Overview
The Trucial States of the Persian Gulf coast granted the UK control of their defense and foreign affairs in 19th-century treaties. In 1971, six of these states -- Abu Dhabi, 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah, Dubayy, and Umm al Qaywayn -- merged to form the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Ra's al Khaymah joined in 1972. The UAE's per-capita GDP is on par with those of leading West European nations. For more than three decades, oil and global finance drove the UAE's economy. In 2008-09, the confluence of falling oil prices, collapsing real estate prices, and the international banking crisis hit the UAE especially hard. The UAE did not experience the "Arab Spring" unrest seen elsewhere in the Middle East in 2010-11, partly because of the government's multi-year, $1.6-billion infrastructure investment plan for the poorer northern emirates, and its aggressive pursuit of advocates for political reform. The UAE in recent years has played a growing role in regional affairs. In addition to donating billions of dollars in economic aid to help stabilize Egypt, the UAE was one of the first countries to join the Defeat ISIS coalition, and to participate as a key partner in a Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen. In 2020, the UAE and Bahrain signed a peace agreement (the Abraham Accords) with Israel -- brokered by the US -- in Washington, D.C. The UAE and Bahrain thus became the third and fourth Middle Eastern countries, along with Egypt and Jordan, to recognize Israel.
Geography
- Location
- Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia
- Total Area
- 83,600 sq km
- Climate
- desert; cooler in eastern mountains
- Terrain
- flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert; mountains in east
- Natural Resources
- petroleum, natural gas
- Coastline
- 1,318 km
- Land Borders
- 1,066 km
People & Society
- Population
- 10,093,593 (2025 est.)
- Religions
- Muslim 74.5% (official) (Sunni 63.3%, Shia 6.7%, other 4.4%), Christian 12.9%, Hindu 6.2%, Buddhist 3.2%, agnostic 1.3%, other 1.9% (2020 est.)
- Ethnic Groups
- Emirati 11.6%, South Asian 59.4% (includes Indian 38.2%, Bangladeshi 9.5%, Pakistani 9.4%, other 2.3%), Egyptian 10.2%, Filipino 6.1%, other 12.8% (2015 est.)
- Life Expectancy
- 79.9 years (2024 est.)
- Literacy Rate
- 98.8% (2024 est.)
- Urbanization
- 87.8% of total population (2023)
Government
- Government Type
- federation of monarchies
- Capital
- Abu Dhabi
- Independence
- 2 December 1971 (from the UK)
- Constitution
- previous 1971 (provisional); latest drafted in 1979, became permanent May 1996
- Legal System
- mixed system of Islamic (sharia) law and civil law
- Executive Branch
- President MUHAMMAD BIN ZAYID Al Nuhayyan (since 14 May 2022)
Economy
- Economic Overview
- high-income, oil-driven Middle Eastern economy; fastest GDP growth of Gulf states; diversification through tourism, construction, and services; strong foreign direct investment orientation; continued government investment and business-friendly reforms
- GDP (Official Rate)
- $537.079 billion (2024 est.)
- Major Industries
- petroleum and petrochemicals; fishing, aluminum, cement, fertilizer, commercial ship repair, construction materials, handicrafts, textiles