United Arab Emirates

Official name (in Arabic)

الإمارات العربية المتحدة

Official name (in Arabic, Romanized)

Al-Imārāt al-‘Arabīyah al-Muttaḥidah

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

DesignMeaningHistory

In accordance with Federal Law No. 2/2 of 1971, as amended by Federal Decree-Law No. 13/2 of 2019, the flag of the United Arab Emirates shall be rectangular, its width twice its height, and it shall be divided into four rectangular sections. The first section is red in colour and forms the end of the flag near the flagpole; its height is equal to the height of the flag and its width is equal to one quarter of the width of the flag. The other three sections form the remainder of the flag and are horizontal, equal and parallel; the uppermost of them is green, the middle one white and the lowest black.

Unofficial translation by Worldometer

EnglishArabic

Title (in Arabic)

النشيد الوطني الاماراتي‎

Title (in Arabic, Romanized)

Nashid al-watani al-imarati

Title (in English, translated)

National Anthem of the UAE

Alternate title (in Arabic)

عيشي بلادي

Alternate title (in Arabic, Romanized)

Ishy Bilady

Alternate title (in English, translated)

Long Live My Nation

Lyrics

ArabicRomanizedEnglish

عيشي بلادي عاش اتحاد إماراتنا عشت لشعب دينه الإسلام هديه القرآن حصنتك باسم الله يا وطن بلادي بلادي بلادي بلادي حماك الإله شرور الزمان أقسمنا أن نبني نعمل نعمل نخلص نعمل نخلص مهما عشنا نخلص نخلص دام الأمان و عاش العلم يا إماراتنا رمز العروبة كلنا نفديك بالدما نرويك نفديك بالأرواح يا وطن

Land area

83,600 km²

Water area

0.00 km²

Oman

609 km

Saudi Arabia

457 km

Avg. temperature

28.1 °C

Avg. daily range

22 to 34.2 °C

Annual precipitation

47 mm

Temperature °CMeanDaily range

°C°F

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Precipitation mm

Monthly climate normals

Month	Avg. high, °C	Mean, °C	Avg. low, °C	Precipitation, mm
January	23.6	18.3	13.1	10
February	25.7	20	14.3	8
March	29.4	23.2	17	12
April	34.7	28.1	21.4	5
May	39.5	32.6	25.5	1
June	41.6	34.5	27.5	0
July	42.3	36	29.7	2
August	42.2	36	30	1
September	39.8	33.3	27.2	0
October	35.7	29.5	23.4	1
November	30.1	24.6	19.1	2
December	25.6	20.3	15.2	5

Country-wide averages over 1991–2020.

Arable land

50,384 hectares (0.7%)

Permanent crops

41,320 hectares (0.6%)

Permanent meadows & pastures

300,000 hectares (4.2%)

Forest

323,908 hectares (4.6%)

Other land

6,367,749 hectares (89.7%)

Birth rate

10.3 per 1,000 population

Death rate

1.0 per 1,000 population

Net migration rate

+7.6 per 1,000 population

MaleAgeFemale

80+70-7960-6950-5940-4930-3920-2910-190-9

% of total population

Population by age group, % of total population

Age	Male	Female
80+	0.1%	0.1%
70-79	0.4%	0.4%
60-69	1.9%	1.2%
50-59	5.4%	2.4%
40-49	10.9%	5.4%
30-39	21.0%	8.9%
20-29	13.7%	7.9%
10-19	4.9%	4.6%
0-9	5.3%	5.4%

Share aged 65 and over

1.8%

Share aged under 18

18.4%

Total dependency ratio

22

Youth dependency ratio

19

Elderly dependency ratio

2

Sex ratio

1.75 male / female

South Asian

59.4%

Indian

38.2%

Bangladeshi

9.5%

Pakistani

9.4%

Other

2.3%

As of 2019, immigrants make up about 87.9% of the total population, according to UN data.

Muslim

74.5%

Sunni

63.3%

Shia

6.7%

Other

4.4%

As of 2020, immigrants make up about 88.1% of the total population, according to UN data.Islam is the official religion.

The President of the Federation is elected by and from the Federal Supreme Council, the highest federal authority, made up of the hereditary rulers of the member Emirates; the Constitution calls the state "a Federal, independent and sovereign state" (Arts. 1, 46, 51).

The President appoints the Prime Minister with the Supreme Council's consent; ministers are jointly responsible to the President and the Supreme Council, not to the consultative Federal National Council, which the President may dissolve with Supreme Council approval (Arts. 54, 64, 88).

1. ThuJan 1New Year's Day
2. FriMar 20Eid al-Fitr (estimated)
3. SatMar 21Eid al-Fitr Holiday (estimated)
4. SunMar 22Eid al-Fitr Holiday (estimated)
5. TueMay 26Day of Arafah (estimated)
6. WedMay 27Eid al-Adha (estimated)
7. ThuMay 28Eid al-Adha Holiday (estimated)
8. FriMay 29Eid al-Adha Holiday (estimated)
9. TueJun 16Islamic New Year (estimated)
10. TueAug 25Prophet's Birthday (estimated)
11. WedDec 2National Day
12. ThuDec 3National Day

Nationwide public holidays only, excluding regional, bank and government-only days.

