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United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
Population
11.0M
Rank #85Source: World Bank
Capital
Abu Dhabi
Source: REST Countries
Region
Africa
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
Source: REST Countries
GDP (Nominal)
$552.32B
Rank #26Source: World Bank
Land Area
83.6K km²
Rank #114Source: REST Countries
Life Expectancy
82.909 yrs
Source: World Bank
Historical Trends
Population Trend (5-Year)
Source: World Bank
GDP Trend (5-Year, Nominal USD)
Source: World Bank
Geography
Area: 83,600 km²
Landlocked: No
Independent: Yes
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 Hazards: frequent sand and dust storms
Environmental 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...
Land Use: agricultural land: 4.6% (2011 est.) forest: 3.8% (2011 est.) other: 91.6% (2011 est.)
Geography Note: strategic location along southern approaches to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil
Natural Resources
petroleumnatural gas
People & Society
Fertility Rate
1.20
Population
11.0M
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%)
Religions
Muslim (official) (76%)Christian (9%)other (primarily Hindu and Buddhist, less than 5% of the population consists of Parsi, Baha'i, Druze, Sikh, Ahmadi, Ismaili, Dawoodi Bohra Muslim, and Jewish) (15%)immigrants make up about (87.9%)
Economy
GDP per Capita
$50,273.506
GDP per Capita PPP
79,228.739
(2024)
(2024)
GNI per Capita
51,550
(2024)
(2024)
Gini Index
26.4
(2018)
(2018)
Unemployment
2.16%
(2024)
(2024)
Inflation
1.663%
(2024)
(2024)
Public Debt
1.803%
(2013)
(2013)
Energy
Electricity Access
100%
(2023)
(2023)
Renewable Energy
1%
(2021)
(2021)
CO₂ Emissions
200.559 Mt
(2024)
(2024)
Energy Intensity
5.48 MJ/$
(2021)
(2021)
Renewable Electricity
4.201%
(2021)
(2021)
Environment
Forest Coverage
4.468% of land
(2023)
(2023)
Communications
Internet Users
100%
(2024)
(2024)
Mobile Penetration
199.424%
(2023)
(2023)
Broadband Subscribers
37.097%
(2023)
(2023)
Transportation
Air Transport Freight
13,566.159 M ton-km
(2023)
(2023)
Container Port Traffic
20,300,000 TEU
(2022)
(2022)
Airports
435,257
Rail Lines
279 km
Roads Total
72,915 km(©IRF)
Military
Military 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)
Personnel Strength
the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces have approximately 63,000 total active personnel (44,000 Land Forces; 2,500 Navy; 4,500; 12,000 Presidential Guard)
Military Expenditure (USD)
$22.76B
Military Expenditure (% of GDP)
5.64%
Military Expenditure History
5.7% of GDP (2016) 5.6% of GDP (2014) 6% of GDP (2013) 5.1% of GDP (2012) 5.5% of GDP (2011)
Deployments
est. 1,000 Eritrea; est. 3-4,000 Yemen; maintains a military base in the Eritrean port of Assab (2019)
Equipment & Inventories
the UAE Armed Forces inventory is comprised of mostly modern imported equipment; since 2010, the UAE has acquired military equipment from more than 20 countries with the US as the leading supplier,...
Service Age & 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;...
