United Arab Emirates

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Antiquity

2nd century BCE era jar found in 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In time, lively trading links developed with civilisations in Mesopotamia, Iran, and the 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Sumerian sources talk of the Magan civilisation, which has been identified as encompassing the modern UAE and Oman.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

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 Ages and the Mleiha period, the area was variously occupied by the Achaemenids and other forces, and saw the construction of fortified settlements and extensive husbandry thanks to the development of the 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 Sassanids, who dominated the coast at the time.Template:Sfnp 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 (the Ridda Wars) with the Battle of Dibba in which 10,000 lives are thought to have been lost.Template:Sfnp This assured the integrity of the Caliphate and the unification of the Arabian Peninsula under the newly emerging Rashidun Caliphate.

In 637, Julfar (in the area of today's Ras Al Khaimah) was an important port that was used as a staging post for the Islamic invasion of the Sasanian Empire.<ref name="AbedHellyer2001">Template:Cite book</ref> 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.Template:Sfnp

The earliest 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 Nestorian and built in 600 CE, the church appears to have been abandoned peacefully in 750 CE.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Portuguese era

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A painting of the Portuguese Empire Template:Ill 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 Bu Falah of Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Liwa, and the west coast; the Dhawahir, Awamir, Al Ali, and Manasir of the interior; the Sharqiyin of the east coast; and the Qawasim to the north.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

With the expansion of European colonial empires, Portuguese, English, and 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,Template:Sfnp<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> while the Northern Al Qawasim (Al Qasimi) dominated maritime commerce. The Portuguese maintained an influence over the coastal settlements, building forts in the wake of the bloody 16th-century conquests of coastal communities by Albuquerque and the Portuguese commanders who followed him – particularly on the east coast at Muscat, Sohar, and Khor Fakkan.Template:Sfnp

The southern coast of the Persian Gulf was known to the British as the "Pirate Coast",<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> as boats of the Al Qawasim federation harassed British-flagged shipping from the 17th century into the 19th.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The charge of piracy is disputed by modern Emirati historians, including the current ruler of Sharjah, Sheikh Sultan Al Qasimi, in his 1986 book The Myth of Arab Piracy in the Gulf.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Purple – Portuguese in the Persian Gulf in the 16th and 17th century. Main cities, ports, and routes.

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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 campaign of 1819. The following year, Britain and a number of local rulers signed a maritime truce, 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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 slave trade meant an important source of income was lost to some sheikhs and merchants.<ref>United Arab Emirates – The Economy Template:Webarchive. Library of Congress Country Studies. Retrieved 14 July 2013.</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

British era and discovery of oil

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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 pearling industry thrived, providing both income and employment to the people of the Persian Gulf.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> The 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 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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 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.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> 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 Template:Convert bore hole taking a year to drill and turning out dry, at the tremendous cost at the time of £1 million.

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Dubai in 1950: the area in this photo shows Bur Dubai in the foreground (centred on Al-Fahidi Fort), Deira in middle-right on the other side of the creek, and Al Shindagha (left) and 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 sheikhs of the 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,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and appointed Adi Al Bitar, Dubai's 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.<ref>Template:Cite web Template:User-generated inline</ref> 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 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.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> In 1958, a floating platform rig was towed from Hamburg, Germany, and positioned over the 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 oilfield off Dubai and the Mubarak field off Sharjah (shared with Iran).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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 Buraimi Oasis.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A 1974 agreement between Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia seemed to have settled the Abu Dhabi-Saudi border dispute, but this has not been ratified.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The UAE's border with Oman was ratified in 2008.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> 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.<ref name="bbc.co.uk" />

Independence

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Historic photo depicting the first hoisting of the United Arab Emirates flag by the rulers of the emirates at the Union House in Dubai on 2 December 1971

By 1966, it had become clear that the British government could no longer afford to administer and protect the Trucial States, what is now the United Arab Emirates. British Members of Parliament (MPs) debated the preparedness of the Royal Navy to defend the sheikhdoms. On 24 January 1968, British Prime Minister Harold Wilson announced the government's decision, reaffirmed in March 1971 by Prime Minister Edward Heath, to end the treaty relationships with the seven trucial sheikhdoms. Days after the announcement, the ruler of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, fearing vulnerability, tried to persuade the British to honour the protection treaties by offering to pay the full costs of keeping the British Armed Forces in the Emirates. The British Conservative government rejected the offer.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> After Labour MP 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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 Tunb islands. The islands were taken by force, civilians and Arab defenders alike allowed to flee. A British warship stood idle during the course of the invasion.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A destroyer group approached the island of Abu Musa as well. But there, 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.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> It was not until 1974 that a 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 Iraq during the Iran–Iraq War.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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. Ras al-Khaimah joined later, on 10 January 1972.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> It was a founding member of the Gulf Cooperation Council in May 1981, with Abu Dhabi hosting the first GCC summit.

Post-independence period

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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 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.

