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.TipVisit the Definitions and Notes page to view a description of each topic.Definitions and Notes
Geography
Location
Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia
Geographic coordinates
24 00 N, 54 00 E
Map references
Middle East
Area
total : 83,600 sq km
land: 83,600 sq km
water: 0 sq km
comparison ranking: total 115
Area – comparative
slightly larger than South Carolina; slightly smaller than Maine
Area comparison map:
Land boundaries
total: 1,066 km
border countries (2): Oman 609 km; Saudi Arabia 457 km
Coastline
1,318 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Climate
desert; cooler in eastern mountains
Terrain
flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert; mountains in east
Elevation
highest point: Jabal Bil ‘Ays 1,905 m
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
mean elevation: 149 m
Natural resources
petroleum, natural gas
Land use
agricultural land: 5.5% (2022 est.)
arable land: 0.7% (2022 est.)
permanent crops: 0.6% (2022 est.)
permanent pasture: 4.2% (2022 est.)
forest: 4.5% (2022 est.)
other: 90% (2022 est.)
Irrigated land
940 sq km (2022)
Population distribution
population is heavily concentrated to the northeast on the Musandam Peninsula; the three largest emirates — Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah — are home to nearly 85% of the population
Natural hazards
frequent sand and dust storms
Geography – note
strategic location along southern approaches to Strait of Hormuz, a transit point for crude oil; Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) and Dubayy (Dubai) together account for over 90% of UAE’s area and two-thirds of the population
People and Society
Population
total: 10,032,213 (2024 est.)
male: 6,824,131
female: 3,208,082
comparison rankings: total 94; female 111; male 76
Nationality
noun: Emirati(s)
adjective: Emirati
Ethnic groups
Emirati 11.6%, South Asian 59.4% (includes Indian 38.2%, Bangladeshi 9.5%, Pakistani 9.4%, other 2.3%), Egyptian 10.2%, Filipino 6.1%, other 12.8% (2015 est.)
note: data represent the total population; as of 2019, immigrants make up about 87.9% of the total population, according to UN data
Languages
Arabic (official), English, Hindi, Malayalam, Urdu, Pashto, Tagalog, Persian
major-language sample(s):
كتاب Øقائق العالم، المصدر الذي لا يمكن الاستغناء عنه للمعلومات الأساسية (Arabic)
The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Arabic audio sample:
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.)
note: data represent the total population; as of 2020, immigrants make up about 88.1% of the total population, according to UN data
Age structure
0-14 years: 16.4% (male 842,577/female 802,302)
15-64 years: 81.4% (male 5,812,470/female 2,353,750)
65 years and over: 2.2% (2024 est.) (male 169,084/female 52,030)
2024 population pyramid:
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 22.9 (2024 est.)
youth dependency ratio: 20.1 (2024 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 2.7 (2024 est.)
potential support ratio: 36.9 (2024 est.)
Median age
total: 35.8 years (2024 est.)
male: 38.1 years
female: 29.8 years
comparison ranking: total 95
Population growth rate
0.6% (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 140
Birth rate
10.7 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 174
Death rate
1.7 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 228
Net migration rate
-3.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 181
Population distribution
population is heavily concentrated to the northeast on the Musandam Peninsula; the three largest emirates — Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah — are home to nearly 85% of the population
Urbanization
urban population: 87.8% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 1.5% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas – population
3.008 million Dubai, 1.831 million Sharjah, 1.567 million ABU DHABI (capital) (2023)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 2.47 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 3.25 male(s)/female
total population: 2.13 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Maternal mortality ratio
3 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
comparison ranking: 189
Infant mortality rate
total: 5 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
male: 5.5 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.4 deaths/1,000 live births
comparison ranking: total 175
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 79.9 years (2024 est.)
male: 78.6 years
female: 81.4 years
comparison ranking: total population 60
Total fertility rate
1.61 children born/woman (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 182
Gross reproduction rate
0.78 (2024 est.)
Drinking water source
improved:
urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)
rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)
total: 100% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved:
urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)
rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)
total: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Health expenditure
5.3% of GDP (2021)
12.1% of national budget (2022 est.)
Physician density
2.99 physicians/1,000 population (2023)
Hospital bed density
2 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Sanitation facility access
improved:
urban: 99.8% of population (2022 est.)
rural: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)
total: 99.8% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved:
urban: 0.2% of population (2022 est.)
rural: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)
total: 0.2% of population (2022 est.)