World average 42

highly corruptvery clean

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Confidence interval

Corruption index score by year

Year	Score	Lower bound	Upper bound
2012	68	61	75
2013	69	61	77
2014	70	62	78
2015	70	62	78
2016	66	56	75
2017	71	61	81
2018	70	63	77
2019	71	62.6	79.4
2020	71	65.7	76.3
2021	69	64.2	73.8
2022	67	61.9	72.1
2023	68	63.8	72.2
2024	68	64.5	71.5
2025	69	65.3	72.7

GDP per capita (nominal)

$57,109 (24th in the world)

The shape of the economy

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Current account

4.8% of GDP, $31.7 billion surplus

Projected GDP growth

+0.9% a year over the next 10 years

By specializationBy volume

ProductSpecialization index

1. 1Meat of camels (fresh or chilled)635.8×
2. 2Dates304.9×
3. 3Raw milk of camel196.9×
4. 4Meat of goat (fresh or chilled)70.2×
5. 5Raw milk of goats38.8×
6. 6Raw milk of sheep32.8×
7. 7Cucumbers and gherkins11.1×
8. 8Hen eggs in shell (fresh)5.7×
9. 9Squash and gourds (including pumpkins)5.5×
10. 10Cauliflowers and broccoli4.3×

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United Arab EmiratesWorld

Human Development Index by year

Year	United Arab Emirates	World
1990	0.713	0.608
1991	0.724	0.611
1992	0.729	0.614
1993	0.736	0.617
1994	0.742	0.620
1995	0.747	0.625
1996	0.753	0.631
1997	0.761	0.636
1998	0.770	0.641
1999	0.780	0.646
2000	0.790	0.651
2001	0.798	0.657
2002	0.805	0.662
2003	0.810	0.669
2004	0.815	0.675
2005	0.819	0.681
2006	0.823	0.688
2007	0.827	0.694
2008	0.831	0.698
2009	0.832	0.701
2010	0.835	0.707
2011	0.839	0.713
2012	0.843	0.717
2013	0.846	0.721
2014	0.853	0.726
2015	0.857	0.731
2016	0.861	0.735
2017	0.884	0.739
2018	0.901	0.741
2019	0.915	0.745
2020	0.909	0.742
2021	0.903	0.742
2022	0.921	0.752
2023	0.940	0.756

Expected for a child today

15.6 years

Share of government spending

14.8%

Households with Internet access

100%

Fixed telephone lines

2,293,313

Fixed broadband

40.8 subscriptions per 100 people

Counts subscriptions, not people.

Debit-card ownership

69%

Account at a bank or mobile-money provider

86%

Mobile-money account

13%

Made or received a digital payment

77%

Asylum seekers

6,110

Internally displaced persons

10(2019, latest available)All due to disasters

Refugees from the United Arab Emirates abroad

277

Overnight arrivals by year2014 to 2021

Per resident

1.2 arrivals per resident

Same-day visitors

1.3 million arrivals

Visitor spending in the country

$34.4 billion

Spending per arrival

$3,000

Share of GDP

6.2% tourism direct GDP

Domestic trips

10.2 million overnight trips by residents

Residents' trips abroad

7.3 million overnight trips

Residents' spending abroad

$21.6 billion

Hotel beds

405,311

Average hotel stay

4 nights

A tourist stays at least one night. Arrivals count trips, not people.

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

A low figure can also mean weak recording.

Persons held

9,826

Men

19.6%

Women

2.9%

World median

3.1%

CO₂ per capita

19.5 t per person

World Rank6thof 207

Share of global CO₂

0.51%

Methane (CH₄)

37.1 Mt CO₂-eq

Nitrous oxide (N₂O)

2.21 Mt CO₂-eq

Fluorinated gases

24.3 Mt CO₂-eq

All greenhouse gases

264.1 Mt CO₂-eq

WHO guideline

5 µg/m³

Treaty	Standing	Joined
Climate
Paris Agreement	in force	2016
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change	in force	1996
Kyoto Protocol	in force	2005
Ozone layer
Montreal Protocol	in force	1990
Vienna Convention (Ozone Layer)	in force	1990
Biodiversity
Convention on Biological Diversity	in force	2000
CITES	in force	1990
Convention on Migratory Species (Bonn)	in force	2016
Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety	in force	2014
Nagoya Protocol	in force	2014
Land and heritage
Ramsar Convention on Wetlands	in force	2007
World Heritage Convention	in force	2001
UN Convention to Combat Desertification	in force	1999
Chemicals and waste
Basel Convention	in force	1993
Rotterdam Convention (PIC)	in force	2004
Stockholm Convention (POPs)	in force	2004
Minamata Convention on Mercury	in force	2017
Oceans
UN Convention on the Law of the Sea	signed 1982, not ratified
High Seas Treaty (BBNJ)	not a party
MARPOL 73/78	in force	2007

Per person

15 m³ per year

Dependency ratio

0% originates outside the country

Annual water withdrawal

4.8 billion m³ per year

Withdrawn for agriculture

51%

Water stress

1,510% of available freshwater withdrawn

Men

27.8%

Women

38.4%

Per capita

480.2 GJ per person

Share of world total

0.83%

Supply

Surplusproduces 2.4× what it consumes, 2024

OverviewBy source

Generation

169 TWh per year

Consumption

161 TWh per year

Imports

0.4 TWh per year

Exports

0.6 TWh per year

Net

+0.2 TWh per year

Land Forces

45,000

Navy

3,000

Air Force

5,000

Presidential Guard

12,000

Compulsory service may be completed in the uniformed military, the Ministry of Interior, or other security institutions designated by the military leadership.The UAE military employs a considerable number of foreign personnel on contracted service.

Key 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