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Skyline of Dubai

The UAE supported military operations by the US and other 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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 UAE. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan succeeded Sheikh Khalifa as crown prince of Abu Dhabi.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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 were apprehended for an alleged coup attempt and the attempt of the establishment of an Islamist state in the UAE.<ref name="reuters">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="amnesty.org">Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref name="bbc.co.uk" />

On 29 January 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached the UAE.<ref name="first case UAE">Template:Cite news</ref> 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 passenger flights.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This resulted in a major economic downturn, which eventually led to the merger of more than 50% of the UAE's federal agencies.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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.<ref name="BBC859">Template:Cite news</ref>

On 9 February 2021, the UAE achieved a historic milestone when its probe, named 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 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 Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Geography

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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 crude oil.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The UAE lies between 22°30' and 26°10' north latitude and between 51° and 56°25′ east longitude. It shares a Template:Convert border with Saudi Arabia on the west, south, and southeast, and a Template:Convert border with Oman on the southeast and northeast. The land border with Qatar in the Khor Al Adaid area is about Template:Convert in the northwest; however, it is a source of ongoing dispute.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The UAE also disputes claim on other islands against the neighbouring state of Qatar.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The largest emirate, Abu Dhabi, accounts for 87% of the UAE's total area,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Template:Convert.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The smallest emirate, Ajman, encompasses only Template:Convert.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

The UAE coast stretches for nearly Template:Convert 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.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Most of the coast consists of salt pans that extend Template:Convert inland.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> The largest natural harbor is at Dubai, although other ports have been dredged at Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and elsewhere.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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 reefs 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 Bāţinah coast of the Gulf of Oman. The Musandam Peninsula, the very tip of Arabia by the Strait of Hormuz, and Madha are exclaves of Oman separated by the UAE.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

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Roads leading to Jebel Jais, the highest mountain in the UAE (1,892 m), in Ras Al Khaimah

South and west of Abu Dhabi, vast, rolling sand dunes merge into the Rub al-Khali (Empty Quarter) of Saudi Arabia.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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 Template:Convert to the northeast of Liwa is the Al-Buraimi oasis, which extends on both sides of the Abu Dhabi-Oman border. Lake Zakher in Al Ain is a human-made lake near the border with Oman that was created from treated waste water.<ref name="Man-made desert lake: Ecological paradise or disaster?">Template:Cite news</ref>

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.

BiodiversityTemplate:Anchor

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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 xeric woodlands and shrublands.<ref name="DinersteinOlson2017">Template:Cite journal</ref>

The oases grow 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 leopards. Coastal fish and mammals consist mainly of mackerel, perch, and tuna, as well as sharks and whales.

Climate

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 Template:Convert on the coastal plain. In the Hajar Mountains, temperatures are considerably lower, a result of increased elevation.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Average minimum temperatures in January and February are between Template:Convert.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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 Template:Convert, but in some mountainous areas annual rainfall often reaches Template:Convert. Rain in the coastal region falls in short, torrential bursts during the winter months, sometimes resulting in floods in ordinarily dry wadi beds.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The region is prone to occasional, violent dust storms, 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.<ref>Middle East | Cold snap brings Gulf rare snow Template:Webarchive. BBC News (30 December 2004). Retrieved 10 October 2015.</ref> A few years later, there were more sightings of snow and hail.<ref>Global warming or wonder! Hail the snow in Abu Dhabi : World, News – India Today Template:Webarchive. Indiatoday.intoday.in. Retrieved 10 October 2015.</ref><ref>Middle East snow, extreme heatwaves and UAE fog: what's going on with the weather? | The National Template:Webarchive. Thenational.ae (29 January 2013). Retrieved 10 October 2015.</ref> The Jebel Jais mountain cluster has experienced snow only twice since records began.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Government and politics

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Government

The United Arab Emirates is a federal constitutional monarchy made up from a federation of seven hereditary tribal monarchy-styled political units called Sheikhdoms. It is governed by a Federal Supreme Council made up of the ruling Sheikhs of Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Fujairah, Sharjah, Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah, and Umm Al Quwain. All responsibilities not granted to the federal government are reserved to the individual emirate.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A percentageTemplate:Quantify of revenues from each emirate is allocated to the UAE's central budget.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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 and vice president are elected by the Federal Supreme Council. Usually, the Head of the Al Nahyan family, who are based in Abu Dhabi, holds the presidency and the Head of the 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:

Legislative: A unicameral Federal Supreme Council and the advisory Federal National Council (FNC).
Executive: The President, who is also commander-in-chief of the military, the prime minister, and the Council of Ministers.
Judicial: The Supreme Court and lower federal courts.

Entrance to Qasr Al Watan, the presidential palace in Abu Dhabi.

