United Arab Emirates Facts, Map, Population, GDP

Capital

Abu Dhabi

Population

10,093,593 (2025 est.)

Area

83,600 sq km

Location

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

🧭 Background

The Trucial States of the Persian Gulf coast granted the UK control of their defense and foreign affairs in 19th-century treaties. In 1971, six of these states -- Abu Dhabi, 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah, Dubayy, and Umm al Qaywayn -- merged to form the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Ra's al Khaymah joined in 1972. The UAE's per-capita GDP is on par with those of leading West European nations. For more than three decades, oil and global finance drove the UAE's economy. In 2008-09, the confluence of falling oil prices, collapsing real estate prices, and the international banking crisis hit the UAE especially hard. The UAE did not experience the "Arab Spring" unrest seen elsewhere in the Middle East in 2010-11, partly because of the government's multi-year, $1.6-billion infrastructure investment plan for the poorer northern emirates, and its aggressive pursuit of advocates for political reform. The UAE in recent years has played a growing role in regional affairs. In addition to donating billions of dollars in economic aid to help stabilize Egypt, the UAE was one of the first countries to join the Defeat ISIS coalition, and to participate as a key partner in a Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen. In 2020, the UAE and Bahrain signed a peace agreement (the Abraham Accords) with Israel -- brokered by the US -- in Washington, D.C. The UAE and Bahrain thus became the third and fourth Middle Eastern countries, along with Egypt and Jordan, to recognize Israel.

🗺️ Geography

Location

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

Geographic coordinates

24 00 N, 54 00 E

Map references

Middle East

Area — total

83,600 sq km

Area — land

83,600 sq km

Area — water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

Slightly larger than South Carolina; slightly smaller than Maine

Land boundaries — total

1,066 km

Land boundaries — border countries

Oman 609 km; Saudi Arabia 457 km

Coastline

1,318 km

Maritime claims — territorial sea

12 nm

Maritime claims — contiguous zone

24 nm

Maritime claims — exclusive economic zone

200 nm

Maritime claims — continental shelf

200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate

Desert; cooler in eastern mountains

Terrain

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

Elevation — highest point

Jabal Bil 'Ays 1,905 m

Elevation — lowest point

Persian Gulf 0 m

Elevation — mean elevation

149 m

Natural resources

Petroleum, natural gas

Land use — agricultural land

5.5% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: arable land

Arable land: 0.7% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent crops

Permanent crops: 0.6% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent pasture

Permanent pasture: 4.2% (2023 est.)

Land use — forest

4.6% (2023 est.)

Land use — other

89.7% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land

940 sq km (2022)

Population distribution

Population is heavily concentrated to the northeast on the Musandam Peninsula; the three largest emirates -- Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah -- are home to nearly 85% of the population

Natural hazards

Frequent sand and dust storms

Geography - note

Strategic location along southern approaches to Strait of Hormuz, a transit point for crude oil; Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) and Dubayy (Dubai) together account for over 90% of UAE's area and two-thirds of the population

👥 People and Society⬆️ Top

Population — total

10,093,593 (2025 est.)

Population — male

6,831,802

Population — female

3,261,791

Nationality — noun

Emirati(s)

Nationality — adjective

Emirati

Ethnic groups

Emirati 11.6%, South Asian 59.4% (includes Indian 38.2%, Bangladeshi 9.5%, Pakistani 9.4%, other 2.3%), Egyptian 10.2%, Filipino 6.1%, other 12.8% (2015 est.)

Languages — Languages

Arabic (official), English, Hindi, Malayalam, Urdu, Pashto, Tagalog, Persian

Languages — major-language sample(s)

كتاب حقائق العالم، المصدر الذي لا يمكن الاستغناء عنه للمعلومات الأساسية (Arabic) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Religions

Muslim 74.5% (official) (Sunni 63.3%, Shia 6.7%, other 4.4%), Christian 12.9%, Hindu 6.2%, Buddhist 3.2%, agnostic 1.3%, other 1.9% (2020 est.)

