abedine, Saad |date=11 April 2013 |title=Man faces 10 months jail for tweets about trial in UAE |publisher=CNN |url=http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/11/world/meast/uae-twitter-jail/ |access-date=18 April 2013 |archive-date=16 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130416071152/http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/11/world/meast/uae-twitter-jail |url-status=live }}] The latest forced disappearance involves [[Disappearance of the Al-Suwaidi sisters|three sisters from Abu Dhabi]].[[https://www.amnesty.org/en/articles/news/2015/02/uae-three-women-held-in-secret-detention-over-tweets/ UAE Three women held in secret detention over tweets|Amnesty International] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518091038/https://www.amnesty.org/en/articles/news/2015/02/uae-three-women-held-in-secret-detention-over-tweets/ |date=18 May 2015 }}. Amnesty.org (27 February 2015). Retrieved 26 November 2015.]
As a response to their poor human rights records, the government of the UAE has tried to strengthen relations with a number of western private and public entities through [[Whitewashing (politics)|whitewashing]], to improve their public image.[{{Cite journal |last1=Saberi |first1=Donya |last2=Paris |first2=Cody Morris |last3=Marochi |first3=Belisa |date=January 2018 |title=Soft power and place branding in the United Arab Emirates: examples of the tourism and film industries |url=https://www.inderscienceonline.com/doi/abs/10.1504/IJDIPE.2018.091405 |journal=International Journal of Diplomacy and Economy |volume=4 |issue=1 |pages=44–58 |doi=10.1504/IJDIPE.2018.091405 |issn=2049-0887}}] They established a Soft Power Council in 2017 in order to address their international image.[{{Cite journal |last1=Antwi-Boateng |first1=Osman |last2=Alhashmi |first2=Amira Ali |date=3 April 2022 |title=The emergence of the United Arab Emirates as a global soft power: current strategies and future challenges |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/20954816.2021.1951481 |journal=Economic and Political Studies |volume=10 |issue=2 |pages=208–227 |doi=10.1080/20954816.2021.1951481 |issn=2095-4816|url-access=subscription }}] The UAE deploys a number of these techniques, including gender-washing, [[Greenwashing|green-washing]] and [[Sportswashing|sports-washing]]; as evident in hosting major events like [[COP28]], sporting events including [[Formula One]] races,[{{Cite web |title=Amnesty slams UAE repression behind F1 glitz |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2014/11/18/amnesty-slams-uae-repression-behind-f1-glitz |access-date=12 November 2025 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}}] the Abu Dhabi Cup in 2026;[{{Cite web |last=Editorial |first=Man City |title=Manchester City Abu Dhabi Cup 2026 expands to three days of football |url=https://www.mancity.com/news/club/Manchester%20City%20Abu%20Dhabi%20Cup%202026%20expands%20to%20three%20days%20of%20football |access-date=12 November 2025 |website=Manchester City FC |language=en}}] or promoting tourism and business to Dubai.[{{Cite web |date=25 October 2021 |title=How Is The UAE Using Dubai Expo To Whitewash Human Rights Violations - ECDHR |url=https://www.ecdhr.org/how-is-the-uae-using-dubai-expo-to-whitewash-human-rights-violations/ |access-date=12 November 2025 |website=www.ecdhr.org |language=en-GB}}][{{Cite journal |last1=Fruh |first1=Kyle |last2=Archer |first2=Alfred |last3=Wojtowicz |first3=Jake |date=2 January 2023 |title=Sportswashing: Complicity and Corruption |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/17511321.2022.2107697 |journal=Sport, Ethics and Philosophy |volume=17 |issue=1 |pages=101–118 |doi=10.1080/17511321.2022.2107697 |issn=1751-1321}}][{{Citation |last=Dubinsky |first=Yoav |chapter=Nation Branding, Public Diplomacy, and the Dirty Business of Sportswashing |date=2023 |title=Nation Branding and Sports Diplomacy: Country Image Games in Times of Change |pages=157–191 |editor-last=Dubinsky |editor-first=Yoav |chapter-url=https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-32550-2_7 |access-date=12 November 2025 |place=Cham |publisher=Springer International Publishing |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-3-031-32550-2_7 |isbn=978-3-031-32550-2|chapter-url-access=subscription }}] The growing interest in playing a role in the international entertainment industriy is an attempt to scour the country's image of its ongoing human rights violations. They continue to face criticism for its ongoing contribution to climate change and human rights abuses, despite participating in these international events.[{{cite news |date=11 January 2025 |title=World Report 2024: United Arab Emirates |url=https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2025/country-chapters/united-arab-emirates |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250117114951/https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2025/country-chapters/united-arab-emirates |archive-date=17 January 2025 |access-date=6 February 2025 |website=HRW}}] In 2018, the country hosted the Second Annual World Tolerance Summit, which was protested by a number of NGOs and scholars.[“Don’t’ whitewash the UAE’s gross human rights abuses”: NGOs call on World Tolerance Summit speakers to cancel their participation
Accessible open letter, 2019. https://www.icj.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/UAE-Tolerance-Summit-Advocacy-open-letters-2019-ENG.pdf]
=== Migrant workers ===
{{Main|Migrant workers in the United Arab Emirates|Migrant workers in the Gulf Cooperation Council region}}
[[File:Burj Dubai Construction Workers on 25 January 2008 Pict 2.jpg|thumb|right|Two South Asian [[blue-collar workers]] posing for a picture with the [[Burj Khalifa]] on the background]]
Migrant workers in the UAE are not allowed to join trade unions or go on strike. Those who strike may risk prison and deportation,[{{cite web|url=http://survey.ituc-csi.org/United-Arab-Emirates.html?lang=en#tabs-3|title=United Arab Emirates|work=International Trade Union Confederation|access-date=27 October 2014|archive-date=1 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180101224409/https://survey.ituc-csi.org/United-Arab-Emirates.html?lang=en#tabs-3|url-status=live}}][{{cite web|url=http://survey.ituc-csi.org/United-Arab-Emirates.html?lang=en#tabs-2|title=United Arab Emirates|work=International Trade Union Confederation|access-date=14 October 2014|archive-date=1 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180101224409/https://survey.ituc-csi.org/United-Arab-Emirates.html?lang=en#tabs-2|url-status=live}}] as seen in 2014 when dozens of workers were deported for striking.[[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/22/abu-dhabi-migrant-workers-conditions-shame-west Conditions for Abu Dhabi's migrant workers 'shame the west' | World news] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180125023446/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/22/abu-dhabi-migrant-workers-conditions-shame-west |date=25 January 2018 }}. ''The Guardian'' (22 December 2013). Retrieved on 21 August 2018.] The [[International Trade Union Confederation]] has called on the [[United Nations]] to investigate evidence that thousands of migrant workers in the UAE are treated as slave labour.[{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/sep/13/migrant-workers-uae-gulf-states-un-ituc|title=Call for UN to investigate plight of migrant workers in the UAE|newspaper=The Guardian|date=13 September 2014|last1=Batty|first1=David|access-date=13 December 2016|archive-date=12 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180212225943/https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/sep/13/migrant-workers-uae-gulf-states-un-ituc|url-status=live}}]
In 2019, an investigation performed by ''The Guardian'' revealed that thousands of migrant construction workers employed on infrastructure and building projects for the UAE's [[Expo 2020]] exhibition were working in an unsafe environment. Some were even exposed to potentially fatal situations due to cardiovascular issues. Long hours in the sun made them vulnerable to heat strokes.[{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2019/oct/03/workers-at-dubai-expo-2020-heat-stress|title=Workers at Dubai's Expo 2020 likely to have suffered dangerous heat stress|access-date=3 October 2019|work=The Guardian|date=3 October 2019|archive-date=3 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191003141918/https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2019/oct/03/workers-at-dubai-expo-2020-heat-stress|url-status=live}}]
A report in January 2020 highlighted that the employers in the United Arab Emirates have been exploiting the Indian labour and hiring them on [[Travel visa|tourist visas]], which is easier and cheaper than [[work permit]]s. These [[migrant worker]]s are left open to [[Labor rights|labour abuse]], where they also fear reporting exploitation due to their illegal status. Besides, the issue remains unknown as the visit visa data is not maintained in both the UAE and Indian [[Human migration|migration]] and employment records.[{{cite web|url=https://weeklyreviewer.com/tourist-visa-scam-traps-indian-workers-in-abusive-jobs-in-uae-news/|title=Tourist visa scam traps Indian workers in abusive jobs in UAE|date=15 January 2020|access-date=15 January 2020|website=Weekly Reviewer|archive-date=16 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200116091345/https://weeklyreviewer.com/tourist-visa-scam-traps-indian-workers-in-abusive-jobs-in-uae-news/|url-status=dead}}]
[[File:Dubai workers angsana burj.jpg|thumb|left|Dubai construction workers having a lunch break]]
In a 22 July 2020 news piece, ''Reuters'' reported [[human rights]] groups as saying conditions had deteriorated because of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]. Many migrant workers racked up debt and depended on the help of charities. The report cited salary delays and layoffs as a major risk, in addition to overcrowded living conditions, lack of support and problems linked with healthcare and sick pay. Reuters reported at least 200,000 workers, mostly from India but also from Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Philippines and Nepal, had been repatriated, according to their diplomatic missions.[{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-emirates-jobs/uaes-migrant-workers-fret-over-future-in-coronavirus-economy-idUSKCN24N0Q7|title=UAE's migrant workers fret over future in coronavirus economy|access-date=22 July 2020|website=Reuters|date=22 July 2020|archive-date=23 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200723151341/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-emirates-jobs/uaes-migrant-workers-fret-over-future-in-coronavirus-economy-idUSKCN24N0Q7|url-status=live}}]
On 2 May 2020, the Consul General of India in [[Dubai]], Vipul, confirmed that more than 150,000 Indians in the United Arab Emirates registered to be repatriated through the e-registration option provided by Indian consulates in the UAE. According to the figures, 25% of applicants lost their jobs and nearly 15% were stranded in the country due to lockdown. Besides, 50% of the total applicants were from the state of [[Kerala]], India.[{{cite web|title=150,000 Indians in UAE register to fly home during coronavirus pandemic|url=https://gulfnews.com/uae/150000-indians-in-uae-register-to-fly-home-during-coronavirus-pandemic-1.71297349|access-date=2 May 2020|website=Gulf News|date=2 May 2020|archive-date=3 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503015519/https://gulfnews.com/uae/150000-indians-in-uae-register-to-fly-home-during-coronavirus-pandemic-1.71297349|url-status=live}}]
On 9 October 2020, ''The Telegraph'' reported that many migrant workers were left abandoned, as they lost their jobs amidst the tightening economy due to [[COVID-19]].[{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/10/09/homeless-migrants-sleep-rough-beneath-dubais-skyscrapers-covid/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/10/09/homeless-migrants-sleep-rough-beneath-dubais-skyscrapers-covid/ |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Homeless migrants sleep rough beneath Dubai's skyscrapers as Covid employment crisis bites|access-date=9 October 2020|website=The Telegraph|date=9 October 2020|last1=Stewart|first1=Ashleigh}}{{cbignore}}]
Various human rights organisations have raised serious concerns about the alleged abuse of migrant workers by major contractors organising Expo 2020. UAE's business solution provider German Pavilion is also held accountable for abusing migrant workers.[{{cite web|url=https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210507-german-company-using-uae-firm-with-record-of-migrant-worker-abuse-rights-group-says/|title=German company using UAE firm with record of migrant worker abuse, rights group says|date=7 May 2021|access-date=7 May 2021|publisher=Middle East Monitor|archive-date=4 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404024418/https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210507-german-company-using-uae-firm-with-record-of-migrant-worker-abuse-rights-group-says/|url-status=live}}]
=== Environmental policy ===
{{Further|Environmental issues in the United Arab Emirates}}
Environmental issues in the United Arab Emirates are caused by the [[exploitation of natural resources]], rapid population growth, and high energy demand. [[Climate change]] contributes to [[UAE]]'s [[water scarcity]], [[drought]], and [[Sea level rise|rising sea level]].[{{Cite book|title=United Arab Emirates: A New Perspective|last=Hellyer|first=Peter|publisher=Bertrams|year=2001|isbn=1900724472}}] The country is a leading [[oil and gas|oil and gas producer]]. Its [[energy consumption|energy consumption per capita]] is around 370 [[Gigajoule]]. The UAE's [[List of countries by carbon dioxide emissions per capita|carbon dioxide emissions per capita]] are high, ranking sixth among countries globally.[{{cite web|title=EDGAR – The Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research|url=https://edgar.jrc.ec.europa.eu/report_2020#emissions_table|access-date=24 April 2021|website=edgar.jrc.ec.europa.eu|archive-date=21 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210421035337/https://edgar.jrc.ec.europa.eu/report_2020#emissions_table|url-status=live}}] Recently, it made efforts to make itself more sustainable. Those include:[{{cite web |title=United Arab Emirates |url=https://www.weforum.org/publications/fostering-effective-energy-transition-2023/in-full/united-arab-emirates/ |website=World Economic Forum |access-date=1 February 2024 |archive-date=1 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240201115951/https://www.weforum.org/publications/fostering-effective-energy-transition-2023/in-full/united-arab-emirates/ |url-status=live }}]
* Setting a target to reduce [[GHG emissions]] by 31% in comparison to business scenario by 2030 and reach [[Net zero emissions|net zero]] by 2050.