The UAE e-Government is the extension of the UAE federal government in its electronic form.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The UAE's Council of Ministers (Template:Langx) 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In December 2019,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The UAE is the only country in the world that has a Ministry of Tolerance,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> a Ministry of Happiness,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> and a Ministry of Artificial Intelligence.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The UAE also has a virtual ministry called the Ministry of Possibilities, designed to find solutions to challenges and improve quality of life.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The UAE also has a National Youth Council, which is represented in the UAE cabinet by the Minister of Youth.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> By law, the council members have to be equally divided between males and females. The FNC is restricted to a largely consultative role.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Sheikh Khalifa: UAE's Federal National Council to be 50 per cent women Template:Webarchive The National, 8 December 2018</ref>

The UAE is an authoritarian federal monarchy.<ref name=":22">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name=":4">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=":5">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":6">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The UAE has been described as a "tribal autocracy" where the seven constituent monarchies are led by tribal rulers in an autocratic fashion.<ref name=":12">Template:Cite book</ref> There are no democratically elected institutions, and there is no formal commitment to free speech.<ref name=":3">Template:Cite news</ref> According to human rights organizations, there are systematic human rights violations, including the torture and forced disappearance of government critics.<ref name=":3" /> The UAE ranks poorly in freedom indices measuring civil liberties and political rights. The UAE has consistently ranked poorly across a number of freedom indices, including being ranked as "Not Free" in Freedom House's annual Freedom in the World report from 1999 to present day,<ref name=":14" /> ranks poorly in the annual Reporters without Borders' Press Freedom Index, International IDEA's Global State of Democracy (GSoD) Indices, thew Democracy Tracker, and the Bertelsmann Transformation Index - which describes the UAE as a "moderate monarchy". The country was ranked 91 out of 137 states and is far below the average scoring for development towards a democracy, and is the third least democratic country in the Middle East.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="vdem_dataset">Template:Cite web</ref> The country, by all measurements is not democratic, with particular weaknesses in political representation, including inclusive suffrage and credible elections.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Administrative divisions

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 Template:Convert, which is 86.7% of the country's total area, excluding the islands. It has a coastline extending for more than Template:Convert 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 Template:Convert. Dubai has an area of Template:Convert, which is equivalent to 5% of the country's total area, excluding the islands. The Emirate of Sharjah extends along approximately Template:Convert of the UAE's Persian Gulf coastline and for more than Template:Convert into the interior. The northern emirates which include Fujairah, Ajman, Ras al-Khaimah, and Umm al-Qaiwain all have a total area of Template:Convert. 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 exclave surrounded by UAE territory, known as Wadi Madha. It is located halfway between the Musandam peninsula and the rest of Oman in the Emirate of Sharjah. It covers approximately Template:Convert and the boundary was settled in 1969. The north-east corner of Madha is closest to the Khor Fakkan-Fujairah road, barely Template:Convert away. Within the Omani exclave of Madha, is a UAE exclave called Nahwa, also belonging to the Emirate of Sharjah. It is about Template:Convert 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

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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 plays a significant role in OPEC, and is one of the founding members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The UAE is a member of the United Nations and several of its specialised agencies (ICAO, ILO, UPU, WHO, WIPO), as well as the World Bank, 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The United Arab Emirates has strong ties with Bahrain,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> China,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Egypt, India,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Jordan,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Pakistan,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Russia,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Saudi Arabia, and the United States.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite web. Heidelberger Institut für Internationale Konfliktforschung</ref> Pakistan was the first country to formally recognise the UAE upon its formation.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The UAE alongside multiple Middle Eastern and African countries cut diplomatic ties with Qatar in June 2017 due to allegations of Qatar being a state sponsor of terrorism, resulting in the Qatar diplomatic crisis. Ties were restored in January 2021.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref name="BBC859" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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UAE President 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The UAE is the primary supporter of the rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the ongoing Sudanese Civil War. In 2025, multiple reports exposed the UAE for supplying the arab supremacist with weapons, in violation of international sanctions, and used to commit genocide in the region.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

As a result of the conflict in Sudan, United States representative Sara Jacobs visited a refugee camp in Sudan in March 2024, reporting her observation of the extensive trauma endured by children in Sudan, under the conflict. As a result of this trip, she stated the US is morally obligated to take measures and stop the selling arms to the Emirates which are being sold to arm the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militias.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Joining US Senator Chris Van Hollen, United States Congress has pushed for an export ban of weapons to the UAE.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> As of November 2025, the bill remained in Congress.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Military

The armed forces of the United Arab Emirates consist of 44,000 active personnel in the Army, 2,500 personnel and 46 ships in the Navy, 4,500 personnel and 386 aircraft in the Air Force, and 12,000 personnel in the Presidential Guard. In 2022 the country spent US$20.4 billion on defense, which is 4% of its GDP. The UAE is considered to have the most capable military among the Gulf states.<ref name="iiss2023">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="WorldFactbook" />

