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). They were joined in 1972 by Ra's al Khaymah. The UAE's per capita GDP is on par with those of leading West European nations. For more than three decades, oil and global finance drove the UAE's economy. In 2008-09, the confluence of falling oil prices, collapsing real estate prices, and the international banking crisis hit the UAE especially hard. The UAE did not experience the 'Arab Spring' unrest seen elsewhere in the Middle East in 2010-11, partly because of the government's multi-year, $1.6-billion infrastructure investment plan for the poorer northern emirates, and its aggressive pursuit of advocates of political reform. The UAE in recent years has played a growing role in regional affairs. In addition to donating billions of dollars in economic aid to help stabilize Egypt, the UAE was one of the first countries to join the Defeat-ISIS coalition, and to participate as a key partner in a Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen.

Geographic coordinates: 24 00 N, 54 00 E

Map reference: Middle East

Area
Total: 83,600 km²
Land: 83,600 km²
Water: 0 km²
Rank: 116
Comparative: slightly larger than South Carolina; slightly smaller than Maine

Land boundaries
Total: 1066 km
Border countries: (2) Oman 609 km; , Saudi Arabia 457 km

Coastline: 1318 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
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
Mean elevation: 149 m
Lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
Highest point: Jabal Yibir 1,527 m

Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas

Land use
Agricultural land: 4.6% (2011 est.)
Forest: 3.8% (2011 est.)
Other: 91.6% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land: 923 km² (2012)

Natural hazards: frequent sand and dust storms

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

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:
Rank: 93
Growth rate: 1.44% (2018 est.)
Growth rate rank: 78
Below poverty line: 19.5% (2003 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Emirati(s)
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: Arabic (official), English, Hindi, Malayam, Urdu, Pashto, Tagalog, Persian

Religions:

Age structure
0-14 years: 14.39% (male 724,904 /female 671,524)
15-24 years: 7.64% (male 408,376 /female 332,986)
25-54 years: 70.45% (male 5,297,201 /female 1,537,300)
55-64 years: 6.05% (male 499,579 /female 87,037)
65 years and over: 1.47% (male 106,739 /female 35,669) (2018 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 17.4 (2015 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 16.2 (2015 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 1.2 (2015 est.)
Potential support ratio: 83.4 (2015 est.)

Median age
Total: 37.2 years (2018 est.)
Male: 39 years
Female: 31.1 years
Rank: 69

Population growth rate: 1.44% (2018 est.)
Rank: 78

Birth rate: 9.8 births/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 196

Death rate: 1.7 deaths/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 225

Net migration rate: 6.3 migrant(s)/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 17

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: 86.8% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 1.71% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: 2.833 million Dubai, 1.629 million Sharjah, 1.452 million ABU DHABI (capital) (2019)

Environment
Current issues: air pollution; rapid population growth and high energy demand contribute to water scarcity; lack of natural freshwater resources compensated by desalination plants; land degradation and desertification; waste generation, beach pollution from oil spills
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection
International agreements signed but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.23 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 3.45 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 5.74 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 2.99 male(s)/female
Total population: 2.64 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 5.5 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Male: 6 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 4.9 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 171

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 78.7 years (2018 est.)
Male: 77.3 years
Female: 80.1 years
Rank: 59

Total fertility rate: 1.73 children born/woman (2018 est.)
Rank: 166

Drinking water source
Urban: 0.4% of population
Rural: 0% of population
Total: 0.4% of population (2015 est.)

Current health expenditure: 3.5% (2016)

Physicians density: 2.39 physicians/1000 population (2016)

Hospital bed density: 1.2 beds/1000 population (2013)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 2% of population (2015 est.)
Rural: 4.8% of population (2015 est.)
Total: 2.4% of population (2015 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate note: NA
People living with hivaids note: NA
Deaths note: NA

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 31.7% (2016)
Rank: 20

Education expenditures
Note: NA

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 93.8%
Male: 93.1%
Female: 95.8% (2015)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 14 years
Male: 13 years
Female: 14 years (2016)

Country name
Conventional long form: United Arab Emirates
Conventional short form: none
Local long form: Al Imarat al Arabiyah al Muttahidah
Local short form: none
Former: Trucial Oman, Trucial States
Abbreviation: UAE
Etymology: self-descriptive country name; the name Arabia can be traced back many centuries B.C., the ancient Egyptians referred to the region as Ar Rabi; emirates derives from amir the Arabic word for commander, lord, or prince