* Launching a program to make the 3 most emissions-intensive sectors, 40% more [[Efficient energy use|energy efficient]].
* Launching some programs related to [[green building]]. [[Retrofitting]] of 30,000 buildings alone, should cut 1 million tons emissions.
* Promoting [[public transport]] and more.
According to official sources, in Dubai, "the share of mass transport in people's mobility increased from 6 per cent in 2006 to 20.61 per cent in 2022."[{{cite news |title=Dubai: 1.8 million people used public transport daily this year |url=https://www.khaleejtimes.com/transport/uae/dubai-1-8-million-people-used-public-transport-daily-this-year |agency=Khaleej Times |date=15 November 2023 |access-date=28 March 2024 |archive-date=1 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240201120048/https://www.khaleejtimes.com/transport/uae/dubai-1-8-million-people-used-public-transport-daily-this-year |url-status=live }}] Together with the USA the country invested 17 billion dollars in [[sustainable agriculture]].[{{cite news |title=COP28: US-UAE climate-friendly farming effort grows to $17 bln |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/cop28-us-uae-climate-friendly-farming-effort-grows-17-bln-2023-12-08/ |access-date=1 February 2024 |work=Reuters |date=9 December 2023 |archive-date=20 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240120141232/https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/cop28-us-uae-climate-friendly-farming-effort-grows-17-bln-2023-12-08/ |url-status=live }}]
== Economy ==
{{NPOV language|section|date=January 2024}}
{{Main|Economy of the United Arab Emirates}}
[[File:Burj Khalifa.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Burj Khalifa]], the [[List of tallest buildings and structures in the world|tallest human-made structure in the world]], located in [[Dubai]]]]
The United Arab Emirates has developed from a juxtaposition of Bedouin tribes to one of the world's wealthiest states in only about 50 years, boasting one of the highest [[List of countries by GDP (PPP) per capita|GDP (PPP) per capita]] figures in the world. Economic growth has been impressive and steady throughout the history of this young confederation of emirates with brief periods of recessions only, e.g. in the global financial and economic crisis years 2008–09, and a couple of more mixed years starting in 2015 and persisting until 2019. Between 2000 and 2018, average real gross domestic product (GDP) growth was at close to 4%.[{{cite web|url=https://www.empyrean-advisors.com/united-arab-emirates-country-analysis/|title=United Arab Emirates – Economic, Social, and Institutional Analysis – Empyrean Advisors|website=www.empyrean-advisors.com|access-date=27 September 2019|archive-date=3 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220703122406/https://www.empyrean-advisors.com/united-arab-emirates-country-analysis/|url-status=dead}}] It is the second largest economy in the [[Gulf Cooperation Council|GCC]] (after [[Saudi Arabia]]),[{{cite web|url=http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display-1.asp?section=editorschoice&xfile=/data/editorschoice/2013/December/editorschoice_December12.xml |title=UAE's economy growth momentum set to pick up |work=[[Khaleej Times]] |date=27 December 2013 |access-date=5 January 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140104225058/http://khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display-1.asp?xfile=%2Fdata%2Feditorschoice%2F2013%2FDecember%2Feditorschoice_December12.xml§ion=editorschoice |archive-date=4 January 2014 }}] with a nominal gross domestic product (GDP) of US$414.2 billion, and a real GDP of 392.8 billion constant 2010 USD in 2018.[{{Cite web |date=18 June 2024 |title=UAE climbs to 7th place in IMD World Competitiveness Ranking 2024 |url=https://gulfnews.com/uae/uae-climbs-to-7th-place-in-imd-world-competitiveness-ranking-2024-1.103169049 |access-date=18 June 2024 |website=gulfnews.com |language=en}}]
=== Business and finance ===
[[File:Abu dhabi skylines 2014.jpg|thumb|right|[[Abu Dhabi]] skyline]]
The UAE is ranked as the 26th best country in the world for doing business by the [[Doing Business Report|Doing Business 2017 Report]] published by the [[World Bank Group]].[{{cite web|url=http://www.doingbusiness.org/rankings|title=Ranking of Economies|work=[[World Bank Group]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604005151/http://www.forbes.com/feeds/afx/2007/06/12/afx3810988.html|archive-date=4 June 2011}}] The UAE are in the top ranks of several other global indices, such as the [[World Happiness Report]] (WHR) and 30th in the [[Global Innovation Index]] in 2025.[{{Cite web |title=GII Innovation Ecosystems & Data Explorer 2025 |url=https://www.wipo.int/gii-ranking/en/united-arab-emirates |access-date=16 October 2025 |website=WIPO}}][{{Cite book |last1=Dutta |first1=Soumitra |url=https://www.wipo.int/web-publications/global-innovation-index-2025/en/index.html |title=Global Innovation Index 2025: Innovation at a Crossroads |last2=Lanvin |first2=Bruno |publisher=[[World Intellectual Property Organization]] |year=2025 |isbn=978-92-805-3797-0 |page=19 |language=en |doi=10.34667/tind.58864 |access-date=17 October 2025}}] The [[Economist Intelligence Unit]] (EIU) assigns the UAE rank two regionally in terms of business environment and 22 worldwide. From the 2018 Arab Youth Survey, the UAE emerges as the top Arab country in areas such as living, safety and security, economic opportunities, and starting a business, and as an example for other states to emulate.[{{cite web | url=http://survey.ituc-csi.org/United-Arab-Emirates.html?edition=336 | title=United Arab Emirates | work=ITUC | access-date=7 February 2013 | archive-date=1 February 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201231308/http://survey.ituc-csi.org/United-Arab-Emirates.html?edition=336 | url-status=live }}] Consequently, there are very few anti-discrimination laws in relation to labour issues, with Emiratis – and other [[Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf|GCC]] Arabs – getting preference in public sector jobs despite lesser credentials than competitors and lower motivation. In fact, just over eighty per cent of Emirati workers hold government posts, with many of the rest taking part in state-owned enterprises such as [[Dubai Properties]] and the airline [[Emirates (airline)|Emirates]].[{{cite book |last=Krane |first=Jim |title=City of Gold: Dubai and the Dream of Capitalism |place=New York |publisher=St. Martin's Press |year=2009 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/cityofgolddubaid0000kran/page/267 267–270] |isbn=978-0-312-53574-2 |url=https://archive.org/details/cityofgolddubaid0000kran/page/267 }}] [[Western world|Western]] states, including the United Kingdom, were also warned by the Emirati Trade Minister, [[Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi]], to keep politics separate from trade and the economy, as it dilutes the agreements' main objectives. In 2023, Al Zeyoudi indicated that these countries should "tone down" the human and workers' rights provisions in the trade deals, in order to gain greater market access and business opportunities.[{{Cite news |last1=Boscia |first1=Stefan |last2=Whale |first2=Sebastian |date=12 March 2023 |title=Stay silent on human rights to strike deals, Gulf states tell UK |language=en |work=Politico |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/uk-trade-deal-human-rights-uae-minister-thani-bin-ahmed-al-zeyoudi-gulf-cooperation-council/ |access-date=13 June 2023 |archive-date=2 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200102225119/https://www.politico.eu/article/uk-trade-deal-human-rights-uae-minister-thani-bin-ahmed-al-zeyoudi-gulf-cooperation-council/ |url-status=live }}]
The UAE's monetary policy stresses stability and predictability. The [[Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates|Central Bank of the UAE]] (CBUAE) keeps a peg to the US Dollar (USD) and moves interest rates close to the [[Federal funds rate|Federal Funds Rate]].[{{cite news|url=https://www.ft.com/content/3d537bae-cf30-11e9-b018-ca4456540ea6 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/https://www.ft.com/content/3d537bae-cf30-11e9-b018-ca4456540ea6 |archive-date=10 December 2022 |url-access=subscription|title= UAE banks prepare for rough ride ahead|access-date=18 October 2019|website=Financial Times|date= 18 October 2019|last1= Kerr|first1= Simeon}}]
[[File:Dubai Marina Skyline.jpg|thumb|right|[[Dubai Marina]] skyline]]
Since 2015, economic growth has been more mixed due to a number of factors impacting both demand and supply. In 2017 and 2018, growth has been positive but on a low level of 0.8 and 1.4%, respectively. To support the economy, the government is currently following an expansionary fiscal policy. However, the effects of this policy are partially offset by monetary policy, which has been contractionary. If not for the fiscal stimulus in 2018, the UAE economy would probably have contracted in that year. One of the factors responsible for slower growth has been a credit crunch, which is due to, among other factors, higher interest rates. Government debt has remained on a low level, despite high deficits in a few recent years. Risks related to government debt remain low. Inflation has been picking up in 2017 and 2018. Contributing factors were the introduction of a [[Value-added tax|value added tax]] (VAT) of 5%[{{Cite web |title=UAE VAT calculator – Tax Calculator |url=https://vat201.com/ |access-date=28 November 2022 |website=VAT 201 Vat Calculator |language=en |archive-date=19 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240319184229/https://vat201.com/ |url-status=live }}] in 2018 as well as higher commodity prices. Despite the government's expansionary fiscal policy and a growing economy in 2018 and at the beginning of 2019, prices have been dropping in late 2018 and 2019 owing to oversupply in some sectors of importance to consumer prices.[{{cite web|url=https://www.lorientlejour.com/article/1254738/les-emirats-arabes-unis-dans-le-top-10-des-paradis-fiscaux-selon-une-ong.html|title=Les Emirats arabes unis dans le top 10 des paradis fiscaux, selon une ONG|date=9 March 2021|website=L'Orient-Le Jour|access-date=9 March 2021|archive-date=1 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230301160419/https://www.lorientlejour.com/article/1254738/les-emirats-arabes-unis-dans-le-top-10-des-paradis-fiscaux-selon-une-ong.html|url-status=live}}] In 2023, the UAE's legal system fell under international scrutiny, as the [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|members of the British Parliament]] opened an inquiry into how the foreign business executives are treated in the country, in case of accusations of breaking the law.[{{Cite news |last=Dudley |first=Dominic |date=21 June 2023 |title=UK Parliament Starts Inquiry Into UAE's 'Scandalous' Treatment Of Foreign Business Execs |language=en |work=Forbes |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/dominicdudley/2023/06/21/uk-parliament-starts-inquiry-into-uaes-scandalous-treatment-of-foreign-business-execs/?sh=69733d7d4272 |access-date=27 June 2023 |archive-date=27 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230627113854/https://www.forbes.com/sites/dominicdudley/2023/06/21/uk-parliament-starts-inquiry-into-uaes-scandalous-treatment-of-foreign-business-execs/?sh=69733d7d4272 |url-status=live }}]
2024 will be the third consecutive year that the UAE holds first place as the world's leading wealth magnet, as 6,700 wealthy migrants are set to move to the country.[{{Cite web |date=18 June 2024 |title=UAE remains world's leading millionaire magnet, attracting 6,700 wealthy migrants by 2024-end |url=https://gulfnews.com/business/markets/uae-remains-worlds-leading-millionaire-magnet-attracting-6700-wealthy-migrants-by-2024-end-1.103170123 |access-date=18 June 2024 |website=gulfnews.com |language=en}}]
=== VAT ===
The UAE government implemented [[value-added tax]] (VAT) in the country from 1 January 2018, at a standard rate of 5%.[{{Cite web |title=Value Added Tax (VAT) – The Official Portal of the UAE Government |url=https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/finance-and-investment/taxation/valueaddedtaxvat#:~:text=The%20rate%20of%20VAT%20is,provide%20high-quality%20public%20services. |access-date=28 November 2022 |website=u.ae |language=en |archive-date=23 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200323183006/https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/finance-and-investment/taxation/valueaddedtaxvat#:~:text=The%20rate%20of%20VAT%20is,provide%20high-quality%20public%20services. |url-status=live }}]
While the government may still adjust the exact arrangement of the VAT, it is not likely that any new taxes will be introduced in the foreseeable future. Additional taxes would destroy one of the UAE's main enticements for businesses to operate in the country and put a heavy burden on the economy.[Reuters. (19 January 2022). "Unit 2 of UAE's Barakah nuclear plant to start operations within months: ENEC CEO". [https://english.alarabiya.net/business/energy/2022/01/19/Unit-2-of-UAE-s-Barakah-nuclear-plant-to-start-operations-within-months-ENEC-CEO Al Arabiya website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220122050656/https://english.alarabiya.net/business/energy/2022/01/19/Unit-2-of-UAE-s-Barakah-nuclear-plant-to-start-operations-within-months-ENEC-CEO |date=22 January 2022 }} Retrieved 22 January 2022.]