Although initially small in number, the UAE armed forces have grown significantly over the years and are presently equipped with some of the most modern weapon systems, purchased from a variety of western military advanced countries, mainly France, the US, and the UK. Most officers are graduates of the United Kingdom's Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, with others having attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, the Royal Military College, Duntroon in Australia, and St Cyr, the military academy of France. France and the United States have played the most strategically significant roles with defence cooperation agreements and military material provision.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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, American-led intervention in Libya, 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 defense secretary James Mattis.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The UAE intervened in the 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).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Examples of the military assets deployed include the enforcement of the no-fly-zone over Libya by sending six UAEAF F-16 and six Mirage 2000 multi-role fighter aircraft,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> ground troop deployment in Afghanistan,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 30 UAEAF F-16s and ground troops deployment in Southern Yemen,<ref name="repel">Template:Cite news</ref> and helping the US launch its first airstrikes against ISIL targets in Syria.<ref>Template:Cite news Template:Cbignore</ref>

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 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 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 "Desert Falcon", developed by General Dynamics in collaboration with the UAE and specifically for the United Arab Emirates Air Force.<ref name=fg1>Template:Cite web</ref> The United Arab Emirates Army operates a customised Leclerc tank and is the only other operator of the tank aside from the French Army.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The largest defence exhibition and conference in the Middle East, International Defence Exhibition, takes place biennially in Abu Dhabi.

The UAE introduced a mandatory military service for adult males, since 2014, for 16 months to expand its reserve force.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The highest loss of life in the history of UAE military occurred on Friday 4 September 2015, in which 52 soldiers were killed in Marib area of central Yemen by a Tochka missile which targeted a weapons cache and caused a large explosion.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref>

Law

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Dubai Police helicopter flying at sunset

The United Arab Emirates has a federal court system, and the emirates of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and 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.<ref name=":7" /> Since September 2020, corporal punishment is no longer a legal form of punishment under UAE federal law. Under the decree, legal forms of punishment are retribution and blood money payments, capital punishment, life imprisonment, temporary imprisonment, indefinite detention, and fines.<ref name=":7">Template:Cite web</ref> 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."<ref name=":7" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Before 2020, flogging, stoning, amputation, and crucifixion were technically legal punishments for criminal offences such as adultery, premarital sex, and drug or alcohol use.<ref name="usdep">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> With alcohol and cohabitation laws being loosened in advance of the 2020 World Expo, Emirati laws have become increasingly acceptable to visitors from non-Muslim countries.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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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.<ref name="maleguardian">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref name="maleguardian" /> It is illegal for Muslim women to marry non-Muslims and is punishable by law.<ref name="religiousfreedom">Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref name="lia">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="lia" />

Apostasy is a technically capital crime in the UAE, however, there are no documented cases of apostates being executed.<ref>Evans, Robert. (9 December 2013) Atheists face death in 13 countries, global discrimination: study Template:Webarchive. Reuters. Retrieved 26 November 2015.</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Blasphemy is illegal; expatriates involved in insulting Islam are liable for deportation.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="shar">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Al-Muhairi (1997), Conclusion to the Series of Articles on the UAE Penal Law. Arab Law Quarterly, Vol. 12, No. 4</ref>

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.<ref name=":8">Template:Cite web</ref> In 2013, an Emirati man was on trial for being accused of a "gay handshake".<ref name="arc.com">Template:Cite web</ref>

Due to local customs, public shows of affection in certain public places are illegal and could result in deportation, but holding hands is tolerated.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Expats in Dubai have been deported for kissing in public.<ref name="bbc.com">London man tells of 'shock' jailing in Dubai over kiss Template:Webarchive. Bbc.com. Retrieved 26 November 2015.</ref> In several cases, the courts of the UAE have jailed women who have reported rape.Template:Efn Federal law in the UAE prohibits swearing on social media.<ref name="inde">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Dancing in public is illegal in the UAE.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>No dancing in public: Dubai Template:Webarchive. Arab News (15 March 2009). Retrieved 26 November 2015.</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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 Template:Convert 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 machines, and poker tables, as well as lotteries, 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.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":10" />

The first lottery license has been granted to The Game LLC, operating under the banner of the 'UAE Lottery'. This move supersedes existing lottery operators like Mahzooz and Big Ticket, which are no longer legally permitted to offer their services. Players are required to engage only with licensed gaming operators to avoid severe penalties. The regulations also specify that operators must enable players to restrict themselves from online gaming platforms for a period of at least 72 hours upon request. This is part of the broader initiative to ensure a secure and responsible commercial gaming environment in the UAE.<ref name=":1" />

The UAE's move to legalise gaming is seen as a strategic step to enhance its tourism and entertainment sector, leveraging its existing infrastructure and business-friendly environment. This development is expected to attract major gaming operators and contribute significantly to the country's economy.<ref name=":1" />

The country does not have any formal gaming laws, and therefore the project details about the casino were not completely made public. Local citizens are not permitted for gambling, which remains a legal and cultural taboo.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=":10">Template:Cite news</ref>