Government type: federation of monarchies

Capital
Name: Abu Dhabi
Geographic coordinates: 24 28 N, 54 22 E
Time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

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

Independence: 2 December 1971 (from the UK)

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

Constitution
History: previous 1971 (provisional); latest drafted in 1979, became permanent May 1996
Amendments: proposed by the Supreme Council and submitted to the Federal National Council; passage requires at least a two-thirds majority vote of Federal National Council members present and approval of the Supreme Council president; amended 2009 (2016)

Legal system: mixed legal system of Islamic (sharia) law and civil law

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: the father must be a citizen of the United Arab Emirates; if the father is unknown, the mother must be a citizen
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: 30 years

Suffrage: limited; note - rulers of the seven emirates each select a proportion of voters for the Federal National Council (FNC) that together account for about 12 percent of Emirati citizens

Executive branch
Chief of state: President KHALIFA bin Zayid Al-Nuhayyan (since 2 November 2004), ruler of Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) (since 4 November 2004); Vice President and Prime Minister MUHAMMAD BIN RASHID Al-Maktum (since 5 January 2006)
Head of government: Prime Minister Vice President MUHAMMAD BIN RASHID Al-Maktum (since 5 January 2006); Deputy Prime Ministers SAIF bin Zayid Al-Nuhayyan, MANSUR bin Zayid Al-Nuhayyan (both since 11 May 2009)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers announced by the prime minister and approved by the president
Electionsappointments: 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); election last held 3 November 2009 (next election NA); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: KHALIFA bin Zayid Al-Nuhayyan reelected president; FSC vote NA: note: there is also a Federal Supreme Council (FSC) composed of the 7 emirate rulers; the FSC is the highest constitutional authority in the UAE; establishes general policies and sanctions federal legislation; meets 4 times a year; Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) and Dubayy (Dubai) rulers have effective veto power

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral Federal National Council (FNC) or Majlis al-Ittihad al-Watani (40 seats; 20 members indirectly elected using single non-transferable vote by an electoral college whose members are selected by each emirate ruler proportional to its FNC membership, and 20 members appointed by the rulers of the 7 constituent states; members serve 4-year terms)
Elections: last held for indirectly elected members on 5 October 2019 (next to be held in October 2023)
Election results: all candidates ran as independents; seats by emirate - Abu Dhabi 4, Dubai 4, Sharjah 3, Ras al-Khaimah 3, Ajman 2, Fujairah 2, Umm al-Quwain 2; composition (preliminary) - 13 men, 7 women, percent of elected women 35%; note - to attain overall FNC gender parity, 13 women and 7 men will be appointed; overall FNC percent of women 50%

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Federal Supreme Court (consists of the court president and 4 judges; jurisdiction limited to federal cases)
Judge selection and term of office: judges appointed by the federal president following approval by the Federal Supreme Council, the highest executive and legislative authority consisting of the 7 emirate rulers; judges serve until retirement age or the expiry of their appointment terms
Subordinate courts: Federal Court of Cassation (determines the constitutionality of laws promulgated at the federal and emirate level; federal level courts of first instance and appeals courts); the emirates of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Ras al Khaymah have parallel court systems; the other 4 emirates have incorporated their courts into the federal system; note - the Abu Dhabi Global Market Courts and the Dubai International Financial Center Courts, the country’s two largest financial free zones, both adjudicate civil and commercial disputes.

Political parties and leaders: none; political parties are banned

International organization participation: ABEDA, AfDB (nonregional member), AFESD, AMF, BIS, 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, UNIDO, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chancery: 3,522 International Court NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 243-2,400
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 243-2,432
In the us consulate: Boston, Los Angeles, New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge dAffaires Steven C. BONDY (since 22 March 2018)
From the us telephone: [971] (2) 414-2,200
From the us embassy: Embassies District, Plot 38 Sector W59-02, Street No. 4, P. O. Box 4,009, Abu Dhabi
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 4,009, Abu Dhabi
From the us FAX: [971] (2) 414-2,603
From the us consulate: Dubai