The UAE has solar generation potential, and its energy policy has shifted due to the declining price of solar. The Dubai Clean Energy Strategy aims to provide 7 per cent of Dubai's energy from clean energy sources by 2020. It will increase this target to 25 per cent by 2030 and 75 per cent by 2050.[{{Cite web|url = https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/dubai-ruler-wants-solar-panels-on-every-roof-by-2030-1.68642|title = Dubai Ruler wants solar panels on every roof by 2030|date = 29 November 2015|access-date = 23 November 2023|archive-date = 2 June 2017|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170602173058/http://www.thenational.ae/business/energy/dubai-ruler-wants-solar-panels-on-every-roof-by-2030|url-status = live}}]
In 2023, ADNOC and its CEO Sultan Al Jaber closed at least 20 business deals worth nearly $100 billion. The state oil firm was alleged of exploiting the UAE's COP28 presidency to pursue oil and gas deals. As per leaked documents, Al Jaber's team targeted 16 nations to lobby firms, delegates or ministers on such deals. ADNOC sought deals with companies from 12 countries, which included 11 of the 16 target nations. Al Jaber and senior ADNOC officials openly discussed deals. COP28 organising teams were excluded from meetings and replaced by ADNOC officials, leaving a closed group that made deals.[{{Cite news|last=Galey|first=Patrick|title="I hope the younger generations can forgive us": State oil company pushed $100 billion of deals in UAE's year as COP28 host|url=https://www.globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/fossil-gas/i-hope-the-younger-generations-can-forgive-us-state-oil-company-pushed-100-billion-of-deals-in-uaes-year-as-cop28-host/|date=5 June 2024|website=Global Witness}}]
=== Tourism ===
{{Main|Tourism in the United Arab Emirates}}
{{Multiple image
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Tourism acts as a growth sector for the entire UAE economy. [[Dubai]] is the top tourism destination in the Middle East.[{{cite web|url=http://gulfbusiness.com/2014/07/dubai-ranks-fifth-among-top-global-destinations-travellers/|title=Dubai Ranks Fifth Among Top Global Destinations For Travellers|work=Gulf Business|date=10 July 2014|access-date=4 February 2016|archive-date=17 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017061651/http://gulfbusiness.com/2014/07/dubai-ranks-fifth-among-top-global-destinations-travellers/|url-status=dead}}] Dubai holds up to 66% share of the UAE's tourism economy, with [[Abu Dhabi]] having 16% and [[Sharjah]] 10%. Dubai welcomed 10 million tourists in 2013.
The UAE has the most advanced and developed infrastructure in the region.[{{cite web|url=http://www.theprospectgroup.com/infrastructure-in-the-united-arab-emirates-uae-81876/|title=Infrastructure in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)|work=The Prospect Group|access-date=28 March 2024|archive-date=4 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230604115052/https://www.theprospectgroup.com/infrastructure-in-the-united-arab-emirates-uae-81876/|url-status=live}}] Since the 1980s, the UAE has been spending billions of dollars on infrastructure. These developments are particularly evident in the larger emirates of Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The northern emirates are rapidly following suit, providing major incentives for developers of residential and commercial property.[{{cite web |url=http://www.slideshare.net/arunkodiyeri/uae-yearbook-2009 |title=UAE yearbook 2009 |publisher=Slideshare.net |date=13 April 2009 |access-date=28 March 2024 |archive-date=10 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010154156/https://www.slideshare.net/arunkodiyeri/uae-yearbook-2009 |url-status=live }}][{{cite web|title=Topic: Tourism industry of the UAE|url=https://www.statista.com/topics/4643/tourism-industry-of-the-uae/|access-date=31 July 2021|website=Statista|language=en|archive-date=11 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210711045433/https://www.statista.com/topics/4643/tourism-industry-of-the-uae/|url-status=live}}]
The inbound tourism expenditure in the UAE for 2019 accounted for 118.6 per cent share of the outbound tourism expenditure.[{{cite web|url=https://www.businessliveme.com/uae/uae-offers-5-year-tourist-visa-as-neighbors-vie-for-visitors/|title=UAE Offers 5-Year Tourist Visa as Neighbors Vie for Visitors|access-date=7 January 2020|website=Business Live Middle East|date=7 January 2020|archive-date=9 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809123314/https://www.businessliveme.com/uae/uae-offers-5-year-tourist-visa-as-neighbors-vie-for-visitors/|url-status=dead}}] It has been projected that the travel and tourism industry will contribute about 280.6 billion United Arab Emirati dirham to the UAE's GDP by 2028.[{{Cite web|url=https://thearabianpost.com/burj-khalifa-is-dubais-most-visited-tourist-attraction/|title=Burj Khalifa is Dubai's most visited tourist attraction | Arabian Post|date=9 February 2014|access-date=10 August 2020|archive-date=10 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201110025422/https://thearabianpost.com/burj-khalifa-is-dubais-most-visited-tourist-attraction/|url-status=live}}] [[The World (archipelago)|The World archipelago]] and [[Palm Jumeirah]] also in Dubai;[{{Cite web|url=http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/world-islands|title=The World Islands|website=Atlas Obscura|access-date=10 August 2020|archive-date=17 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117223703/https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/world-islands|url-status=live}}] [[Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque]] and [[Yas Marina Circuit]] in [[Abu Dhabi]]; [[Al Hajar Mountains]] in [[Fujairah]]. The uniqueness of the country's natural desert life, especially with the [[Bedouins]], also facilitates the country's tourist industry.[{{Cite web|url=https://connectwithnature.ae/knowledge-hub/habitat-desert|title=Habitat: Desert | Connect With Nature|website=connectwithnature.ae|access-date=10 August 2020|archive-date=15 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220815161729/https://connectwithnature.ae/knowledge-hub/habitat-desert|url-status=live}}]
The UAE will diversify its tourism sector with the introduction of [[casino]] gambling. [[Wynn Al Marjan Island]] in [[Ras Al Khaimah]] will feature the first casino in the country and will also be the country's first [[integrated resort]] when it opens in March 2027.[{{Cite web|url=https://agbrief.com/intel/deep-dive/06/10/2024/wynn-resorts-granted-gaming-license-in-uae/|title=Wynn Resorts granted gaming license in the UAE | AGB|date=6 October 2024}}][{{Cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2024-10-07/uae-casinos-wynn-gets-gaming-license-as-it-builds-ras-al-khaimah-resort|title=UAE's $7 Billion Gaming Jackpot Draws Closer With Wynn License|date=7 October 2024|via=www.bloomberg.com}}][[https://igamingbusiness.com/casino/wynn-resorts-uae-casino-open-march-2027/ Wynn Resorts' UAE casino to open in March 2027]]
[[Abu Dhabi]] is set to become the home of [[Disneyland Abu Dhabi]], the first Disney theme park in the Middle East.[{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2025/05/07/disney-is-building-a-new-theme-park-in-abu-dhabi-heres-what-we-know/|title=Disneyland Abu Dhabi: Here's What We Know About Disney's New Theme Park|first=Alison|last=Durkee|website=Forbes}}]
=== Transport ===
{{Main|Transport in the United Arab Emirates}}
[[Dubai International Airport]] became the [[World's busiest airports by international passenger traffic|busiest airport in the world by international passenger traffic]] in 2014, overtaking [[Heathrow Airport|London Heathrow]].[{{Cite news|url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/transport/11372616/Dubai-overtakes-Heathrow-to-become-worlds-busiest-airport.html|title = Dubai Overtakes Heathrow To Become World's Busiest|last = Anderson|first = Elizabeth|date = 27 January 2015|work = The Telegraph|access-date = 12 February 2015|archive-date = 1 March 2022|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220301145021/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/transport/11372616/Dubai-overtakes-Heathrow-to-become-worlds-busiest-airport.html|url-status = live}}] [[Abu Dhabi International Airport]] is the second-largest airport in the UAE. Due to the announced expansion of [[Al Maktoum International Airport|Al Maktoum Airport]] on 28 April 2024, Dubai International Airport will be shut down once Al Maktoum Airport expansion will be completed.[{{Cite web |last=Kamel |first=Deena |date=29 April 2024 |title=Dubai to scrap dual airport operations once move to mega-hub at Al Maktoum is complete |url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/aviation/2024/04/29/dubai-to-scrap-dual-airport-operations-once-move-to-mega-hub-at-al-maktoum-is-complete/ |access-date=1 May 2024 |website=The National |language=en}}]
[[File:Dubai Roads on 8 May 2008 Pict 2.jpg|thumb|[[E 311 road (United Arab Emirates)|E 311]], a major road in the UAE]]
[[Abu Dhabi]], [[Dubai]], [[Sharjah]], [[Ajman]], [[Umm Al Quwain]], and [[Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah|Ras Al Khaimah]] are connected by the [[E 11 road (United Arab Emirates)|E11 highway]], which is the longest road in the UAE. In Dubai, in addition to the [[Dubai Metro]], The [[Dubai Tram]] and [[Palm Jumeirah Monorail]] also connect specific parts of the city. There is also a bus, taxi, abra (traditional boat), and water taxi network run by RTA. [[Dubai Trolley|T1]], a double-decker tram system in [[Downtown Dubai]], were operational from 2015 to 2019.