Education
Pre-Primary Enrollment
94.205%
(2020)
(2020)
Primary Enrollment
108.044%
(2024)
(2024)
Secondary Enrollment
102.13%
(2024)
(2024)
Tertiary Enrollment
63.738%
(2024)
(2024)
Education Spending
3.894% of GDP
(2021)
(2021)
Adult Literacy Rate
98.81%
(2024)
(2024)
Pupil-Teacher Ratio
24.523:1
(2016)
(2016)
Health
Physicians per 1,000
2.992
(2023)
(2023)
Safe Water Access
100%
(2024)
(2024)
Safe Drinking Water
98.641%
(2024)
(2024)
Under-5 Mortality
5 per 1,000
(2023)
(2023)
Maternal Mortality (World Bank)
21.487 per 100,000
(2021)
(2021)
Hospital Beds per 1,000
77.176
(2021)
(2021)
UHC Coverage Index
84
(2023)
(2023)
Measles Immunization
96%
(2024)
(2024)
Social Indicators
Extreme Poverty Rate
Not Available
Food Insecurity
2.5%
(2023)
(2023)
Youth NEET Rate
5.244%
(2024)
(2024)
Governance
Women in Government
50%
(2024)
(2024)
Voice & Accountability
-1.09
(Weak)
(2023)
(Weak)
(2023)
Political Stability
0.68
(Above Average)
(2023)
(Above Average)
(2023)
Government Effectiveness
1.60
(Strong)
(2023)
(Strong)
(2023)
Regulatory Quality
1.04
(Strong)
(2023)
(Strong)
(2023)
Rule of Law
0.88
(Above Average)
(2023)
(Above Average)
(2023)
Control of Corruption
1.07
(Strong)
(2023)
(Strong)
(2023)
Government
Government Type
federation of monarchies
Legal System
mixed legal system of Islamic (sharia) law and civil law
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...
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...
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...
National Symbols
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...
National Symbols
golden falcon; national colors: green, white, black, red
National Anthem
name: "Nashid al-watani al-imarati" (National Anthem of the UAE) lyrics/music: AREF Al Sheikh Abdullah Al Hassan/Mohamad Abdel WAHAB note: music adopted 1971, lyrics adopted 1996; Mohamad Abdel WAHAB...
Safety
Homicide Rate
0.693 per 100,000
(2022)
(2022)
Travel Information
Language(s): Arabic
Currency: AED (د.إ)
Timezone(s): UTC+04:00
Landlocked: No
Independent: Yes
Driving Side: Right
Calling Code: +971
Car Sign: UAE
Week Starts: Sunday
Photos
The Persian Gulf (left) and the Gulf of Oman (right) were once the site of a rift, an area where two plates of the earth's crust pulled apart from each other. The Indian Ocean filled in the widening gap between the two plates. Over time, the process reversed, and about 20 million years ago, the gulfs began to close up. The ongoing collision of the two continental plates resulted in Iran's mountainous terrain (top) and its periodic earthquakes. Several Gulf States are visible across the eastern Arabian Peninsula that makes up the lower part of the image. In addition to Saudi Arabia across the bottom, the islands of Bahrain in the left center lie next to the prominent peninsula that makes up Qatar. Further to the right are various offshore islands of the United Arab Emirates; most of the darker area to the right makes up Oman. Photo courtesy of NASA.
The Persian Gulf (left) and the Gulf of Oman (right) were once the site of a rift, an area where two plates of the earth's crust pulled apart from each other. The Indian Ocean filled in the widening gap between the two plates. Over time, the process reversed, and about 20 million years ago, the gulfs began to close up. The ongoing collision of the two continental plates resulted in Iran's mountainous terrain (top) and its periodic earthquakes.
Several Gulf States are visible across the eastern Arabian Peninsula that makes up the lower part of the image. In addition to Saudi Arabia across the bottom, the islands of Bahrain in the left center lie next to the prominent peninsula that makes up Qatar. Further to the right are various offshore islands of the United Arab Emirates; most of the darker area to the right makes up Oman. Photo courtesy of NASA. • CIA World Factbook • 2020
View along the causeway leading to the Burj-al-Arab Hotel in Dubai - at 321 m (1,053 ft), it is one of the world's tallest hotels.
View along the causeway leading to the Burj-al-Arab Hotel in Dubai - at 321 m (1,053 ft), it is one of the world's tallest hotels. • CIA World Factbook • 2020
CIA World Factbook • 2020
Area comparison map
Area comparison map • CIA World Factbook • 2020
CIA World Factbook • 2020
CIA World Factbook • 2020
9 photos available
View All Photos→Data sources: World Bank, UN Data • Updated daily •Learn about our data