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and black with a wider vertical red band on the hoist side; the flag incorporates all four Pan-Arab colors, which in this case represent fertility (green), neutrality (white), petroleum resources (black), and unity (red); red was the traditional color incorporated into all flags of the emirates before their unification

National symbols: golden falcon; national colors: green, white, black, red

National anthem
Name: Nashid al-watani al-imarati (National Anthem of the UAE)
Lyricsmusic: AREF Al Sheikh Abdullah Al Hassan/Mohamad Abdel WAHAB: note: music adopted 1971, lyrics adopted 1996; Mohamad Abdel WAHAB also composed the music for the anthem of Tunisia

Economy overview: The UAE has an open economy with a high per capita income and a sizable annual trade surplus. Successful efforts at economic diversification have reduced the portion of GDP from the oil and gas sector to 30%.Since the discovery of oil in the UAE nearly 60 years ago, the country has undergone a profound transformation from an impoverished region of small desert principalities to a modern state with a high standard of living. The government has increased spending on job creation and infrastructure expansion and is opening up utilities to greater private sector involvement. The country's free trade zones - offering 100% foreign ownership and zero taxes - are helping to attract foreign investors.The global financial crisis of 2008-09, tight international credit, and deflated asset prices constricted the economy in 2009. UAE authorities tried to blunt the crisis by increasing spending and boosting liquidity in the banking sector. The crisis hit Dubai hardest, as it was heavily exposed to depressed real estate prices. Dubai lacked sufficient cash to meet its debt obligations, prompting global concern about its solvency and ultimately a $20 billion bailout from the UAE Central Bank and Abu Dhabi Government that was refinanced in March 2014.The UAE’s dependence on oil is a significant long-term challenge, although the UAE is one of the most diversified countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council. Low oil prices have prompted the UAE to cut expenditures, including on some social programs, but the UAE has sufficient assets in its sovereign investment funds to cover its deficits. The government reduced fuel subsidies in August 2015, and introduced excise taxes (50% on sweetened carbonated beverages and 100% on energy drinks and tobacco) in October 2017. A five-percent value-added tax was introduced in January 2018. The UAE's strategic plan for the next few years focuses on economic diversification, promoting the UAE as a global trade and tourism hub, developing industry, and creating more job opportunities for nationals through improved education and increased private sector employment.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 32

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 188

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 13

Gross national saving:
Rank: 39

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 34.9% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 12.3% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 23% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 1.8% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 100.4% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -72.4% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 0.9% (2017 est.)
Industry: 49.8% (2017 est.)
Services: 49.2% (2017 est.)

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

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

Industrial production growth rate: 1.8% (2017 est.)
Rank: 138

Labor force:
Rank: 78
By occupation agriculture: 7%
By occupation industry: 15%
By occupation services: 78% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 14

Population below poverty line: 19.5% (2003 est.)

Budget
Revenues: 110.2 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 111.1 billion (2017 est.): note: the UAE federal budget does not account for emirate-level spending in Abu Dhabi and Dubai
Surplus or deficit: -0.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 51

Taxes and other revenues: 28.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 90

Public debt:
Rank: 190

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 108

Central bank discount rate: NA

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 126

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 32

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 32

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 31

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 33

Current account balance:
Rank: 13

Exports:
Rank: 18
Partners: India 10.1%, Iran 9.9%, Japan 9.3%, China 5.4%, Oman 5%, Switzerland 4.4%, South Korea 4.1% (2017)
Commodities: crude oil 45%, natural gas, reexports, dried fish, dates (2012 est.)

Imports:
Rank: 21
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, food
Partners: China 8.5%, US 6.8%, India 6.6% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 27

Debt external:
Rank: 32

Stock of direct foreign investment at home:
Rank: 41

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad:
Rank: 32

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Access electrification total population: 100% (2017)
Production: 121.8 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 31
Consumption: 113.2 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 31
Exports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Exports rank: 213
Imports: 1.141 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 66
Installed generating capacity: 28.91 million kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 33
Generation sources fossil fuels: 99% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 26
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 204
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 210
Generation sources other renewable sources: 1% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 170

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 3.216 million bbl/day (2018 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 8
Crude oil exports: 2.552 million bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 5
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 210
Crude oil proven reserves: 97.8 billion bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 7