Age structure — 0-14 years

16.4% (male 842,577/female 802,302)

Age structure — 15-64 years

81.4% (male 5,812,470/female 2,353,750)

Age structure — 65 years and over

2.2% (2024 est.) (male 169,084/female 52,030)

Dependency ratios — total dependency ratio

23.4 (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios — youth dependency ratio

20.4 (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios — elderly dependency ratio

3 (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios — potential support ratio

33.4 (2025 est.)

Median age — total

35.8 years (2025 est.)

Median age — male

38.1 years

Median age — female

29.8 years

Population growth rate

0.62% (2025 est.)

Birth rate

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

Death rate

1.73 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Net migration rate

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

Population distribution

Population is heavily concentrated to the northeast on the Musandam Peninsula; the three largest emirates -- Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah -- are home to nearly 85% of the population

Urbanization — urban population

87.8% of total population (2023)

Urbanization — rate of urbanization

1.5% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas - population

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

Sex ratio — at birth

1.06 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — 0-14 years

1.05 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — 15-64 years

2.47 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — 65 years and over

3.25 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — total population

2.13 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio

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

Infant mortality rate — total

4.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Infant mortality rate — male

5.5 deaths/1,000 live births

Infant mortality rate — female

4.4 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth — total population

79.9 years (2024 est.)

Life expectancy at birth — male

78.6 years

Life expectancy at birth — female

81.4 years

Total fertility rate

1.6 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.78 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source — improved: urban

Urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — improved: rural

Rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — improved: total

Total: 100% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — unimproved: urban

Urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — unimproved: rural

Rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — unimproved: total

Total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Health expenditure — Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

5.3% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure — Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

12.1% of national budget (2022 est.)

Physician density

2.99 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

Hospital bed density

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

Sanitation facility access — improved: urban

Urban: 99.8% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — improved: rural

Rural: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — improved: total

Total: 99.8% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — unimproved: urban

Urban: 0.2% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — unimproved: rural

Rural: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — unimproved: total

Total: 0.2% of population (2022 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

31.7% (2016)

Alcohol consumption per capita — total

2.03 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — beer

0.21 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — wine

0.14 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — spirits

1.65 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — other alcohols

0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use — total

10.7% (2025 est.)

Tobacco use — male

13.9% (2025 est.)

Tobacco use — female

2.4% (2025 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

67.4% (2018 est.)

Education expenditure — Education expenditure (% GDP)

3.9% of GDP (2021 est.)

Education expenditure — Education expenditure (% national budget)

14.8% national budget (2021 est.)

Literacy — total population

98.8% (2024 est.)

Literacy — male

99% (2024 est.)

Literacy — female

98.4% (2024 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) — total

16 years (2023 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) — male

15 years (2023 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) — female

16 years (2023 est.)

🌿 Environment⬆️ Top

Environmental issues

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

International environmental agreements — party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

International environmental agreements — signed, but not ratified

Law of the Sea

Climate

Desert; cooler in eastern mountains

Land use — agricultural land

5.5% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: arable land

Arable land: 0.7% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent crops

Permanent crops: 0.6% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent pasture

Permanent pasture: 4.2% (2023 est.)

Land use — forest

4.6% (2023 est.)

Land use — other

89.7% (2023 est.)

Urbanization — urban population

87.8% of total population (2023)

Urbanization — rate of urbanization

1.5% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions — total emissions

271.703 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions — from coal and metallurgical coke

12.788 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions — from petroleum and other liquids

126.038 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions — from consumed natural gas

132.876 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

38.9 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Methane emissions — energy

1,573.7 kt (2022-2024 est.)

Methane emissions — agriculture

47.4 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Methane emissions — waste

448.4 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Methane emissions — other

2.5 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Waste and recycling — municipal solid waste generated annually

5.618 million tons (2024 est.)