Salik, meaning "open" or "clear", is Dubai's electronic toll collection system that was launched in July 2007 and is part of Dubai's traffic congestion management system. Each time one passes through a Salik tolling point, a toll is deducted from the drivers' prepaid toll account using advanced Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology. There are four Salik tolling points placed in strategic locations in Dubai: at [[Al Maktoum Bridge]], [[Al Garhoud Bridge]], and along [[Sheikh Zayed road|Sheikh Zayed Road]] at [[Al Safa]] and [[Al Barsha]].[{{cite web|last=Salik|title=Home|url=https://www.salik.rta.ae/en|access-date=2 August 2021|website=Salik|language=en|archive-date=2 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210802102556/https://www.salik.rta.ae/en|url-status=dead}}]
[[File:5018 Dubai Metro in Dubai UAE.png|thumb|A [[Dubai Metro]] train. Dubai Metro is the Arabian peninsula's first [[rapid transit]] system and was the world's longest driverless metro network until 2016.]]
A {{convert|1200|km|mi|abbr=on}} [[Rail transport in the United Arab Emirates|country-wide railway]] is under construction which will connect all the major cities and ports.[{{cite news|url=http://www.railjournal.com/index.php/freight/from-sand-to-sea.html|title=From sand to sea|work=International Railway Journal|date=21 March 2012|access-date=28 March 2024|archive-date=23 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160323024811/http://www.railjournal.com/index.php/freight/from-sand-to-sea.html|url-status=live}}] The [[Dubai Metro]] is the first urban train network in the [[Arabian Peninsula]].[{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8247330.stm|title=Will metro change Dubai car culture?|date=11 September 2009|work=BBC News|access-date=11 October 2009|archive-date=16 September 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090916041627/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8247330.stm|url-status=live}}]
The major ports of the United Arab Emirates are [[Khalifa Port]], [[Zayed Port]], Port [[Jebel Ali]], [[Port Rashid]], [[Port Khalid Sharjah|Port Khalid]], [[Port Saeed]], and Port Khor Fakkan.[{{cite web|url=http://www.uae.gov.ae/Government/ports.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080714124311/http://www.uae.gov.ae/Government/ports.htm|archive-date=14 July 2008 |title=UAE Ports |publisher=Uae.gov.ae }}] The Emirates are increasingly developing their logistics and ports in order to participate in trade between Europe and China or Africa. For this purpose, ports are being rapidly expanded and investments are being made in their technology.
The Emirates have historically been and currently still are part of the Maritime [[Silk Road]] that runs from the Chinese coast to the south via the southern tip of India to [[Mombasa]], from there through the Red Sea via the [[Suez Canal]] to the Mediterranean, there to the Upper Adriatic region and the northern Italian hub of [[Trieste]] with its rail connections to [[Central Europe]], Eastern Europe, and the [[North Sea]].[{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/wadeshepard/2017/08/02/next-up-abu-dhabi-chinas-maritime-silk-road-breaks-into-the-middle-east/|title=Next Up On China's Maritime Silk Road: Abu Dhabi|first=Wade|last=Shepard|website=Forbes|access-date=28 March 2021|archive-date=11 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210111001629/https://www.forbes.com/sites/wadeshepard/2017/08/02/next-up-abu-dhabi-chinas-maritime-silk-road-breaks-into-the-middle-east/|url-status=live}}][{{cite web|url=https://www.arabnews.com/node/1418636/business-economy|title=China flags up UAE as Silk Road mega-hub with $300m port deal|date=10 December 2018|website=Arab News|access-date=28 March 2021|archive-date=12 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210512055544/https://www.arabnews.com/node/1418636/business-economy|url-status=live}}]
=== Telecommunications ===
The United Arab Emirates is served by two [[telecommunications]] operators, [[Etisalat]] and [[Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company]] ("du"). Etisalat operated a [[monopoly]] until du launched mobile services in February 2007.[{{cite web |url=http://opennet.net/sites/opennet.net/files/united_arab_emirates.pdf |title=United Arab Emirates |work=OpenNet Interactive |access-date=22 June 2009 |archive-date=9 September 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080909194905/http://opennet.net/sites/opennet.net/files/united_arab_emirates.pdf |url-status=live }}] Internet subscribers were expected to increase from 0.904 million in 2007 to 2.66 million in 2012.[{{cite web |url=http://emiratesseo.com/uae-telecom-market-grows-competition/ |title=UAE telecom market grows with competition | Mobile telecomms report |publisher=Ameinfo.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141214221608/http://emiratesseo.com/uae-telecom-market-grows-competition/ |archive-date=14 December 2014 }}] The regulator, the [[Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (UAE)|Telecommunications Regulatory Authority]], mandates filtering websites for religious, political, and sexual content.[{{cite web |url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/uae-reports-high-website-censorship-1.556197/ |title=UAE reports high website censorship |work=The National Newspaper |date=12 June 2009 |access-date=1 January 2012 |archive-date=1 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110901201621/http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/uae-reports-high-website-censorship |url-status=live }}]
[[5G]] wireless services were installed nationwide in 2019 through a partnership with [[Huawei]].[{{cite news|url=https://www.khaleejtimes.com/technology/uae-ready-for-fast-lane-with-5g---|title=UAE ready for fast lane with 5G in 2019|author=Khaleej Times|date=17 February 2019|access-date=30 March 2019|archive-date=30 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330041759/https://www.khaleejtimes.com/technology/uae-ready-for-fast-lane-with-5g---|url-status=live}}]
== Demographics ==
{{Main|Demographics of the United Arab Emirates}}
{{wide image|Dubai banner 2.jpg|700px|The skyline of [[Dubai]], the largest city in the United Arab Emirates}}
According to an estimate by the [[World Bank]], the UAE's population in 2020 was 9,890,400. Immigrants accounted for 88.52% while Emiratis made up the remaining 11.48%.[{{cite web|title=UAE Population Statistics|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL?locations=AE|access-date=4 October 2021|archive-date=4 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211004091449/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL?locations=AE|url-status=live}}] This unique imbalance is due to the country's exceptionally high [[net migration rate]] of 21.71, the [[List of countries by net migration rate|world's highest]].[{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2112rank.html?countryName=India&countryCode=in®ionCode=sas&rank=85#in |title=Net migration rate |publisher=Cia.gov |access-date=9 March 2010 |archive-date=8 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308042938/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2112rank.html?countryName=India&countryCode=in®ionCode=sas&rank=85#in |url-status=dead }}] UAE citizenship is very difficult to obtain other than by [[filiation]] and only granted under very special circumstances.[{{cite web |title=UAE nationality |url=https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/passports-and-traveling/uae-nationality |website=u.ae |access-date=10 December 2020 |archive-date=24 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210524135159/https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/passports-and-traveling/uae-nationality |url-status=live }}]
[[File:Palm jumeirah core.jpg|thumb|Residential villas in the [[Palm Jumeirah]] palm fronds in [[Dubai]]]]
The UAE is ethnically diverse. The five most populous nationalities for expatriates in the emirates of Dubai, Sharjah, and Ajman are Indian (25%), Pakistani (12%), Emirati (9%), Bangladeshi (7%), and Filipino (5%).[{{cite web|title = Indians, Pakistanis make up 37% of Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman population|url = http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/society/indians-pakistanis-make-up-37-of-dubai-sharjah-ajman-population-1.1562336|website = gulfnews.com|date = 6 August 2015|access-date = 7 August 2015|archive-date = 29 July 2018|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180729141543/https://gulfnews.com/news/uae/society/indians-pakistanis-make-up-37-of-dubai-sharjah-ajman-population-1.1562336|url-status = live}}] Expatriates from Europe, Australia, and North America make up around 100,000 of the population.[{{cite news|url=http://www.arabianbusiness.com/uae-population-hits-6m-emiratis-make-up-16-5--12137.html|title=UAE population hits 6 m, Emiratis make up 16.5%|author=Sambidge, Andy|newspaper=Arabian Business|date=7 October 2009|publisher=ArabianBusiness.com|access-date=1 January 2012|archive-date=14 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171114034427/http://www.arabianbusiness.com/uae-population-hits-6m-emiratis-make-up-16-5--12137.html|url-status=live}}][{{cite web |last=Mcintosh |first=Lindsay |url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/terror_red_alert_for_100_000_british_expats_in_dubai_1_1173062 |title=Terror red alert for 100,000 British expats in Dubai |work=The Scotsman |date=16 June 2008 |access-date=1 January 2012 |archive-date=21 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180821223235/https://www.scotsman.com/news/terror_red_alert_for_100_000_british_expats_in_dubai_1_1173062 |url-status=live }}][{{cite news|author=Whittell, Giles |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article7061449.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100525100904/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article7061449.ece |archive-date=25 May 2010 |title=British pair face jail for kissing in Dubai restaurant |work=The Times |date=15 March 2010}}] The rest of the population are from other [[Arab World|Arab states]].[{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/united-arab-emirates/|title=United Arab Emirates|work=CIA World Factbook|date=10 May 2022|access-date=23 January 2021|archive-date=7 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220107081049/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/united-arab-emirates/|url-status=dead}}][{{cite web|url=http://archive.arabnews.com/?page=7§ion=0&article=53888&d=3&m=11&y=2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120709123331/http://archive.arabnews.com/?page=7§ion=0&article=53888&d=3&m=11&y=2004|archive-date=9 July 2012|title=Editorial: The Ideal Prince |publisher=Arabnews.com |date=3 November 2004 }}]
About 88% of the population of the United Arab Emirates is urban.[{{cite web|title=Table 3.10 Urbanization |work=World Development Indicators |url=http://devdata.worldbank.org/wdipdfs/table3_10.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090325215156/http://devdata.worldbank.org/wdipdfs/table3_10.pdf |archive-date=25 March 2009 |url-status=unfit }}] The average [[List of countries by life expectancy|life expectancy]] was 76.7 in 2012, higher than for any other Arab country.[{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2102rank.html?countryName=United%20Arab%20Emirates&countryCode=ae®ionCode=mde&rank=71#ae |title=Life expectancy at birth |work=The World Factbook |access-date=14 September 2012 |archive-date=6 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306230455/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2102rank.html?countryName=United%20Arab%20Emirates&countryCode=ae®ionCode=mde&rank=71#ae |url-status=dead }}][{{cite web |url=http://www.uaeinteract.com/docs/Average_life_expectancy_in_UAE_rises_to_75_years/7752.htm |title=Average life expectancy in UAE rises to 75 years |publisher=Uaeinteract.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090611161529/http://www.uaeinteract.com/docs/Average_life_expectancy_in_UAE_rises_to_75_years/7752.htm |archive-date=11 June 2009 }}] With a male/female [[human sex ratio|sex ratio]] of 2.2 males for each female in the total population and 2.75 to 1 for the 15–65 [[Demographic profile|age group]], the UAE's [[Gender mortality differentials|gender imbalance]] is second highest in the world after Qatar.[{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2018.html |title=Sex ratio |work=The World Factbook |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131016065003/https://www.cia.gov/library//publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2018.html |archive-date=16 October 2013 }}]