Refined petroleum
Products production: 943,500 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products production rank: 19
Products consumption: 896,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products consumption rank: 24
Products exports: 817,700 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports rank: 10
Products imports: 392,000 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports rank: 23

Natural gas
Production: 62.01 billion m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 14
Consumption: 74.48 billion m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 12
Exports: 7.504 billion m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 25
Imports: 20.22 billion m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 16
Proven reserves: 6.091 trillion m³ (1 January 2018 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 6

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 289.4 million Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 24

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 2,320,837
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 38 (2017 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 56
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 19,826,224
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 326 (2017 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 58

Telephone system
General assessment: modern fiber-optic integrated services; digital network with rapidly growing use of mobile-cellular telephones; key centers are Abu Dhabi and Dubai; 5G technology developing; two operators are competitive, but majority owned by the government; HSPA (high speed packet access) + LTE networks cover most of the population; low cost smart phones readily available; well-established fibre-broadband network provides future growth (2018)
Domestic: microwave radio relay, fiber-optic and coaxial cable; fixed-line 38 per 100 and mobile-cellular 326 per 100 (2018)
International: country code - 971; linked to the international submarine cable FLAG (Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe); landing point for both the SEA-ME-WE-3 and SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cable networks; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian)

Broadcast media: except for the many organizations now operating in media free zones in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, most TV and radio stations remain government-owned; widespread use of satellite dishes provides access to pan-Arab and other international broadcasts; restrictions since June 2017 on some satellite channels and websites originating from or otherwise linked to Qatar (2018)

Internet
Country code: .ae
Users total: 5,370,299
Users percent of population: 90.6% (July 2016 est.)
Users rank: 73

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 1,297,585
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 21 (2017 est.)
Rank: 66

Military expenditures:
Rank: 3

Military and security forces: United Arab Emirates Armed Forces: Land Forces, Navy, Air Force, Presidential Guard, Joint Aviation Command; Ministry of Interior: Critical Infrastructure Coastal Patrol Agency (CICPA) (2019)

Military service age and obligation: 18-30 years of age for compulsory military service for men; 17 years of age for male volunteers with parental approval; 24-month general service obligation, 16 months for secondary school graduates; women can volunteer to serve for 9 months regardless of education (2018)

National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 12 (2015)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 498 (2015)
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 84,738,479 (2015)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 16.647 billion
Note: mt-km (2015)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: A6 (2016)

Airports: 43 (2013)
Rank: 100
With paved runways total: 25 (2013)
With paved runways over 3047 m: 12 (2013)
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 3 (2013)
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 5 (2013)
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3 (2013)
With paved runways under 914 m: 2 (2013)
With unpaved runways total: 18 (2013)
With unpaved runways over 3047 m: 1 (2013)
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1 (2013)
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 4 (2013)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 6 (2013)
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 6 (2013)

Heliports: 5 (2013)

Pipelines: 533 km condensate, 3,277 km gas, 300 km liquid petroleum gas, 3,287 km oil, 24 km oil/gas/water, 218 km refined products, 99 km water (2013)

Roadways
Total: 4,080 km (2008)
Paved: 4,080 km
Note: (includes 253 km of expressways) (2008)
Rank: 150

Merchant marine
Total: 616
By type: container ship 2, general cargo 103, oil tanker 22, other 489 (2018)
Rank: 35

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Al Fujayrah, Mina Jabal Ali (Dubai), Khor Fakkan (Khawr Fakkan) (Sharjah), Mubarraz Island (Abu Dhabi), Mina Rashid (Dubai), Mina Saqr (Ras al Khaymah)
Container port: Dubai Port (15,368,000), Khor Fakkan (Khawr Fakkan) (Sharjah) (2,321,000) (2017)
LNG terminal: Das Island

Disputes international: boundary agreement was signed and ratified with Oman in 2003 for entire border, including Oman's Musandam Peninsula and Al Madhah enclaves, but contents of the agreement and detailed maps showing the alignment have not been published; Iran and UAE dispute Tunb Islands and Abu Musa Island, which Iran occupies

Illicit drugs: the UAE is a drug transshipment point for traffickers given its proximity to Southwest Asian drug-producing countries; the UAE's position as a major financial center makes it vulnerable to money laundering; anti-money-laundering controls improving, but informal banking remains unregulated