Waste and recycling — percent of municipal solid waste recycled

24.5% (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal — municipal

2.297 billion cubic meters (2022)

Total water withdrawal — industrial

55 million cubic meters (2022)

Total water withdrawal — agricultural

2.466 billion cubic meters (2022)

Total renewable water resources

150 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

🏛️ Government⬆️ Top

Country name — conventional long form

United Arab Emirates

Country name — conventional short form

None

Country name — local long form

Al Imarat al Arabiyah al Muttahidah

Country name — local short form

None

Country name — former

Trucial Oman, Trucial States

Country name — abbreviation

UAE

Country name — etymology

Self-descriptive country name; the name Arabia can be traced back at least as far as the ancient Egyptians, who referred to the region as "Ar Rabi;" "emirates" derives from amir, the Arabic word for "commander," "lord," or "prince;" the former name, Trucial States, refers to a maritime truce from 1820 between the British and the Arab sheikhdoms

Government type

Federation of monarchies

Capital — name

Abu Dhabi

Capital — geographic coordinates

24 28 N, 54 22 E

Capital — time difference

UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Capital — etymology

In Arabic, abu means "father," and dhabi refers to a personal name, Dhabi or Zabi, that comes from the word zab, or "gazelle"

Administrative divisions

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

Legal system

Mixed system of Islamic (sharia) law and civil law

Constitution — history

Previous 1971 (provisional); latest drafted in 1979, became permanent May 1996

Constitution — amendment process

Proposed by the Supreme Council and submitted to the Federal National Council; passage requires at least a two-thirds majority vote of Federal National Council members present and approval of the Supreme Council president

International law organization participation

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

Citizenship — citizenship by birth

No

Citizenship — citizenship by descent only

The father must be a citizen of the United Arab Emirates; if the father is unknown, the mother must be a citizen

Citizenship — dual citizenship recognized

No

Citizenship — residency requirement for naturalization

30 years

Suffrage

Limited

Executive branch — chief of state

President MUHAMMAD BIN ZAYID Al Nuhayyan (since 14 May 2022)

Executive branch — head of government

Prime Minister and Co-Vice President MUHAMMAD BIN RASHID Al Maktum (since 5 January 2006)

Executive branch — cabinet

Council of Ministers announced by the prime minister and approved by the president

Executive branch — election/appointment process

President and vice president indirectly elected by the Federal Supreme Council -- composed of the rulers of the 7 emirates -- for a 5-year term (no term limits); prime minister appointed by the president

Executive branch — most recent election date

Unscheduled election held on 14 May 2022, after the death of President KHALIFA bin Zayid Al-Nuhayyan

Executive branch — election results

2022: MUHAMMAD BIN ZAYID Al-Nuhayyan elected president; Federal Supreme Council vote - NA

Executive branch — expected date of next election

2027

Legislative branch — legislature name

Federal National Council (Majlis Watani Itihadi)

Legislative branch — legislative structure

Unicameral

Legislative branch — number of seats

40 (20 indirectly elected; 20 appointed)

Legislative branch — electoral system

Other systems

Legislative branch — scope of elections

Full renewal

Legislative branch — term in office

4 years

Legislative branch — most recent election date

10/7/2023

Legislative branch — percentage of women in chamber

50%

Legislative branch — expected date of next election

October 2027

Judicial branch — highest court(s)

Federal Supreme Court (consists of the court president and 4 judges; jurisdiction limited to federal cases)

Judicial branch — judge selection and term of office

Judges appointed by the federal president after approval from the Federal Supreme Council, the highest executive and legislative authority consisting of the 7 emirate rulers; judges serve until retirement age or the expiration of their appointment terms

Judicial branch — subordinate courts

Federal Court of Cassation (determines the constitutionality of laws); the emirates of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Ra's al Khaymah have parallel court systems; the other 4 emirates have incorporated their courts into the federal system

Political parties

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

Diplomatic representation in the US — chief of mission

Ambassador Yousif AL OTAIBA (since 28 July 2008)

Diplomatic representation in the US — chancery

3522 International Court NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation in the US — telephone

[1] (202) 243-2400

Diplomatic representation in the US — FAX

[1] (202) 243-2408

Diplomatic representation in the US — email address and website

Info@uaeembassy-usa.org https://www.uae-embassy.org/

Diplomatic representation in the US — consulate(s) general

Houston, Los Angeles, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US — chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Eric GAUDIOSI (since August 2025)

Diplomatic representation from the US — embassy

Embassies District, Plot 38, Sector W59-02, Street No. 4, Abu Dhabi

Diplomatic representation from the US — mailing address

6010 Abu Dhabi Place, Washington DC 20521-6010

Diplomatic representation from the US — telephone

[971] (2) 414-2200

Diplomatic representation from the US — FAX

[971] (2) 414-2241

Diplomatic representation from the US — email address and website

Abudhabiacs@state.gov https://ae.usembassy.gov/

Diplomatic representation from the US — consulate(s) general

Dubai

International organization participation

ABEDA, AfDB (nonregional member), AFESD, AMF, BIS, BRICS, CAEU, CICA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OIF (observer), OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNOOSA, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Independence