Human rights violations

Human Rights Watch has reported on the country's ongoing unfair mass trials, restrictions of freedom of speech and abuses to migrant labor forces.<ref>Template:Citation</ref> 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.<ref name="United Arab Emirates Reports">Template:Cite web</ref> 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 independent judicial system, and low scores against other metrics.<ref name=":14">Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> All associations have to be submitted to censorship guidelines and all publications have first to be approved by the government.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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 torture.<ref name=":13">Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> One notable example is Ryan Cornelius, a 71-year-old British citizen who has been unlawfully detained in the UAE since 2008.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Arab Organization for Human Rights obtained testimonies from defendants who claimed being kidnapped, tortured and abused in detention centers; they reported sixteen methods of torture including beatings, threats with electrocution and denial of medical care.<ref name="aohr">Template:Cite web</ref> Repressive measures, including deportation, were applied on foreigners based on allegations of attempts to destabilize the country.<ref name="forced">UAE's crackdown on democracy short-sighted Template:Webarchive. Middleeastmonitor.com. Retrieved 26 November 2015.</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Additionally, the kafala system, or sponsorship for work results in a significant cost to migrant workers and conditions comparable to indentured servitude.<ref>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</ref> Protests by foreign workers have been suppressed, and protesters imprisoned without due process; including in 2008, 2012, and most recently in 2023.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The state security apparatus in the UAE has been accused of human rights abuses including forced disappearance, arbitrary arrests and torture.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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 trial took place in secrecy with no documents or evidence provided in the court.<ref name=":14" /><ref name=":13" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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 (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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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.<ref name="forced" /><ref name="qta">Template:Cite web</ref> Over 4,000 Shia expatriates have been deported from the UAE;<ref>Thousands of Shias Coercively deported from UAE – Majlis-e-Ulama-e-Shia Europe Template:Webarchive. Majlis.org.uk. Retrieved on 21 August 2018.</ref><ref>Luca, Ana Maria (5 June 2013) Hezbollah and the Gulf. mmedia.me</ref> including Lebanese Shia families for their alleged sympathies for Hezbollah.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2013, 94 Emirati activists were held in secret detention centres and put on trial for allegedly attempting to overthrow the government;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> a relative of a defendant was arrested for tweeting about the trial, and sentenced to 10 months in jail.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The latest forced disappearance involves three sisters from Abu Dhabi.<ref name="Amnesty">UAE Three women held in secret detention over tweets|Amnesty International Template:Webarchive. Amnesty.org (27 February 2015). Retrieved 26 November 2015.</ref>

The UAE has expanded its international influence, subsequently committing human rights abuses across national borders. The country has been a leading supporter of Israel's genocide in Gaza as well as funding the genocide in Sudan, through direct support and supply of weapons to the arab supremicist rebel group in the Sudanese civil war.<ref name=":15">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":13" />

On 29 March 2024, Sudan filed a formal complaint with the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), in response to the UAE's planning and backing the RSF militias against the Sudanese army.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The ongoing conflict has reached new heights of violence with the continued support of the RSF by the UAE in terms of weapons and other equipment.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Reports stating the Emirates wanted to provide humanitarian support for the Sudanese people turned out to be an expansion of a covert operation to funnel money, weapons - including drone technology - to opposition forces. Officials said the UAE was playing the most consequential role by inflaming the crisis, while pledging to ease it.<ref name="nytimes.com">Template:Cite news</ref> In October 2024, Sudan wrote a second official letter to the UNSC, calling for it to take strong action against the UAE's continued aggression towards Sudan, with the Sudanese Foreign Ministry also claimed that the UAE is not just an indirect supporter of RSF, but rather a "vicious frontline player in the war of aggression" against Sudan.<ref name=":15" /><ref name="nytimes.com" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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, to improve their public image.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> They established a Soft Power Council in 2017 in order to address their international image.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> The UAE deploys a number of these techniques, including gender-washing, green-washing and sports-washing; as evident in hosting major events like COP28, sporting events including Formula One races,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the Abu Dhabi Cup in 2026;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> or promoting tourism and business to Dubai.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Citation</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2018, the country hosted the Second Annual World Tolerance Summit, which was protested by a number of NGOs and scholars.<ref>“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 </ref>

Migrant workers

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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,<ref name="mig">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> as seen in 2014 when dozens of workers were deported for striking.<ref>Conditions for Abu Dhabi's migrant workers 'shame the west' | World news Template:Webarchive. The Guardian (22 December 2013). Retrieved on 21 August 2018.</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

A report in January 2020 highlighted that the employers in the United Arab Emirates have been exploiting the Indian labor and hiring them on tourist visas, which is easier and cheaper than work permits. These migrant workers are left open to labor 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 migration and employment records.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite news Template:Cbignore</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Environmental policy