Obesity – adult prevalence rate
31.7% (2016)
comparison ranking: 20
Alcohol consumption per capita
total: 2.03 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 0.21 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 0.14 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 1.65 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
comparison ranking: total 130
Tobacco use
total: 10.7% (2025 est.)
male: 13.9% (2025 est.)
female: 2.4% (2025 est.)
comparison ranking: total 124
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
72.4% (2023 est.)
Education expenditure
3.9% of GDP (2021 est.)
14.8% national budget (2021 est.)
comparison ranking: Education expenditure (% GDP) 116
Literacy
total population: 98% (2023 est.)
male: 99% (2023 est.)
female: 97% (2023 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
total: 16 years (2023 est.)
male: 15 years (2023 est.)
female: 16 years (2023 est.)
Environment
Environmental issues
air pollution; water scarcity; lack of natural freshwater resources; land degradation and desertification; waste generation, beach pollution from oil spills
International environmental agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Climate
desert; cooler in eastern mountains
Land use
agricultural land: 5.5% (2022 est.)
arable land: 0.7% (2022 est.)
permanent crops: 0.6% (2022 est.)
permanent pasture: 4.2% (2022 est.)
forest: 4.5% (2022 est.)
other: 90% (2022 est.)
Urbanization
urban population: 87.8% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 1.5% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
271.703 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 12.788 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 126.038 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 132.876 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
comparison ranking: total emissions 23
Particulate matter emissions
38.9 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually: 5,413,453 tons (2015 est.)
municipal solid waste recycled annually: 1,082,691 tons (2015 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 20% (2015 est.)
Total water withdrawal
municipal: 2.63 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
industrial: 69 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
agricultural: 2.32 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Total renewable water resources
150 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Government
Country name
conventional long form: United Arab Emirates
conventional short form: none
local long form: Al Imarat al Arabiyah al Muttahidah
local short form: none
former: Trucial Oman, Trucial States
abbreviation: UAE
etymology: self-descriptive country name; the name Arabia can be traced back at least as far as the ancient Egyptians, who referred to the region as “Ar Rabi;” “emirates” derives from amir, the Arabic word for “commander,” “lord,” or “prince;” the former name, Trucial States, refers to a maritime truce from 1820 between the British and the Arab sheikhdoms
Government type
federation of monarchies
Capital
name: Abu Dhabi
geographic coordinates: 24 28 N, 54 22 E
time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
etymology: in Arabic, abu means “father,” and dhabi refers to a personal name, Dhabi or Zabi, that comes from the word zab, or “gazelle”
Administrative divisions
7 emirates (imarat, singular – imarah); Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi), ‘Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah (Sharjah), Dubayy (Dubai), Ra’s al Khaymah, Umm al Qaywayn
Legal system
mixed system of Islamic (sharia) law and civil law
Constitution
history: previous 1971 (provisional); latest drafted in 1979, became permanent May 1996
amendment process: proposed by the Supreme Council and submitted to the Federal National Council; passage requires at least a two-thirds majority vote of Federal National Council members present and approval of the Supreme Council president
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Citizenship
citizenship by birth: no
citizenship by descent only: the father must be a citizen of the United Arab Emirates; if the father is unknown, the mother must be a citizen
dual citizenship recognized: no
residency requirement for naturalization: 30 years
Suffrage
limited
note: rulers of the seven emirates each select a proportion of voters for the Federal National Council (FNC) that accounts for about 12 percent of Emirati citizens
Executive branch
chief of state: President MUHAMMAD BIN ZAYID Al Nuhayyan (since 14 May 2022)
head of government: Prime Minister and Co-Vice President MUHAMMAD BIN RASHID Al Maktum (since 5 January 2006)
cabinet: Council of Ministers announced by the prime minister and approved by the president
election/appointment process: president and vice president indirectly elected by the Federal Supreme Council — composed of the rulers of the 7 emirates — for a 5-year term (no term limits); prime minister appointed by the president
most recent election date: unscheduled election held on 14 May 2022, after the death of President KHALIFA bin Zayid Al-Nuhayyan
election results:
2022: MUHAMMAD BIN ZAYID Al-Nuhayyan elected president; Federal Supreme Council vote – NA
expected date of next election: 2027
note: the Federal Supreme Council (FSC) is composed of the 7 emirate rulers and is the highest constitutional authority in the UAE; the FSC establishes general policies and sanctions federal legislation; meets 4 times a year; Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) and Dubayy (Dubai) rulers have effective veto power