=== Largest cities ===
{{Largest cities
| country = the United Arab Emirates
| stat_ref = 2023 Calculation
| list_by_pop = List of cities in the United Arab Emirates
| div_name = Emirate
| city_1 = Dubai | div_1 = Emirate of Dubai{{!}}Dubai | pop_1 = 3,564,931
| city_2 = Abu Dhabi | div_2 = Emirate of Abu Dhabi{{!}}Abu Dhabi | pop_2 = 1,807,000
| city_3 = Sharjah | div_3 = Sharjah (emirate){{!}}Sharjah | pop_3 = 1,405,000
| city_4 = Al Ain | div_4 = Emirate of Abu Dhabi{{!}}Abu Dhabi | pop_4 = 846,747
| city_5 = Ajman | div_5 = Emirate of Ajman{{!}}Ajman | pop_5 = 490,035
| city_6 = Ras Al Khaimah | div_6 = Ras al Khaimah | pop_6 = 191,753
| city_7 = Fujairah | div_7 = Emirate of Fujairah{{!}}Fujairah| pop_7 = 118,933
| city_8 = Umm Al Quwain | div_8 = Emirate of Umm Al Quwain{{!}}Umm Al Quwain | pop_8 = 59,098
| city_9 = Khor Fakkan | div_9 = Sharjah (emirate){{!}}Sharjah | pop_9 = 53,000
| city_10 = Kalba| div_10 = Sharjah (emirate){{!}}Sharjah | pop_10 = 51,000
}}
=== Language ===
[[Modern Standard Arabic]] is the national language of the United Arab Emirates. English is the most commonly spoken language,[{{Cite web |date=2 April 2024 |title=[Pilot Johan's Arabian Nights-18]The language of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is Arabic, as its na.. - MK |url=https://www.mk.co.kr/en/world/10979447 |access-date=29 March 2025 |website=매일경제 |language=en}}] [[Emirati Arabic]], a variety of [[Gulf Arabic]], is spoken natively by Emirati people.[{{cite book|last=Christensen|first=Shane|title=Frommer's Dubai|year=2010|isbn=978-0-470-71178-1|page=174|publisher=Wiley }}]
=== Religion ===
{{Main|Religion in the United Arab Emirates}}
[[File:Sheikh Zayed Mosque view.jpg|thumb|[[Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque]] in Abu Dhabi]]
[[Islam]] is the largest and the official [[state religion]] of the United Arab Emirates. The government follows a policy of tolerance toward other religions and rarely interferes in the religious activities of non-Muslims.[{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2122.html?countryName=Pakistan&countryCode=pk®ionCode=sas&#pk|publisher=CIA|title=The World Factbook|access-date=13 March 2021|archive-date=26 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181226143549/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2122.html?countryName=Pakistan&countryCode=pk®ionCode=sas&#pk|url-status=dead}}] and 85% of the Emirati population are Sunni Muslims with most of them adhering to the [[Maliki school]] of [[Islamic jurisprudence|jurisprudence]].[{{Cite web |last=Khashan |first=Hilal |date=29 November 2021 |title=For the UAE, Change Is an Existential Threat |url=https://geopoliticalfutures.com/for-the-uae-change-is-an-existential-threat/ |access-date=7 September 2025 |website=Geopolitical Futures |language=en-US}}][{{Cite web |title=United Arab Emirates |url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/2001/5713.htm |access-date=7 September 2025 |website=U.S. Department of State}}] The vast majority of the remaining 15% are Shia Muslims, who are concentrated in the [[Emirate of Dubai|Emirates of Dubai]] and [[Emirate of Sharjah|Sharjah]]. Although no official statistics are available for the breakdown between Sunni and Shia Muslims among noncitizen residents, media estimates suggest less than 20% of the noncitizen Muslim population are Shia.[{{cite web|date=16 April 2018|title=The Return of Sufism to the UAE|url=https://mesbar.org/the-return-of-sufism-to-the-uae/|access-date=29 July 2021|website=Al-Mesbar Center|language=en-US|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801111319/https://mesbar.org/the-return-of-sufism-to-the-uae/|url-status=live}}]
[[Christians]] account for 9% of the total population of the United Arab Emirates, according to the 2005 census; estimates in 2010 suggested a figure of 12.6%.[{{Cite web |url=https://www.state.gov/reports/2022-report-on-international-religious-freedom/united-arab-emirates/ |title=US State Dept 2022 report |access-date=23 September 2023 |archive-date=23 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231123181029/https://www.state.gov/reports/2022-report-on-international-religious-freedom/united-arab-emirates |url-status=live }}] [[Roman Catholicism in the United Arab Emirates|Roman Catholics]] and [[Protestantism in the United Arab Emirates|Protestants]] form significant proportions of the Christian minority. The country has over 52 churches in 2023.[{{Cite web |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/1309836/uae-number-of-places-of-worship-by-type/ |title=Statista.com website, retrieved 2023-08-28 |access-date=23 September 2023 |archive-date=29 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230929012922/https://www.statista.com/statistics/1309836/uae-number-of-places-of-worship-by-type/ |url-status=live }}] Many Christians in the United Arab Emirates are of Asian, African, and European origin, along with fellow Middle Eastern countries such as Lebanon, Syria, and Egypt.[{{cite web |url=http://www.refdag.nl/nieuws/groeiende_en_vitale_kerk_in_arabische_golf_1_494237 |title=Groeiende en vitale kerk in Arabische Golf – Nieuws – Reformatorisch Dagblad |publisher=Refdag.nl |access-date=24 November 2010 |archive-date=12 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191212212531/https://www.rd.nl/groeiende-en-vitale-kerk-in-arabische-golf-1.565863 |url-status=live }}] The United Arab Emirates forms part of the [[Roman Catholic Vicariate Apostolic of Southern Arabia|Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia]] and the Vicar Apostolic Bishop [[Paul Hinder]] is based in [[Abu Dhabi]].[{{cite web|date=21 March 2005 |title=New Apostolic Vicar for Arabia Appointed |work=[[Zenit News Agency]] |url=http://www.zenit.org/article-12565?l=english |access-date=21 November 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607230554/http://www.zenit.org/article-12565?l=english |archive-date=7 June 2011 }}]
There is a small [[Jews|Jewish]] community in the United Arab Emirates. Before 2023, there was only one known [[synagogue]] in [[Dubai]], which has been open since 2008 and the synagogue also welcomes visitors.[{{cite news|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/for-the-first-time-dubais-jewish-community-steps-hesitantly-out-of-the-shadows/|title=For the first time, Dubai's Jewish community steps hesitantly out of the shadows|last=Herschlag|first=Miriam|website=[[The Times of Israel]]|language=en-US|access-date=6 December 2018|archive-date=24 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191224220136/https://www.timesofisrael.com/for-the-first-time-dubais-jewish-community-steps-hesitantly-out-of-the-shadows/|url-status=live |issn=0040-7909}}] Another synagogue, [[Moses Ben Maimon Synagogue]], was completed in 2023 as part of the [[Abrahamic Family House]] complex in [[Abu Dhabi]]. As of 2019, according to Rabbi [[Marc Schneier]] of the [[Foundation for Ethnic Understanding]], it is estimated that there are about 150 families to 3,000 Jews who live and worship freely in the UAE.[{{cite news|url=https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5458305,00.html|title=The Jews of Dubai are on the map|publisher=ynetnews.com|date=5 February 2019|access-date=20 November 2020|archive-date=11 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201011051727/https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5458305,00.html/|url-status=live}}]
{{bar box
|title=Religions in UAE in 2010 ([[Pew Research Center|Pew Research]])[[http://www.globalreligiousfutures.org/countries/united-arab-emirates/religious_demography#/?affiliations_religion_id=0&affiliations_year = 2010 Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project: United Arab Emirates] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180814201444/http://www.globalreligiousfutures.org/countries/united-arab-emirates/religious_demography#/?affiliations_religion_id=0&affiliations_year |date=14 August 2018 }}. [[Pew Research Center]]. 2010.][[https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/2007/90223.htm United Arab Emirates] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191204132631/https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/2007/90223.htm |date=4 December 2019 }}. International Religious Freedom Report 2007. State.gov. Retrieved 27 September 2013.]
|titlebar=#Fcd116
|left1=Religion
|right1=Per cent
|float=right
|bars=
{{bar percent|[[Islam in the United Arab Emirates|Islam]]|green|76}}
{{bar percent|[[Christianity in the United Arab Emirates|Christianity]]|blue|13}}
{{bar percent|[[Hinduism in the United Arab Emirates|Hinduism]]|orange|7}}
{{bar percent|[[Buddhism in the United Arab Emirates|Buddhism]]|yellow|2}}
{{bar percent|[[Freedom of religion in the United Arab Emirates|Other]]|gray|1}}
{{bar percent|[[Irreligion in the United Arab Emirates|None]]|black|1}}
}}
South Asians in the United Arab Emirates constitute the largest ethnic group in the country.[{{cite web |url=http://www.bq-magazine.com/economy/socioeconomics/2015/04/uae-population-by-nationality |title=UAE's population – by nationality |publisher=bq magazine |date=12 April 2015 |access-date=20 December 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170321184658/http://www.bq-magazine.com/economy/socioeconomics/2015/04/uae-population-by-nationality |archive-date=21 March 2017 }}] Over 2 million Indian migrants (mostly from the southern states of [[Kerala]], [[Andhra Pradesh]], [[Kanara|Coastal Karnataka]], and [[Tamil Nadu]]) are estimated to be living in the UAE.[{{cite web|url=https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/03/03/india-is-a-top-source-and-destination-for-worlds-migrants/|title=India is a top source and destination for world's migrants|website=Pew Research Center|date=3 March 2017|language=en-US|access-date=9 September 2019|archive-date=1 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181001211840/http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/03/03/india-is-a-top-source-and-destination-for-worlds-migrants/|url-status=live}}] There are currently three Hindu temples in the country. Other religions also exist in the United Arab Emirates, including [[Jainism]], [[Sikhism]], [[Buddhism]], [[Judaism]], [[Baháʼí Faith|Baháʼís]], and [[Druze]].[{{cite web|title=First images of Abu Dhabi's Abrahamic Family House under construction released|url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/heritage/first-images-of-abu-dhabi-s-abrahamic-family-house-under-construction-released-1.1241661|access-date=29 July 2021|website=The National|date=15 June 2021|archive-date=26 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211226170031/https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/heritage/first-images-of-abu-dhabi-s-abrahamic-family-house-under-construction-released-1.1241661|url-status=live}}]
=== Education ===
{{Main|Education in the United Arab Emirates}}
[[File:UniversityCityHall.jpg|thumb|University City Hall is the largest building located in [[Sharjah University City|University City]] in [[Sharjah]]. Graduation ceremonies of [[American University of Sharjah]], [[University of Sharjah]], and [[Higher Colleges of Technology]] are notably held here.]]
The [[education]] system through secondary level is administered by the [[Ministry of Education (United Arab Emirates)|Ministry of Education]] in all emirates except Abu Dhabi, where it falls under the authority of the [[Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge|Department of Education and Knowledge]]. Public schools are divided into [[primary school]]s, [[middle school]]s, and [[High Schools|high schools]]. The public schools are government-funded and the curriculum is created to match the United Arab Emirates' development goals. The medium of instruction in the public school is Arabic with emphasis on English as a second language. There are also many private schools which are internationally accredited. [[Public school (government funded)|Public schools]] in the country are free for citizens of the UAE, while the fees for private schools vary.