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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 rising sea level.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The country is a leading oil and gas producer. Its energy consumption per capita is around 370 Gigajoule. The UAE's carbon dioxide emissions per capita are high, ranking sixth among countries globally.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Recently, it made efforts to make itself more sustainable. Those include:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Setting a target to reduce GHG emissions by 31% in comparison to business scenario by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050.
Launching a program to make the 3 most emissions-intensive sectors, 40% more 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."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Together with the USA the country invested 17 billion dollars in sustainable agriculture.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Economy

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Burj Khalifa, the 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 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%.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite web</ref> It is the second largest economy in the GCC (after Saudi Arabia),<ref name="Economy2013">Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref name=":2" /> Since its independence in 1971, the UAE's economy has grown by nearly 231 times to 1.45 trillion AED in 2013. The non-oil trade has grown to 1.2 trillion AED, a growth by around 28 times from 1981 to 2012.<ref name="Economy2013" /> Supported by the world's seventh-largest oil reserves and aided by prudent investments coupled with a resolute commitment to economic liberalism and strong governmental oversight, the UAE has witnessed its real GDP increase by more than three times over the past four decades. Presently, the UAE is among the wealthiest countries globally, with GDP per capita nearly 80% higher than the OECD average.<ref name=":2" />

File:Abu dhabi skylines 2014.jpg

As impressive as economic growth has been in the UAE, the total population has increased from just around 550,000 in 1975 to close to 10 million in 2018. This growth is mainly due to the influx of foreign workers into the country, making the national population a minority. The UAE features a unique labour market system, in which residence in the UAE is conditional on stringent visa rules. This system is a major advantage in terms of macroeconomic stability, as labour supply adjusts quickly to demand throughout economic business cycles. This allows the government to keep unemployment in the country on a very low level of less than 3%, and it also gives the government more leeway in terms of macroeconomic policies – where other governments often need to make trade-offs between fighting unemployment and fighting inflation.<ref name=":2" />

Between 2014 and 2018, the accommodation and food, education, information and communication, arts and recreation, and real estate sectors overperformed in terms of growth, whereas the construction, logistics, professional services, public, and oil and gas sectors underperformed.<ref name=":2" />

As for competitiveness, in June 2024 it was reported that the UAE has moved up three place to the 7th place among the top 10 countries in the IMD World Competitiveness. This ranking is issued by the World Competitiveness Centre of the Institute for Management Development (IMD) in Switzerland.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Business and finance

Abu Dhabi skyline

The UAE is ranked as the 26th best country in the world for doing business by the Doing Business 2017 Report published by the World Bank Group.<ref name="Doing Business">Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>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.<ref name=":2" />

The weaker points remain the level of education across the UAE population, limitations in the financial and labour markets, barriers to trade and some regulations that hinder business dynamism. The major challenge for the country, though, remains translating investments and strong enabling conditions into innovation and creative outputs.<ref name=":2" />

UAE law does not allow trade unions to exist.<ref name="ituc" /> The right to collective bargaining and the right to strike are not recognised, and the Ministry of Labour has the power to force workers to go back to work. Migrant workers who participate in a strike can have their work permits cancelled and be deported.<ref name="ituc">Template:Cite web</ref> Consequently, there are very few anti-discrimination laws in relation to labour issues, with Emiratis – and other 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 Emirates airlines and Dubai Properties.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The UAE's monetary policy stresses stability and predictability. The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) keeps a peg to the US Dollar (USD) and moves interest rates close to the Federal Funds Rate.<ref name=":2" />

According to Fitch Ratings, the decline in property sector follows risks of progressively worsening the quality of assets in possession with UAE banks, leading the economy to rougher times ahead. Even though as compared to retail and property, UAE banks fared well. The higher US interest rates followed since 2016 – which the UAE currency complies to – have boosted profitability. However, the likelihood of plunging interest rates and increasing provisioning costs on bad loans, point to difficult times ahead for the economy.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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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 (VAT) of 5%<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref name=":2" />

The UAE has an attractive tax system for companies and wealthy individuals, making it a preferred destination for companies seeking tax avoidance. The NGO Tax Justice Network places them in 2021 in the group of the ten largest tax havens.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2023, the UAE's legal system fell under international scrutiny, as the 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

VAT

The UAE government implemented value-added tax (VAT) in the country from 1 January 2018, at a standard rate of 5%.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref name=":2" />

Energy

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Ruwais Refinery is the fourth-largest single-site oil refinery in the world and the biggest in the Middle East.

Oil and gas production is an important part of the economy of the UAE. In 2018, the oil and gas sector contributed 26% to overall GDP. The UAE leadership initiated economic diversification efforts even before the oil price crash in the 1980s, resulting in the UAE having the most diversified economy in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region at present. Although the oil and gas sector continues to be significant to the UAE economy, these efforts have yielded great resilience during periods of oil price fluctuations and economic turbulence. The introduction of the VAT has provided the government with an additional source of income – approximately 6% of the total revenue in 2018, or 27 billion United Arab Emirates dirham (AED) – affording its fiscal policy more independence from oil- and gas-related revenue, which constitutes about 36% of the total government revenue.