Legislative branch
legislature name: Federal National Council (Majlis Watani Itihadi)
legislative structure: unicameral
number of seats: 40 (20 indirectly elected; 20 appointed)
electoral system: other systems
scope of elections: full renewal
term in office: 4 years
most recent election date: 10/7/2023
percentage of women in chamber: 50%
expected date of next election: October 2027
Judicial branch
highest court(s): Federal Supreme Court (consists of the court president and 4 judges; jurisdiction limited to federal cases)
judge selection and term of office: judges appointed by the federal president after approval from the Federal Supreme Council, the highest executive and legislative authority consisting of the 7 emirate rulers; judges serve until retirement age or the expiration of their appointment terms
subordinate courts: Federal Court of Cassation (determines the constitutionality of laws); the emirates of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Ra’s al Khaymah have parallel court systems; the other 4 emirates have incorporated their courts into the federal system
note: the Abu Dhabi Global Market Courts and the Dubai International Financial Center Courts, the country’s two largest financial free zones, adjudicate civil and commercial disputes
Political parties
note: political parties are banned; all candidates run as independents
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Yousif AL OTAIBA (since 28 July 2008)
chancery: 3522 International Court NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 243-2400
FAX: [1] (202) 243-2408
email address and website:
[email protected]
https://www.uae-embassy.org/
consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Martina A. STRONG (since 4 October 2023)
embassy: Embassies District, Plot 38, Sector W59-02, Street No. 4, Abu Dhabi
mailing address: 6010 Abu Dhabi Place, Washington DC 20521-6010
telephone: [971] (2) 414-2200
FAX: [971] (2) 414-2241
email address and website:
[email protected]
https://ae.usembassy.gov/
consulate(s) general: Dubai
International organization participation
ABEDA, AfDB (nonregional member), AFESD, AMF, BIS, BRICS, CAEU, CICA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OIF (observer), OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNOOSA, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Independence
2 December 1971 (from the UK)
National holiday
Independence Day (National Day), 2 December (1971)
Flag description
three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and black, with a wider vertical red band on the hoist side; the flag incorporates all four pan-Arab colors, which in this case represent fertility (green), neutrality (white), oil (black), and unity (red); red is a traditional color that was part of all the emirates’ flags before their unification
National symbol(s)
golden falcon
National color(s)
green, white, black, red
National anthem(s)
title: “Nashid al-watani al-imarati” (National Anthem of the UAE)
lyrics/music: AREF Al Sheikh Abdullah Al Hassan/Mohamad Abdel WAHAB
history: music adopted 1971, lyrics adopted 1986; Mohamad Abdel WAHAB also composed the music for Tunisia’s and Libya’s anthem
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites: 1 (cultural)
selected World Heritage Site locales: Cultural Sites of Al Ain (Hafit, Hili, Bidaa Bint Saud, and Oases Areas)
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
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$745.994 billion (2024 est.)
$718.95 billion (2023 est.)
$693.842 billion (2022 est.)
note: data in 2021 dollars
comparison ranking: 37
Real GDP growth rate
3.8% (2024 est.)
3.6% (2023 est.)
7.5% (2022 est.)
note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
comparison ranking: 81
Real GDP per capita
$68,600 (2024 est.)
$68,600 (2023 est.)
$68,900 (2022 est.)
note: data in 2021 dollars
comparison ranking: 21
GDP (official exchange rate)
$537.079 billion (2024 est.)
note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
1.7% (2024 est.)
1.6% (2023 est.)
5.3% (2022 est.)
note: annual % change based on consumer prices
comparison ranking: 44
GDP – composition, by sector of origin
agriculture: 0.7% (2023 est.)
industry: 47.7% (2023 est.)
services: 51.6% (2023 est.)
note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
comparison rankings: services 138; industry 10; agriculture 181
GDP – composition, by end use
household consumption: 45.6% (2023 est.)
government consumption: 12.4% (2023 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 27.1% (2023 est.)
investment in inventories: 0% (2023 est.)
exports of goods and services: 108.6% (2023 est.)
imports of goods and services: -93.7% (2023 est.)
note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
Agricultural products
dates, cucumbers/gherkins, camel milk, goat milk, tomatoes, chicken, goat meat, eggs, milk, camel meat (2023)
note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
Industries
petroleum and petrochemicals; fishing, aluminum, cement, fertilizer, commercial ship repair, construction materials, handicrafts, textiles
Industrial production growth rate
0.8% (2023 est.)
note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
comparison ranking: 119
Labor force
7.09 million (2024 est.)
note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work
comparison ranking: 68
Unemployment rate
2.2% (2024 est.)