The higher education system is monitored by the Ministry of Higher Education. The ministry also is responsible for admitting students to its [[undergraduate education|undergraduate]] institutions.[{{cite web|url=http://aud.edu/Admissions/undergraduate_req.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101224200815/http://aud.edu/Admissions/undergraduate_req.asp |archive-date=24 December 2010 |title=American University in Dubai. Undergraduate : Admission |work=Aud.edu }}] The adult literacy rate in 2015 was 93.8%.[{{cite web|url=http://www.masdar.ac.ae/institute/index.aspx?mi=mi |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080731123515/http://www.masdar.ac.ae/institute/index.aspx?mi=mi |archive-date=31 July 2008 |title=MASDAR | Profile |date=31 July 2008 }}] According to the QS Rankings, the top-ranking universities in the country are the [[United Arab Emirates University]] (421–430th worldwide), [[Khalifa University]][[http://www.topuniversities.com/universities/khalifa-university/undergrad Khalifa University | Undergraduate] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150223154425/http://www.topuniversities.com/universities/khalifa-university/undergrad |date=23 February 2015 }}. Top Universities. Retrieved 10 October 2015.] (441–450th worldwide), the [[American University of Sharjah]] (431–440th), and [[University of Sharjah]] (551–600th worldwide).[[http://www.topuniversities.com/node/4392/ranking-details/world-university-rankings/2013 American University of Sharjah Rankings] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140531003409/http://www.topuniversities.com/node/4392/ranking-details/world-university-rankings/2013 |date=31 May 2014 }}. Top Universities. Retrieved 26 November 2015.] United Arab Emirates was ranked 33rd in the [[Global Innovation Index]] in 2021, up from 36th in 2019.[{{Cite web |title=Global Innovation Index 2021 |url=https://www.wipo.int/global_innovation_index/en/2021/ |access-date=5 March 2022 |work=[[World Intellectual Property Organization]] |publisher=[[United Nations]] |language=en |archive-date=20 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210920133358/https://www.wipo.int/global_innovation_index/en/2021/ |url-status=live }}][{{cite web|title=Global Innovation Index 2019|url=https://www.wipo.int/global_innovation_index/en/2019/index.html|access-date=2 September 2021|website=www.wipo.int|language=en|archive-date=2 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210902101818/https://www.wipo.int/global_innovation_index/en/2019/index.html|url-status=live}}][{{cite web|title=RTD – Item|url=https://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/rtd/items/691898|access-date=2 September 2021|website=ec.europa.eu|archive-date=2 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210902140715/https://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/rtd/items/691898|url-status=live}}][{{cite web|date=28 October 2013|title=Global Innovation Index|url=https://knowledge.insead.edu/entrepreneurship-innovation/global-innovation-index-2930|access-date=2 September 2021|website=INSEAD Knowledge|language=en|archive-date=2 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210902101622/https://knowledge.insead.edu/entrepreneurship-innovation/global-innovation-index-2930|url-status=dead}}]
=== Health ===
{{Main|Health in the United Arab Emirates}}
In 2018, the life expectancy at birth in the UAE was 76.96 years.[[http://www.geoba.se/population.php?pc=world&type=15 Gazetteer – The World – Life Expectancy – Top 100+ By Country (2018)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161120052840/http://www.geoba.se/population.php?pc=world&type=15 |date=20 November 2016 }}. Geoba.se (28 April 2016). Retrieved on 21 August 2018.] [[Cardiovascular disease]] is the principal cause of death in the UAE, constituting 28% of total deaths; other major causes are [[accident]]s and [[injury|injuries]], [[Cancer|malignancies]], and [[congenital disorder|congenital anomalies]].[{{cite web |url=http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/profiles/UAE.pdf |title=United Arab Emirates country profile |work=Library of Congress |access-date=20 June 2009 |archive-date=26 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150226005533/http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/profiles/UAE.pdf |url-status=live }}] According to [[List of countries by Body Mass Index (BMI)#WHO Data on Prevalence of Obesity (BMI above 30) (2016)|World Health Organization data from 2016]], 34.5% of adults in the UAE are clinically [[Obesity|obese]], with a [[body mass index]] (BMI) score of 30 or more.[{{cite web|title=Prevalence of obesity, ages 18+, 2010–2014|url=http://gamapserver.who.int/gho/interactive_charts/ncd/risk_factors/obesity/atlas.html|website=WHO|publisher=World Health Organization|access-date=26 February 2016|archive-date=20 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191120191542/http://gamapserver.who.int/gho/interactive_charts/ncd/risk_factors/obesity/atlas.html|url-status=dead}}]
In February 2008, the Ministry of Health unveiled a five-year health strategy for the public health sector in the northern emirates, which fall under its purview and which, unlike Abu Dhabi and Dubai, do not have separate healthcare authorities. The strategy focuses on unifying healthcare policy and improving access to healthcare services at reasonable cost, at the same time reducing dependence on overseas treatment. The ministry plans to add three hospitals to the current 14, and 29 primary healthcare centres to the current 86. Nine were scheduled to open in 2008.[{{cite web|url=http://www.uae.gov.ae/Government/health.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080612101330/http://www.uae.gov.ae/Government/health.htm|archive-date=12 June 2008 |title=UAE Health |publisher=Uae.gov.ae }}]
The introduction of mandatory [[health insurance]] in Abu Dhabi for [[expatriate]]s and their dependents was a major driver in reform of healthcare policy. Abu Dhabi nationals were brought under the scheme in June 2008 and Dubai followed for its government employees. Eventually, under federal law, every Emirati and expatriate in the country will be covered by compulsory health insurance under a unified mandatory scheme.[{{cite web |url=http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/health/health-cover-is-mandatory-1.43089 |author=El Shammaa, Dina |title=Health cover is mandatory |work=Gulf News |date=3 January 2009 |access-date=1 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150112123918/http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/health/health-cover-is-mandatory-1.43089 |archive-date=12 January 2015 |url-status=dead }}]
The UAE has benefited from medical tourists from all over the [[Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf]]. The UAE attracts [[medical tourism|medical tourists]] seeking [[cosmetic surgery]] and advanced procedures, cardiac and spinal surgery, and dental treatment, as health services have higher standards than other Arab countries in the Persian Gulf.[{{cite web|author=Detrie, Megan |url=http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091116/NATIONAL/711159830/1010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091124064723/http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20091116%2FNATIONAL%2F711159830%2F1010 |archive-date=24 November 2009 |title=Dubai has eye on medical tourism |work=The National Newspaper |date=15 November 2009 |url-status=dead }}]
== Culture ==
{{Main|Culture of the United Arab Emirates}}
[[File:UAE Folk Dance- Khaliji.jpg|thumb|Women in an Emirati folk dance.]]
Emirati culture is based on [[Arabian culture]] and has been influenced by the cultures of [[Persians|Persia]], [[India]], and [[East Africa]].[{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SkCtS-n7GEEC&pg=PA430 |title=Handbook of Islamic Marketing|page=430|quote=Arabian and Persian inspired architecture is part of the expression of a 'local' identity|isbn=978-0-85793-602-8|last1=Sandıkcı|first1=Özlem|last2=Rice|first2=Gillian|year= 2011|publisher=Edward Elgar }}] Arabian influence on Emirati culture is noticeably visible in traditional Emirati architecture and [[folk arts]].[{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UMldAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA167 |title=Folklore and Folklife in the United Arab Emirates|page=167 |isbn=978-1-136-84907-7|last1=Hurriez|first1=Sayyid Hamid|year=2013|publisher=Routledge }}] For example, the distinctive wind tower that tops traditional Emirati buildings, the ''[[barjeel]]'', has become an identifying mark of Emirati architecture and is attributed to Arabian influence.[{{Cite book|title=United Arab Emirates: A New Perspective|last=Hellyer|first=Peter|publisher=Trident|year=2001|isbn=978-1-900724-47-0|page=181}}]
Major holidays in the United Arab Emirates include ''[[Eid ul-Fitr|Eid al Fitr]]'', which marks the end of ''[[Ramadan]]'', and [[National Day (United Arab Emirates)|National Day]] (2 December), which marks the formation of the United Arab Emirates.[{{cite web|url=http://www.gowealthy.com/gowealthy/wcms/en/home/articles/entertainment/events-and-festivals/Official-holidays-in-UAE-kvOQ0zrKKl.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080503011056/http://www.gowealthy.com/gowealthy/wcms/en/home/articles/entertainment/events-and-festivals/Official-holidays-in-UAE-kvOQ0zrKKl.html|archive-date=3 May 2008 |title=Official holidays in UAE |publisher=Gowealthy.com }}]
Literature and other written works by modern Emiratis are not well known globally because the majority of writers in country do not publish in English, women are restricted from participating in traditional literary groups, and freedom of expression is surpessed.[{{Cite journal |last1=Hambuch |first1=Doris |last2=Al Tenaijy |first2=Moza |last3=Aldarmaki |first3=Aisha Khamis |last4=Alblooshi |first4=Ali Nawab |date=31 December 2025 |title=Literary Translingualism in the United Arab Emirates: Anglophone Emirati prose and poetry |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/23311983.2025.2534252 |journal=Cogent Arts & Humanities |volume=12 |issue=1 |article-number=2534252 |doi=10.1080/23311983.2025.2534252|doi-access=free }}] The earliest known poet in the UAE is [[Ibn Majid]], born between 1432 and 1437 in Ras Al-Khaimah. The most famous Emirati writers were Mubarak Al Oqaili (1880–1954), Salem bin Ali al Owais (1887–1959), and Ahmed bin Sulayem (1905–1976). Three other poets from Sharjah, known as the Hirah group, are observed to have been heavily influenced by the Apollo and [[Romantic poetry|Romantic poets]].[{{cite web|url=http://www.visitabudhabi.ae/en/what.to.do/art.and.culture/literature.and.poetry.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008014601/http://www.visitabudhabi.ae/en/what.to.do/art.and.culture/literature.and.poetry.aspx |archive-date=8 October 2011 |title=Literature and poetry |publisher=Visitabudhabi.ae |date=1 July 2009 }}] The [[Sharjah International Book Fair]] is the oldest and largest in the country.
Traditional folk dances, such as [[Al Ayyala dance|''Al-Ayyala'']], are performed by men and women in the UAE during festivals, holidays, and weddings.[{{Cite web |title=Al-Ayyala, a traditional performing art of the Sultanate of Oman and the United Arab Emirates - UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage |url=https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/al-ayyala-a-traditional-performing-art-of-the-sultanate-of-oman-and-the-united-arab-emirates-01012 |access-date=13 November 2025 |website=ich.unesco.org |language=en}}] [[Liwa (music)|Liwa]] is a type of music and dance performed locally, mainly in communities that contain descendants of [[Bantu peoples]] from the [[African Great Lakes]] region.[[http://www.sharjahmuseums.ae/ Sharjah Museums Department] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110222082532/http://www.sharjahmuseums.ae/ |date=22 February 2011 }}. sharjahmuseums.ae] which in 1998 was the Cultural Capital of the Arab World.[{{cite web|date=18 October 2009 |url=http://www.sharjahtourism.ae/en/category/about-sharjah/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090202124611/http://www.sharjahtourism.ae/en/category/about-sharjah/ |archive-date=2 February 2009 |title=About Sharjah – Sharjah Commerce Tourism Development Authority |publisher=Sharjahtourism.ae}}] In Dubai, the area of [[Al Quoz]] has attracted a number of art galleries as well as museums such as the [[Salsali Private Museum]].[{{cite web |author=Dubai FAQs |url=http://www.dubaifaqs.com/art-galleries-in-dubai.php |title=Art Galleries Dubai |publisher=Dubaifaqs.com |access-date=28 March 2024 |archive-date=29 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170729020639/http://www.dubaifaqs.com/art-galleries-in-dubai.php |url-status=live }}] Abu Dhabi has established a culture district on [[Saadiyat Island]]. Six grand projects are planned, including the [[Guggenheim Abu Dhabi]] and the [[Louvre Abu Dhabi]].[{{cite web|url=http://www.saadiyat.ae/en/cultural.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120730122944/http://www.saadiyat.ae/en/cultural.html|archive-date=30 July 2012 |title=Saadiyat Island – Island of Happiness |publisher=Saadiyat.ae |date=19 March 2009}}] Dubai also plans to build a [[Kunsthal]] museum and a district for galleries and artists.[{{cite news |url=http://www.arabianbusiness.com/dubai-eyeing-new-fashion-design-district-17269.html |last1=Irish|first1=John |last2=Walid|first2=Tamara |title=Dubai eyeing new fashion, design district |newspaper=Arabian Business |publisher=ArabianBusiness.com |date=11 June 2009 |access-date=1 January 2012 |archive-date=11 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111152342/http://www.arabianbusiness.com/dubai-eyeing-new-fashion-design-district-17269.html |url-status=live }}] There are very few [[cinema of the United Arab Emirates|cinemas of the United Arab Emirates]], and any published material is subject to strict censorship guidelines, despite a repeal of the harshest guidelines in 2021. To view a movie in the country you must be 21 years old.[{{Cite news |last=Wilson |first=Josh |title=What The United Arab Emirates New Censorship Policy Means For The Film And TV Industry |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/joshwilson/2021/12/29/what-the-united-arab-emirates-new-censorship-policy-means-for-the-film-and-tv-industry/ |access-date=13 November 2025 |work=Forbes |language=en}}]
=== Media ===
{{Main|Mass media in the United Arab Emirates}}
{{See also|List of newspapers in the United Arab Emirates}}
[[File:Media City (12619096174).jpg|thumb|[[Dubai Media City]] is home to diverse news and tech companies.]]