2 December 1971 (from the UK)

National holiday

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

Flag

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

National symbol(s)

Golden falcon

National color(s)

Green, white, black, red

National anthem(s) — title

"Nashid al-watani al-imarati" (National Anthem of the UAE)

National anthem(s) — lyrics/music

AREF Al Sheikh Abdullah Al Hassan/Mohamad Abdel WAHAB

National anthem(s) — history

Music adopted 1971, lyrics adopted 1986; Mohamad Abdel WAHAB also composed the music for Tunisia's and Libya's anthem

National heritage — total World Heritage Sites

2 ( both cultural)

National heritage — selected World Heritage Site locales

Cultural Sites of Al Ain (Hafit, Hili, Bidaa Bint Saud, and Oases Areas); Faya Palaeolandscape (c)

💹 Economy⬆️ Top

Economic overview

High-income, oil-driven Middle Eastern economy; fastest GDP growth of Gulf states; diversification through tourism, construction, and services; strong foreign direct investment orientation; continued government investment and business-friendly reforms

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) — Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$745.994 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) — Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$718.95 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) — Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$693.842 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate — Real GDP growth rate 2024

3.8% (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate — Real GDP growth rate 2023

3.6% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate — Real GDP growth rate 2022

7.5% (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita — Real GDP per capita 2024

$68,600 (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita — Real GDP per capita 2023

$68,600 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita — Real GDP per capita 2022

$68,900 (2022 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$537.079 billion (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) — Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

1.7% (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) — Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

1.6% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) — Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

5.3% (2022 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin — agriculture

0.7% (2023 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin — industry

47.7% (2023 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin — services

51.6% (2023 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — household consumption

45.6% (2023 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — government consumption

12.4% (2023 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — investment in fixed capital

27.1% (2023 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — investment in inventories

0% (2023 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — exports of goods and services

108.6% (2023 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — imports of goods and services

-93.7% (2023 est.)

Agricultural products

Dates, cucumbers/gherkins, camel milk, goat milk, tomatoes, chicken, goat meat, eggs, milk, camel meat (2023)

Industries

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

Industrial production growth rate

0.8% (2023 est.)

Labor force

7.09 million (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate — Unemployment rate 2024

2.2% (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate — Unemployment rate 2023

2.2% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate — Unemployment rate 2022

2.9% (2022 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) — total

6.4% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) — male

4.1% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) — female

12.1% (2024 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income — Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2018

26.4 (2018 est.)

Average household expenditures — on food

12.2% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Average household expenditures — on alcohol and tobacco

0.3% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share — lowest 10%

2.8% (2018 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share — highest 10%

20.5% (2018 est.)

Budget — revenues

$23.248 billion (2023 est.)

Budget — expenditures

$19.349 billion (2023 est.)

Public debt — Public debt 2017

19.7% of GDP (2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

0.6% (of GDP) (2023 est.)

Exports — Exports 2023

$558.402 billion (2023 est.)

Exports — Exports 2022

$521.897 billion (2022 est.)

Exports — Exports 2021

$425.156 billion (2021 est.)

Exports - partners

China 11%, India 11%, Japan 10%, Iraq 6%, Thailand 4% (2023)

Exports - commodities

Crude petroleum, refined petroleum, gold, broadcasting equipment, natural gas (2023)

Imports — Imports 2023

$481.852 billion (2023 est.)

Imports — Imports 2022

$427.992 billion (2022 est.)

Imports — Imports 2021

$347.529 billion (2021 est.)

Imports - partners

China 19%, India 7%, USA 6%, Turkey 4%, Japan 4% (2023)

Imports - commodities

Gold, broadcasting equipment, cars, refined petroleum, diamonds (2023)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold — Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024

$237.931 billion (2024 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold — Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$189.491 billion (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold — Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$138.433 billion (2022 est.)