2.2% (2023 est.)
2.9% (2022 est.)
note: % of labor force seeking employment
comparison ranking: 17
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
total: 6.4% (2024 est.)
male: 4.1% (2024 est.)
female: 12.1% (2024 est.)
note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
comparison ranking: total 153
Gini Index coefficient – distribution of family income
26.4 (2018 est.)
note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
comparison ranking: 148
Average household expenditures
on food: 12.2% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
on alcohol and tobacco: 0.3% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 2.8% (2018 est.)
highest 10%: 20.5% (2018 est.)
note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
Budget
revenues: $20.165 billion (2022 est.)
expenditures: $19.483 billion (2022 est.)
note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
Public debt
19.7% of GDP (2017 est.)
note: central government debt as a % of GDP
comparison ranking: 181
Taxes and other revenues
0.6% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP
comparison ranking: 152
Exports
$558.402 billion (2023 est.)
$521.897 billion (2022 est.)
$425.156 billion (2021 est.)
note: GDP expenditure basis – exports of goods and services in current dollars
comparison ranking: 18
Exports – partners
China 11%, India 11%, Japan 10%, Iraq 6%, Thailand 4% (2023)
note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Exports – commodities
crude petroleum, refined petroleum, gold, broadcasting equipment, natural gas (2023)
note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
Imports
$481.852 billion (2023 est.)
$427.992 billion (2022 est.)
$347.529 billion (2021 est.)
note: GDP expenditure basis – imports of goods and services in current dollars
comparison ranking: 19
Imports – partners
China 19%, India 7%, USA 6%, Turkey 4%, Japan 4% (2023)
note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Imports – commodities
gold, broadcasting equipment, cars, refined petroleum, diamonds (2023)
note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$237.931 billion (2024 est.)
$189.491 billion (2023 est.)
$138.433 billion (2022 est.)
note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
comparison ranking: 15
Exchange rates
Emirati dirhams (AED) per US dollar –
Exchange rates:
3.672 (2024 est.)
3.672 (2023 est.)
3.672 (2022 est.)
3.672 (2021 est.)
3.672 (2020 est.)
Energy
Electricity access
electrification – total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Electricity
installed generating capacity: 44.462 million kW (2023 est.)
consumption: 157.974 billion kWh (2023 est.)
exports: 613 million kWh (2023 est.)
imports: 501.067 million kWh (2023 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 7.914 billion kWh (2023 est.)
comparison rankings: transmission/distribution losses 176; imports 91; exports 74; consumption 27; installed generating capacity 30
Electricity generation sources
fossil fuels: 75.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
nuclear: 19.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
solar: 4.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Nuclear energy
Number of operational nuclear reactors: 4 (2025)
Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors: 5.35GW (2025 est.)
Percent of total electricity production: 19.7% (2023 est.)
Coal
consumption: 5.411 million metric tons (2023 est.)
exports: 82,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
imports: 5.512 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Petroleum
total petroleum production: 4.146 million bbl/day (2023 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 846,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 97.8 billion barrels (2021 est.)
Natural gas
production: 55.8 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
consumption: 67.734 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
exports: 6.863 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
imports: 18.938 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
proven reserves: 6.091 trillion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Energy consumption per capita
450.432 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
comparison ranking: 4
Communications
Telephones – fixed lines
total subscriptions: 2.259 million (2023 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 21 (2023 est.)
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 47
Telephones – mobile cellular
total subscriptions: 21.2 million (2023 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 212 (2022 est.)
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 62
Broadcast media
most TV and radio stations state-owned, but many private organizations now operating in media free zones in Abu Dhabi and Dubai; widespread use of satellite dishes to access pan-Arab and other international broadcasts (2022)
Internet country code
.ae
Internet users
percent of population: 100% (2023 est.)