The UAE's [[Media of the United Arab Emirates|media]] is annually classified as "not free" in the Freedom of the Press report by [[Freedom House]].[{{cite web|url=https://freedomhouse.org/reports/publication-archives|title=Publication Archives|website=Freedom House|date=20 April 2022|access-date=21 May 2021|archive-date=14 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514142458/https://freedomhouse.org/reports/publication-archives|url-status=live}}] The UAE ranks poorly in the annual [[Press Freedom Index]] by [[Reporters without Borders]]. [[Dubai Media City]] is the UAE's main media zone. The UAE is home to some pan-Arab broadcasters, including the [[Middle East Broadcasting Centre]] and [[Orbit Showtime Network]]. In 2007, Sheikh [[Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum]] decreed that journalists can no longer be prosecuted or imprisoned for reasons relating to their work.[{{cite web |url=http://www.carnegieendowment.org/files/UAE_APS.doc |title=United Arab Emirates |work=Carnegie Endowment |page=10 |quote=UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Muhammad bin Rashid al-Maktum decreed on September 25, 2007 that journalists can no longer be imprisoned for reasons relating to their work, setting a first for the decriminalization of media offences in the region. |access-date=28 March 2024 |archive-date=30 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231230134946/https://carnegieendowment.org/files/uae_aps.doc |url-status=live }}]
At the same time, the UAE has made it illegal to disseminate online material that can threaten "public order",[{{cite web|url=http://ejustice.gov.ae/downloads/latest_laws/cybercrimes_5_2012_en.pdf|title=Federal Decree-Law no.5|access-date=30 September 2018|archive-date=25 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190725182632/http://ejustice.gov.ae/downloads/latest_laws/cybercrimes_5_2012_en.pdf|url-status=dead}}] and hands down prison terms for those who "deride or damage" the reputation of the state and "display contempt" for religion. Journalists who are arrested for violating this law are often brutally beaten by the police.[{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-14704229 |title=United Arab Emirates – Media |work=BBC News |date=15 June 2012 |access-date=28 March 2024 |archive-date=6 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140206064027/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-14704229 |url-status=live }}]
According to UAE Year Book 2013, there are seven Arabic newspapers and eight English language newspapers, as well as a Tagalog newspaper produced and published in the UAE.
New media, such as [[Facebook]], [[Twitter]], [[YouTube]], and [[Instagram]] are used widely in the UAE by the government entities and by the public as well.[{{cite web|title=Types of media – The Official Portal of the UAE Government|url=https://u.ae/en/media/media-in-the-uae/types-of-media|access-date=9 August 2021|website=u.ae|language=en|archive-date=9 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210809072741/https://u.ae/en/media/media-in-the-uae/types-of-media|url-status=live}}] The UAE government avails official social media accounts to communicate with public and hear their needs.[{{Cite web |date=11 May 2023 |title=Report: UAE is the social media capital of the world |url=https://arab.news/jtfmt |access-date=19 October 2023 |website=Arab News |language=en}}] Influencers on these platforms play a significant role in shaping trends and promoting various products and services.[{{Cite web |title=UAE Is The Global Leader In Social Media: Report |url=https://www.ndtv.com/feature/uae-is-the-global-leader-in-social-media-report-4018999 |access-date=19 October 2023 |website=NDTV.com |archive-date=26 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231126161202/https://www.ndtv.com/feature/uae-is-the-global-leader-in-social-media-report-4018999 |url-status=live }}] The government has also implemented digital initiatives to enhance e-Government services and promote smart city concepts, further demonstrating the UAE's commitment to technological advancements.[{{Cite web |last=Emam |first=Soha |date=22 February 2023 |title=UAE Social Media Statistics [Updated 2023] |url=https://www.meltwater.com/en/blog/social-media-statistics-uae |access-date=19 October 2023 |website=Meltwater |language=en |archive-date=22 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230922005049/https://www.meltwater.com/en/blog/social-media-statistics-uae |url-status=live }}]
=== Cuisine ===
{{Main|Emirati cuisine}}
[[File:Luqaimat.jpg|thumb|190px|[[Arabic coffee]] with [[lugaimat]], a traditional Emirati sweet]]
The traditional food of the Emirates has always been rice, fish, and meat. The people of the United Arab Emirates have adopted most of their foods from other West and South Asian countries including Iran, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Pakistan, and India. Seafood has been the mainstay of the Emirati diet for centuries. Meat and rice are other staple foods, with [[lamb and mutton]] preferred to goat and beef. Popular beverages are coffee and tea, which can be complemented with [[cardamom]] or [[saffron]] to give them a distinctive flavour.[{{cite web |url=http://www.uaeinteract.com/travel/food.asp |title=UAE Travel& Tourism: Food & Drink |work=UAEinteract |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090611160248/http://www.uaeinteract.com/travel/food.asp |archive-date=11 June 2009 }}]
Popular cultural Emirati dishes include ''threed'', ''machboos'', ''khubisa'', ''khameer'', and ''chabab'' bread among others while [[lugaimat]] is a famous Emirati dessert.[{{cite web|last=Samtani|first=Kumar|date=8 January 2018|title=7 Traditional Emirati Dishes to Try in Dubai|url=https://eatyourworld.com/blog/7-traditional-emirati-dishes-to-try-in-dubai/|access-date=18 August 2021|website=Eat Your World Blog|language=en-US|archive-date=18 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818054023/https://eatyourworld.com/blog/7-traditional-emirati-dishes-to-try-in-dubai/|url-status=live}}]
With the influence of western culture, fast food has become very popular among young people, to the extent that campaigns have been held to highlight the dangers of fast food excesses.[[http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/the-uae-s-big-fat-problem-1.1050951 The UAE's big fat problem] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141229022813/http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/the-uae-s-big-fat-problem-1.1050951 |date=29 December 2014 }}. ''Gulf News''. (19 July 2012). Retrieved 26 January 2014.] Alcohol is allowed to be served only in hotel restaurants and bars. All nightclubs are permitted to sell alcohol. Specific supermarkets may sell alcohol, but these products are sold in separate sections. Likewise, pork, which is [[haram]] (not permitted for Muslims), is sold in separate sections in all major supermarkets. Although alcohol may be consumed, it is illegal to be intoxicated in public or drive a motor vehicle with any trace of alcohol in the blood.[{{cite web|url=http://www.alloexpat.com/abu_dhabi_expat_forum/alcohol-and-pork-licenses-t6912.html |title=Alcohol and Pork Licenses |publisher=Alloexpat.com |date=30 May 2009 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090805054659/http://www.alloexpat.com/abu_dhabi_expat_forum/alcohol-and-pork-licenses-t6912.html |archive-date=5 August 2009 }}]
=== Sports ===
{{Main|Sport in the United Arab Emirates}}
[[File:Yas Marina Circuit, October 12, 2018 SkySat (cropped).jpg|thumb|The [[Yas Marina Circuit]] in [[Abu Dhabi]]]]
[[Formula One]] is particularly popular in the United Arab Emirates, and a Grand Prix is annually held at the [[Yas Marina Circuit]] in [[Yas Island]] in Abu Dhabi. The race takes place in the evening, and was the first ever Grand Prix to start in daylight and finish at night.[{{cite news|title=Abu Dhabi confirms 5pm race start|url=http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/78061|work=Autosport|date=28 August 2009|access-date=28 March 2024|archive-date=26 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190626215828/https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/78061/abu-dhabi-confirms-5pm-race-start|url-status=live}}] Other popular sports include [[camel racing]], [[falconry]], [[endurance riding]], and [[tennis]].[{{cite web|url=http://www.uae.gov.ae/Government/sports.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080611135303/http://www.uae.gov.ae/Government/sports.htm|archive-date=11 June 2008 |title=UAE Sports |publisher=Uae.gov.ae }}] The emirate of [[Dubai]] is also home to two major [[golf]] courses: the Dubai Golf Club and [[Emirates Golf Club]].
Aside from the leisure aspect, sports can play an important part in shaping national identity. Falconry, for example, has functioned as a national symbol since its inception in 1971.[{{cite journal |last1=Wakefield |first1=Sarina |title=Falconry as heritage in the United Arab Emirates |journal=World Archaeology |date=2012 |volume=44 |issue=2 |pages=284|doi=10.1080/00438243.2012.669644 }}] Aside from the national prevalence of falconry, the UAE have played a formative role internationally in the co-ordination of [[UNESCO]]'s recognition of falconry as [[intangible heritage]].[{{cite journal |last1=Wakefield |first1=Sarina |title=Falconry as heritage in the United Arab Emirates |journal=World Archaeology |date=2012 |volume=44 |issue=2 |pages=286–288|doi=10.1080/00438243.2012.669644 }}]
In the past, child camel jockeys were used, leading to widespread criticism. Eventually, the UAE passed laws banning the use of children for the sport, leading to the prompt removal of almost all child jockeys.[[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4063391.stm Middle East | Help for Gulf child camel jockeys] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230329094909/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4063391.stm |date=29 March 2023 }}. BBC News (2 December 2004). Retrieved 10 October 2015.] Recently robot jockeys have been introduced to overcome the problem of child camel jockeys which was an issue of human rights violations. [[Ansar Burney]] is often praised for the work he has done in this area.[{{Cite news|url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/archive/print/308742-ansar-burney-%E2%80%94-a-true-champion-of-human-rights|title=Ansar Burney – a true champion of human rights|access-date=19 July 2018|archive-date=23 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191123143428/https://www.thenews.com.pk/archive/print/308742-ansar-burney-%E2%80%94-a-true-champion-of-human-rights|url-status=dead}}]
==== Football ====
{{further|Football in the United Arab Emirates|}}
[[File:Abu Dhabi Zayed Sports City Stadium 1.jpg|thumb|[[Zayed Sports City Stadium]] in [[Abu Dhabi]]]]
[[Association football|Football]] is a popular sport in the UAE. [[Al-Nasr Dubai SC|Al Nasr]], [[Al Ain Club|Al Ain]], [[Al Wasl FC|Al Wasl]], [[Sharjah FC|Sharjah]], [[Al Wahda FC|Al Wahda]], [[Shabab Al-Ahli Dubai FC|Shabab Al Ahli]], [[Baniyas Club|Baniyas]], [[Emirates Club|Emirates]], and [[Al Jazira Club|Al Jazira]] are the most popular teams and enjoy the reputation of long-time regional champions. The [[United Arab Emirates Football Association]] was established in 1974 and since then has dedicated its time and effort to promoting the game, organising [[youth program]]mes, and improving the abilities of not only its players, but also the officials and coaches involved with its regional teams.