The Barakah nuclear power plant is the first on the Arabian peninsula and expected to reduce the carbon footprint of the country.<ref>Reuters. (19 January 2022). "Unit 2 of UAE's Barakah nuclear plant to start operations within months: ENEC CEO". Al Arabiya website Template:Webarchive Retrieved 22 January 2022.</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Tourism

Tourism acts as a growth sector for the entire UAE economy. Dubai is the top tourism destination in the Middle East.<ref name="tdb" /> According to the annual MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index, Dubai is the fifth most popular tourism destination in the world.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Topic: Tourism industry of the UAE">Template:Cite web</ref>

The inbound tourism expenditure in the UAE for 2019 accounted for 118.6 per cent share of the outbound tourism expenditure.<ref name="Topic: Tourism industry of the UAE" /> Since 6 January 2020, tourist visas to the United Arab Emirates are valid for five years.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref name="Topic: Tourism industry of the UAE" />

The country's major tourist attraction includes the famous Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the tallest tower in the world;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The World archipelago and Palm Jumeirah also in Dubai;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Wynn Resorts' UAE casino to open in March 2027</ref>

Abu Dhabi is set to become the home of Disneyland Abu Dhabi, the first Disney theme park in the Middle East.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Transport

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Dubai International Airport became the busiest airport in the world by international passenger traffic in 2014, overtaking London Heathrow.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Abu Dhabi International Airport is the second-largest airport in the UAE. Due to the announced expansion of Al Maktoum Airport on 28 April 2024, Dubai International Airport will be shut down once Al Maktoum Airport expansion will be completed.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

E 311, a major road in the UAE

Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, and Ras Al Khaimah are connected by the 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. 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 at Al Safa and Al Barsha.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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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 Template:Convert country-wide railway is under construction which will connect all the major cities and ports.<ref name="IRJMar12">Template:Cite news</ref> The Dubai Metro is the first urban train network in the Arabian Peninsula.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The major ports of the United Arab Emirates are Khalifa Port, Zayed Port, Port Jebel Ali, Port Rashid, Port Khalid, Port Saeed, and Port Khor Fakkan.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref name=etisalatmon>Template:Cite web</ref> Internet subscribers were expected to increase from 0.904 million in 2007 to 2.66 million in 2012.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The regulator, the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, mandates filtering websites for religious, political, and sexual content.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

5G wireless services were installed nationwide in 2019 through a partnership with Huawei.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Demographics

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Template:Wide image 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%.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This unique imbalance is due to the country's exceptionally high net migration rate of 21.71, the world's highest.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> UAE citizenship is very difficult to obtain other than by filiation and only granted under very special circumstances.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Residential villas in the Palm Jumeirah palm fronds in Dubai

The UAE is ethnically diverse. The five most populous nationalities in the emirates of Dubai, Sharjah, and Ajman are Indian (25%), Pakistani (12%), Emirati (9%), Bangladeshi (7%), and Filipino (5%).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Immigrants from Europe, Australia, and North America make up around 100,000 of the population.<ref name="arabianbusiness.com">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The rest of the population are from other Arab states.<ref name="WorldFactbook">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

About 88% of the population of the United Arab Emirates is urban.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The average life expectancy was 76.7 in 2012, higher than for any other Arab country.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="uaeinteract2">Template:Cite web</ref> With a male/female sex ratio of 2.2 males for each female in the total population and 2.75 to 1 for the 15–65 age group, the UAE's gender imbalance is second highest in the world after Qatar.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Largest cities

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Language

Modern Standard Arabic is the national language of the United Arab Emirates. English is the most commonly spoken language,<ref name="Siemund"/><ref name="visitdubai"/> following British English conventions.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Emirati Arabic, a variety of Gulf Arabic, is spoken natively by Emirati people.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Religion

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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.<ref name=US2022 />

There are more Sunni than Shia Muslims in the United Arab Emirates,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and 85% of the Emirati population are Sunni Muslims with most of them adhering to the Maliki school of jurisprudence.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The vast majority of the remainder 15% are Shia Muslims, who are concentrated in the Emirates of Dubai and 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.<ref name=US2022 /> The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi is the largest mosque in the country and a major tourist attraction. Ibadi is common among Omanis in the UAE, while Sufi influences exist as well.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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%.<ref name=US2022>Template:Cite web</ref> Roman Catholics and Protestants form significant proportions of the Christian minority. The country has over 52 churches in 2023.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The United Arab Emirates forms part of the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia and the Vicar Apostolic Bishop Paul Hinder is based in Abu Dhabi.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

There is a small 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref name=Ynt>Template:Cite news</ref>