Exchange rates — Currency

Emirati dirhams (AED) per US dollar -

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2024

3.672 (2024 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2023

3.672 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2022

3.672 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2021

3.672 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2020

3.672 (2020 est.)

⚡ Energy⬆️ Top

Electricity access — electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Electricity — installed generating capacity

44.462 million kW (2023 est.)

Electricity — consumption

157.974 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity — exports

613 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity — imports

501.067 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity — transmission/distribution losses

7.914 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — fossil fuels

75.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — nuclear

19.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — solar

4.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Nuclear energy — Number of operational nuclear reactors

4 (2025)

Nuclear energy — Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors

5.35GW (2025 est.)

Nuclear energy — Percent of total electricity production

19.7% (2023 est.)

Coal — consumption

5.411 million metric tons (2023 est.)

Coal — exports

82,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

Coal — imports

5.512 million metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum — total petroleum production

4.146 million bbl/day (2023 est.)

Petroleum — refined petroleum consumption

846,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Petroleum — crude oil estimated reserves

97.8 billion barrels (2021 est.)

Natural gas — production

55.8 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

Natural gas — consumption

67.734 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

Natural gas — exports

6.863 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

Natural gas — imports

18.938 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

Natural gas — proven reserves

6.091 trillion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Energy consumption per capita — Total energy consumption per capita 2023

450.432 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

📡 Communications⬆️ Top

Telephones - fixed lines — total subscriptions

2.259 million (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines — subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

21 (2023 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular — total subscriptions

22.4 million (2024 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular — subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

203 (2024 est.)

Broadcast media

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

Internet country code

.ae

Internet users — percent of population

100% (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions — total

3.95 million (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions — subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

37 (2023 est.)

🚚 Transportation⬆️ Top

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

A6

Airports

42 (2025)

Heliports

204 (2025)

Merchant marine — total

655 (2023)

Merchant marine — by type

Bulk carrier 2, container ship 3, general cargo 122, oil tanker 16, other 512

Ports — total ports

20 (2024)

Ports — large

1

Ports — medium

4

Ports — small

9

Ports — very small

6

Ports — ports with oil terminals

17

Ports — key ports

Abu Zaby, Jabal Az Zannah/Ruways, Khawr Fakkan, Mina Jabal Ali, Zirkuh

🛡️ Military and Security⬆️ Top

Military and security forces

United Arab Emirates Armed Forces: Land Forces (Army), Navy, Air Force, Presidential Guard (includes special operations forces), National Guard (includes Coast Guard) (2025)

Military expenditures — Military Expenditures 2024

4% of GDP (2024 est.)

Military expenditures — Military Expenditures 2023

4.3% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military expenditures — Military Expenditures 2022

4% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military expenditures — Military Expenditures 2021

4.5% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military expenditures — Military Expenditures 2020

6.1% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military and security service personnel strengths

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

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

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

Military service age and obligation

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

Military deployments

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

Military - note

The UAE Armed Forces (UAEAF) are responsible for defending the state, its resources, and territory, preserving internal security, and supporting the UAE's foreign policy objectives; key security concerns include regional stability and cross-border threats, such as piracy and terrorism; in recent years, the UAE has undertaken a military modernization program to go along with an assertive security policy which has included military involvements in Afghanistan, Libya, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen the UAE has close security ties to France and the US; it hosts a multi-service French military base, which includes the French naval command for the Indian Ocean (ALINDIEN); the UAE has a defense cooperation agreement with the US and hosts thousands of US military troops, mostly air and naval personnel; it also has defense ties with a number of other countries, including Australia, China, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Malaysia, South Korea, and the UK, as well as NATO and fellow members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, particularly Saudi Arabia the UAEAF traces its origins to the establishment of the Trucial Oman Scouts in 1951, a joint UK-Abu Dhabi organization modeled after Jordan’s Arab Legion, which became the Abu Dhabi Defense Force in 1965; the modern UAEAF were formed in 1976 (2025)

🛰️ Space⬆️ Top

Space agency/agencies

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

Space program overview

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

Key space-program milestones

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

🌐 Transnational Issues⬆️ Top

Refugees and internally displaced persons — refugees

7,634 (2024 est.)

Illicit drugs — USG identification

Major precursor-chemical producer (2025)