The [[United Arab Emirates national football team|UAE]]’s senior men's team qualified for the Italy [[FIFA World Cup]] in [[1990 FIFA World Cup|1990]] (along with [[Egypt national football team|Egypt]]) and finished at 24th place. It was the third consecutive World Cup with two Arab nations qualifying, after [[Kuwait national football team|Kuwait]] and [[Algeria national football team|Algeria]] in [[1982 FIFA World Cup|1982]], and [[Iraq national football team|Iraq]] and Algeria again in [[1986 FIFA World Cup|1986]]. The UAE has won the [[Gulf Cup of Nations|Gulf Cup Championship]] twice: the first cup won in January 2007 held in [[Abu Dhabi]] and the second in January 2013, held in [[Bahrain]]; they were runners-up four times and placed third four times.[{{cite web|url=http://www.gulfnews.com/indepth/gulfcup2007/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070318080035/http://www.gulfnews.com/indepth/gulfcup2007/index.html |archive-date=18 March 2007 |title=Gulf Cup 2007 |work=Gulf News }}]
The UAE hosted the [[1996 AFC Asian Cup]] and went all the way to the final, where they were defeated by the eventual champions and placed 2nd; subsequently they qualified for the [[1999 FIFA Confederations Cup|1997 Confederations Cup]] as Asian champions and finished in 6th place. They also finished 3rd at the [[2015 AFC Asian Cup|2015 Asian Cup]] in Australia. In the Olympic level the UAE finished 2nd in [[Football at the 2010 Asian Games|2010]] and 3rd in [[Football at the 2018 Asian Games – Men's tournament|2018]] Asian Games, and participated in the [[Football at the 2012 Summer Olympics|2012 Summer Olympics]] at London to finish 15th. In the [[FIFA Arab Cup|Arab Cup]] they finished 2nd in [[International Arab Friendly Tournament|2005]] at Switzerland and 3rd in 2025 at Qatar. Other tournaments they Won were the [[Kirin Cup Soccer|2005 Kirin Cup]], 2000 [[LG Cup (association football)|LG Cup]], [[2013 OSN Cup]] in Saudi Arabia, and [[Friendship Tournament]] which they won twice, placed 2nd twice and placed 3rd once.
Regarding Emirati clubs' international level, Al Ain qualified for the [[2018 FIFA Club World Cup]], defeating the champions of Oceania, Africa, and South America to ultimately face European champions Real Madrid in the final and finish as runners-up. Al Ain also qualified for the expanded [[2025 FIFA Club World Cup]], finishing with three points and being eliminated in the group stage. Al Ain won the [[AFC Champions League Elite]] twice, in [[2002–03 AFC Champions League|2003]] and [[2023–24 AFC Champions League|2024]], and finished as runners-up twice, in [[2005 AFC Champions League|2005]] and [[2016 AFC Champions League|2016]], a feat also achieved by Shabab Al Ahli in [[2015 AFC Champions League|2015]]. They also finished third in [[1998–99 Asian Club Championship|1999]], a position also attained by Al Wasl in [[1992–93 Asian Club Championship|1993]].
In the [[AFC Champions League Two]], Al Shaab (now Sharjah) finished as runners-up in [[1994–95 Asian Cup Winners' Cup|1995]] and won the title 30 years later in [[2025 AFC Champions League Two final|2025]]. Eight editions of the [[AGCFF Gulf Club Champions League|AGCFF Champions League]] were won by Emirati clubs, most of whom were Al Shabab Al Arabi (part of Shabab Al Ahli today), finished as runners-up four times and third place twice. Al Ain also finished as runners-up for the 2024 [[African–Asian–Pacific Cup]], part of the [[2024 FIFA Intercontinental Cup]]. The only two editions of the [[UAE–Morocco Super Cup]], which were held in 2015 and 2016, ended with the Emirati clubs winning, and the four [[UAE–Qatar Super Cup Series|Qatar-UAE Super/Challenge Cups and Shields]] in 2025 ended with all Emirati clubs winning them.
Emirati ownership extends to several professional football clubs outside the United Arab Emirates through [[City Football Group]], a UK-based holding company majority owned by an Abu Dhabi–registered investment vehicle controlled by [[Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan|Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan]]. The group holds full or partial ownership of clubs in multiple countries, including [[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City FC]] (England), [[New York City FC]] (United States), [[Melbourne City FC]] (Australia), [[Yokohama F. Marinos]] (Japan), Girona FC (Spain), [[ES Troyes AC|ESTAC Troyes]] (France), [[Lommel S.K.|Lommel SK]] (Belgium), and [[Palermo FC]] (Italy).
==== Cricket ====
{{further|Cricket in the United Arab Emirates|List of cricket grounds in the United Arab Emirates}}
[[File:Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium-01.jpg|thumb|[[Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium]] in Abu Dhabi]]
[[Cricket]] is one of the most popular sports in the UAE, largely because of the expatriate population from the [[South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation|SAARC]] countries, the United Kingdom, and Australia. The headquarters of the [[International Cricket Council]] (ICC) have been located in the [[Dubai Sports City]] complex since 2005, including the [[ICC Academy]] which was established in 2009.[{{cite news|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/icc-headquarters-to-stay-in-dubai/story-QDVppxrQuTZBM6hBHABuIP.html|title=ICC headquarters to stay in Dubai|newspaper=Hindustan Times|date=14 October 2010|access-date=6 November 2021|archive-date=6 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211106070711/https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/icc-headquarters-to-stay-in-dubai/story-QDVppxrQuTZBM6hBHABuIP.html|url-status=live}}] There are a number of international cricket venues in the UAE, which are frequently used for international tournaments and "neutral" bilateral series due to the local climate and Dubai's status as a transport hub.
Notable international tournaments hosted by the UAE have included the [[2014 Under-19 Cricket World Cup]], the [[2021 Men's T20 World Cup|2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup]], and three editions of the [[Asia Cup]] (1984, 1995, and 2018). Notable grounds include the [[Sharjah Cricket Stadium|Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium]] in [[Sharjah]],[{{cite web|url=http://www.cricketeurope4.net/CRICKETEUROPE/GENERAL/TIMELINES/uae.shtml |title=UAE Cricket Timeline |publisher=Cricketeurope4.net |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120709093903/http://www.cricketeurope4.net/CRICKETEUROPE/GENERAL/TIMELINES/uae.shtml |archive-date=9 July 2012 }}] [[Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium]] in [[Abu Dhabi]], and [[Dubai International Cricket Stadium]] in Dubai.[{{cite web|url=http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/other/content/ground/country.html?country=27 |title=Cricinfo – Grounds – United Arab Emirates |work=Content-uk.cricinfo.com |date=17 June 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090106155437/http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/other/content/ground/country.html?country=27 |archive-date=6 January 2009 }}]
The [[Emirates Cricket Board]] (ECB) became a member of the ICC in 1990. The [[United Arab Emirates national cricket team|UAE national cricket team]] has qualified for the [[Cricket World Cup]] on two occasions ([[1996 Cricket World Cup|1996]] and [[2015 Cricket World Cup|2015]])[{{cite web |author=Nayar, K.R. |url=http://gulfnews.com/sport/cricket/not-stumped-by-uae-cricket-issues-khan-1.130154 |title=Not stumped by UAE cricket issues – Khan |work=Gulf News |date=6 September 2008 |access-date=1 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150406013456/http://gulfnews.com/sport/cricket/not-stumped-by-uae-cricket-issues-khan-1.130154 |archive-date=6 April 2015 |url-status=dead }}][{{cite web|url=http://www.icc-cricket.com/cricket-world-cup/qualification/qualification-overview|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104135014/http://www.icc-cricket.com/cricket-world-cup/qualification/qualification-overview|url-status=dead|title=Qualification – Cricket World Cup 2015 Qualifier | ICC|archive-date=4 November 2013}}] and the [[Men's T20 World Cup|ICC Men's T20 World Cup]] on two occasions ([[2014 World Twenty20|2014]] and [[2022 Men's T20 World Cup|2022]]). The [[United Arab Emirates women's national cricket team|national women's team]] is similarly one of the strongest associate teams in Asia, notably participating in the [[2018 Women's World Twenty20 Qualifier|2018 ICC Women's World Twenty20 Qualifier]].
Following the [[2009 attack on the Sri Lanka national cricket team]], the UAE served as the ''de facto'' home of the [[Pakistan national cricket team]] for nearly a decade, as well as hosting the [[Pakistan Super League]].[{{cite web|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/pakistan-not-to-play-home-matches-in-uae-anymore-pcb-ceo/story-tYo1UuA3czorquuVluZzxL.html|title=Pakistan not to play home matches in UAE anymore: PCB CEO|date=24 September 2019|website=Hindustan Times|access-date=28 March 2024|archive-date=7 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231207070811/https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/pakistan-not-to-play-home-matches-in-uae-anymore-pcb-ceo/story-tYo1UuA3czorquuVluZzxL.html|url-status=live}}][{{cite web|date=15 December 2018|title=UAE to host matches for Pakistan Super League next year|url=https://www.arabnews.com/node/1421216/sport|access-date=19 February 2021|website=Arab News|language=en|archive-date=10 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510192704/https://www.arabnews.com/node/1421216/sport|url-status=live}}] The UAE has also hosted one full edition of [[Indian Premier League]] (IPL) in 2020 and two partial editions of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2014 and 2021.[{{cite web|date=2 August 2020|title=IPL 2020 to be held from September 19 to November 10|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/ipl-2020-to-be-held-in-uae-from-september-19-to-november-10/story-GeHbVaf1f4zv07p3V8RGwO.html|access-date=9 May 2021|website=Hindustan Times|language=en|archive-date=10 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510144717/https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/ipl-2020-to-be-held-in-uae-from-september-19-to-november-10/story-GeHbVaf1f4zv07p3V8RGwO.html|url-status=live}}]
== See also ==
{{Portal|United Arab Emirates|Asia}}
* [[List of United Arab Emirates–related topics]]
* [[Outline of the United Arab Emirates]]
{{clear}}
==Notes==
{{Notelist}}
{{Reflist|group=lower-alpha}}
== References ==
{{Duplicated citations|reason=DuplicateReferences script detected:
* https://doi.org/10.1080%2F00438243.2012.669644 (refs: 387, 388)
|date=August 2026}}
{{reflist}}
==Sources==
* {{cite book |title=From Trucial States to United Arab Emirates: A Society in Transition |last=Heard-Bey |first=Frauke |authorlink=Frauke Heard-Bey |publisher=[[Longman]] |year=1996 |isbn=978-0-582-27728-1 |location=[[London]] |oclc=38355501}}
== External links ==
{{Sister project links|voy=United Arab Emirates}}
* [https://www.government.ae/ Government portal of the United Arab Emirates] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200224133814/https://government.ae/ |date=24 February 2020 }}, ([https://u.ae/ U.AE)]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20260116121621/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/united-arab-emirates United Arab Emirates]. ''[[The World Factbook]]''. [[Central Intelligence Agency]].
* {{GovPubs|uae}}
* {{Wikiatlas|United Arab Emirates}}
* [https://wits.worldbank.org/CountryProfile/Country/ARE/Year/2011/Summary World Bank Summary Trade Statistics United Arab Emirates]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20171010164537/http://www.poiresources.com/info/history-of-united-arab-emirates/ Timeline of the United Arab Emirates History from Bronze Age to present day]
{{United Arab Emirates topics}}
{{Emirates of the United Arab Emirates |titlestyle=background:#ddf;}}
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