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South Asians in the United Arab Emirates constitute the largest ethnic group in the country.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Over 2 million Indian migrants (mostly from the southern states of Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Coastal Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu) are estimated to be living in the UAE.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> There are currently three Hindu temples in the country. Other religions also exist in the United Arab Emirates, including Jainism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Judaism, Baháʼís, and Druze.<ref name=religiousfreedom />

The UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, Abdullah bin Zayed, announced in 2019 the design and construction plan of the Abrahamic Family House, which will serve as an interfaith complex that houses a synagogue, mosque, and a church on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Education

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University City Hall is the largest building located in 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 in all emirates except Abu Dhabi, where it falls under the authority of the Department of Education and Knowledge. Public schools are divided into primary schools, middle schools, and 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 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 institutions.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The adult literacy rate in 2015 was 93.8%.<ref name="WorldFactbook" />

The UAE has shown a strong interest in improving education and research. Enterprises include the establishment of the CERT Research Centres and the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology and Institute for Enterprise Development.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> According to the QS Rankings, the top-ranking universities in the country are the United Arab Emirates University (421–430th worldwide), Khalifa University<ref>Khalifa University | Undergraduate Template:Webarchive. Top Universities. Retrieved 10 October 2015.</ref> (441–450th worldwide), the American University of Sharjah (431–440th), and University of Sharjah (551–600th worldwide).<ref>American University of Sharjah Rankings Template:Webarchive. Top Universities. Retrieved 26 November 2015.</ref> United Arab Emirates was ranked 33rd in the Global Innovation Index in 2021, up from 36th in 2019.<ref name="auto1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Health

The life expectancy at birth in the UAE is at 76.96 years.<ref>Gazetteer – The World – Life Expectancy – Top 100+ By Country (2018) Template:Webarchive. Geoba.se (28 April 2016). Retrieved on 21 August 2018.</ref> Cardiovascular disease is the principal cause of death in the UAE, constituting 28% of total deaths; other major causes are accidents and injuries, malignancies, and congenital anomalies.<ref name=cp>Template:Cite web</ref> According to World Health Organization data from 2016, 34.5% of adults in the UAE are clinically obese, with a body mass index (BMI) score of 30 or more.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The introduction of mandatory health insurance in Abu Dhabi for expatriates and their dependents was a major driver in reform of healthcare policy. Abu Dhabi nationals were brought under the scheme from 1 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The country has benefited from medical tourists from all over the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf. The UAE attracts 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.<ref name="thenational.ae">Template:Cite web</ref>

Culture

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Women in an Emirati folk dance.

Emirati culture is based on Arabian culture and has been influenced by the cultures of Persia, India, and East Africa.<ref name="folk" /> Arabian and Arabian inspired architecture is part of the expression of the local Emirati identity.<ref name="loc">Template:Cite book</ref> Arabian influence on Emirati culture is noticeably visible in traditional Emirati architecture and folk arts.<ref name="folk">Template:Cite book</ref> 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.<ref name="folk" /> This influence is derived both from traders who fled the tax regime in Persia in the early 19th century and from Emirati ownership of ports on the Arabian coast, for instance the Al Qassimi port of Lingeh.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Major holidays in the United Arab Emirates include Eid al Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, and National Day (2 December), which marks the formation of the United Arab Emirates.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> 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 poets.<ref name="poetry">Template:Cite web</ref> The Sharjah International Book Fair is the oldest and largest in the country.

Traditional folk dances, such as Al-Ayyala, are performed by men and women in the UAE during festivals, holidays, and weddings.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref name="poetry" />

The list of museums in the United Arab Emirates includes some of regional repute, most famously Sharjah with its Heritage District containing 17 museums,<ref>Sharjah Museums Department Template:Webarchive. sharjahmuseums.ae</ref> which in 1998 was the Cultural Capital of the Arab World.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In Dubai, the area of Al Quoz has attracted a number of art galleries as well as museums such as the Salsali Private Museum.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Dubai also plans to build a Kunsthal museum and a district for galleries and artists.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> There are very few 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Media

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Dubai Media City is home to diverse news and tech companies.

The UAE's media is annually classified as "not free" in the Freedom of the Press report by Freedom House.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> At the same time, the UAE has made it illegal to disseminate online material that can threaten "public order",<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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.<ref name="u.aeb">Template:Cite web</ref> The UAE government avails official social media accounts to communicate with public and hear their needs.<ref name="u.aeb" />

In recent years, there has been a notable surge in digital media consumption in the UAE, driven by the widespread use of platforms like Snapchat and TikTok among the younger population.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Influencers on these platforms play a significant role in shaping trends and promoting various products and services.<ref name="ndtv.com">Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref name="ndtv.com"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Cuisine

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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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Popular cultural Emirati dishes include threed, machboos, khubisa, khameer, and chabab bread among others while lugaimat is a famous Emirati dessert.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref>The UAE's big fat problem Template:Webarchive. Gulf News. (19 July 2012). Retrieved 26 January 2014.</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Sports