Broadband – fixed subscriptions
total: 3.95 million (2023 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 37 (2023 est.)
comparison ranking: total 43
Transportation
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
A6
Airports
42 (2025)
comparison ranking: 100
Heliports
204 (2025)
comparison ranking: 14
Merchant marine
total: 655 (2023)
by type: bulk carrier 2, container ship 3, general cargo 122, oil tanker 16, other 512
comparison ranking: total 35
Ports
total ports: 20 (2024)
large: 1
medium: 4
small: 9
very small: 6
ports with oil terminals: 17
key ports: Abu Zaby, Jabal Az Zannah/Ruways, Khawr Fakkan, Mina Jabal Ali, Zirkuh
Military and Security
Military and security forces
United Arab Emirates Armed Forces: Land Forces (Army), Navy, Air Force, Presidential Guard (includes special operations forces), National Guard (includes Coast Guard) (2025)
note: each emirate maintains a local police force called a general directorate, which is officially a branch of the federal Ministry of Interior; all emirate-level general directorates of police enforce their respective emirate’s laws autonomously; they also enforce federal laws within their emirate in coordination with one another under the federal ministry; the State Security Directorate (SSD) in Abu Dhabi and Dubai State Security (DSS) have primary responsibility for counterterrorism law enforcement efforts; local, emirate-level police forces, especially the Abu Dhabi Police and Dubai Police, are the first responders in such cases and provide technical assistance to SSD and DSS
Military expenditures
4% of GDP (2024 est.)
4.3% of GDP (2023 est.)
4% of GDP (2022 est.)
4.5% of GDP (2021 est.)
6.1% of GDP (2020 est.)
Military and security service personnel strengths
approximately 65,000 active Armed Forces (45,000 Land Forces; 3,000 Navy; 5,000 Air Force; 12,000 Presidential Guard) (2025)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
the military’s inventory is comprised of a wide variety of mostly modern imported weapons and equipment, and a small, but expanding amount of domestically-produced items; major foreign suppliers have included China, France, Italy, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, and the US; the UAE has a growing domestic defense industry which produces or co-produces such items as armored vehicles, naval vessels, precision munitions, and unmanned aerial vehicles/drones (2024)
Military service age and obligation
18-30 years of age for compulsory national service for men (compulsory service initiated in 2014); 18-40 for voluntary service; 36-month service obligation for men without a secondary education and 11 months for secondary school graduates; women may volunteer for national service (11-month service obligation regardless of education) (2025)
note 1: compulsory service may be completed in the uniformed military, the Ministry of Interior, or other security institutions designated by the military leadership
note 2: the UAE military employs a considerable number of foreign personnel on contracted service
Military deployments
maintains a few hundred troops in Somalia and Yemen (2025)
Military – note
the UAE Armed Forces (UAEAF) are responsible for defending the state, its resources, and territory, preserving internal security, and supporting the UAE’s foreign policy objectives; key security concerns include regional stability and cross-border threats, such as piracy and terrorism; in recent years, the UAE has undertaken a military modernization program to go along with an assertive security policy which has included military involvements in Afghanistan, Libya, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen
the UAE has close security ties to France and the US; it hosts a multi-service French military base, which includes the French naval command for the Indian Ocean (ALINDIEN); the UAE has a defense cooperation agreement with the US and hosts thousands of US military troops, mostly air and naval personnel; it also has defense ties with a number of other countries, including Australia, China, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Malaysia, South Korea, and the UK, as well as NATO and fellow members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, particularly Saudi Arabia
the UAEAF traces its origins to the establishment of the Trucial Oman Scouts in 1951, a joint UK-Abu Dhabi organization modeled after Jordan’s Arab Legion, which became the Abu Dhabi Defense Force in 1965; the modern UAEAF were formed in 1976 (2025)
Space
Space agency/agencies
UAE Space Agency (created in 2014); Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC; established 2006); in 2015, MBRSC combined with the Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technology (EIAST; established 2006) (2024)
Space program overview
has an ambitious and growing space program and is recognized as one of the leading programs in the region; focused on satellite development, including communications, remote sensing, and navigational; also placing emphasis on building expertise, infrastructure, ground stations, technology, and research and development capabilities to support its space program domestically; rather than building its own launch capabilities, has elected to utilize foreign partners to launch payloads from spaceports abroad; has looked to invest heavily in foreign commercial space companies and encourage global partnerships; has a foreign-assisted astronaut training program; seeking to establish UAE as an international hub for space education; has signed more than 25 cooperation agreements or memorandums of understanding with major global and regional players in the space sector, including the Arab Space Cooperation Group, China, the European Space Agency (ESA), France, Germany, India, Japan, Russia, South Korea, the UK, and the US; sees the development of its commercial space industry as a key pillar for diversifying and developing the country’s non-oil economy; dozens of space companies and entities operate in the UAE, including international and start-ups, plus several space science research centers (2024)
note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in the Space Programs reference guide
Transnational Issues
Refugees and internally displaced persons
refugees: 7,634 (2024 est.)
Illicit drugs
USG identification:
major precursor-chemical producer (2025)
