Geography

Economics

Demographics

Military

Politics

Surface

Surface (in square kilometers)

Surface (in square miles)

Surface (water)

Water Surface (in square kilometers)

Water Surface (in square miles)

Share of water (%)

Temperature

Average temperature (in Celcius)

Average temperature (in Farenheit)

Average high temperature (in Celcius)

Average high temperature (in Farenheit)

Average low temperature (in Celcius)

Average low temperature (in Farenheit)

Rainfall

Average rainfall (mm)

Average rainfall (inch)

Distance to other capitals (kilometers)

Distance to other capitals (miles)

Proximity

Economic organizations

Gross Domestic Product (US$)

Gross Domestic Product per capita

Amount of memberships (economic organizations)

Absolute earnings for every 1$

Relative earnings

GDP in PPP per capita (in US$)

 

GDP in PPP per capita

Gross Domestic product (in million US$)

GDP per capita (in US$)

Surface GDP

GDP per square kilometer (in US$)

GDP per square mile(in US$)

Relative GDP in PPP

Population

Population density

Emigration

Immigration

Literacy

Health

Population density (in km2)

Population density (in mi2)

Religion

Christianity (share of the total population)

Islam (share of the total population)

Buddhism (share of the total population)

Hinduism (share of the total population)

Judaism (share of the total population)

Other religions (share of the total population)

Non-religious (share of the total population)

Military spending (in % of GDP)

Military spending

In total, United Arab Emirates spends US$22.975 million on its military, or 6.49 percent of its GDP. This makes United Arab Emirates the 14th highest military spender in the world and represents 1.12 percent of total global military expenditure. 

The military of the United Arab Emirates, the union Defence forces, consist of an army, a Navy and an Air Force. Because of its large funding, its military has been equipped with modern equipment and its personnel is mostly trained by the United States, the United Kingdom and France.

Military membership

United Arab Emirates is also a member of 4 international military organizations. This makes it the 140th most militarily connected state in the world. It is a member of the following organizations: 

  • Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons 
  • International Atomic Energy Agency 
  • Non-Aligned Movement 
  • Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Initiative 

Military membership

International wars

United Arab Emirates has partaken in 4 international wars. These are: 

  • South Yemen insurgency 2009-present 
  • Libyan Civil War 2011-2011 
  • Syrian Civil War 2011-present 
  • Persian Gulf crisis 2019-present 

Number of international wars fought

Military spending (in US$ million)

Membership (international political organizations)

In total, the United Arab Emirates is a member of 11 international political organizations. This makes it the 126th most connected state in the world. It is a member of the following organizations: 

  • Member state of the United Nations 
  • International Labour Organization 
  • Asia Cooperation Dialogue 
  • Gulf Cooperation Council 
  • Asian–African Legal Consultative Organization 
  • International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property 
  • Arab League 
  • Organization of Islamic Cooperation 

Political Membership

Democracy/dictatorship rating

Despite having regular elections, the United Arab Emirates still faces democratic limitations in regards to civil liberties. Also, the ability to vote only applies to an advisory body while the seven monarchies hold absolute power. Therefore, it is the 156th most democratic state in the world. 

Democracy/Dictatorship

The politics of the United Arab Emirates take place in the form of a constitutional monarchy where the president is head of government and the constituent monarchies are head of state. Its elections take place every five years with peaceful transitions of power. 

  • Interpol 

  • Global Green Growth Institute 

  • World Organization for Animal Health 

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If you want to know more about other states, click on the flag on the right to discover the United Kingdom.

United Arab Emirates 

Known for its wealth, having the largest structure on earth as well as its iconic self-created islands, the United Arab Emirates has had a prosperous last 50 years. During its early history, the area was inhabited by the Sumerians. Over the years, the area was occupied by the Sassanid Empire from the third until the seventh century, and later on became part of the Umayyad caliphate, the Seljuk Empire and later on the kingdom of Oman between the 11th century until the 19th century. From the 19th century, the United Arab Emirates came under the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom which named it the Trucial Coast. By the end of the 19th century, the separate sultanates within the Trucial Coast gained more independence and by 1971, six Arab sultanates united and became the United Arab Emirates. Since then, the United Arab Emirates has made large economic strides, but has also seen internal disputes between the ruling family members as well as territorial disputes with Iran.

 Located in the Arabian Peninsula, the geography of the United Arab Emirates mainly consists of flat terrain with the exception of a small mountain range along its eastern border. In total, the United Arab Emirates borders two other states with the Persian Gulf to the north, Oman to its east and Saudi Arabia to its south and west. 

It is the 114th largest state with a total surface area of 84.018 square kilometers or 32.462 square miles. This makes United Arab Emirates slightly smaller than Czechia and slightly larger than Austria. 

It does not have permanent bodies of water. 

 

Below, a graph is shown which displays the absolute amount of water of each state in square kilometers and square miles.

The United Arab Emirates derives its drinking water from groundwater as well as desalination treatment plants and is considered safe to drink. 

The climate of the United Arab Emirates is a desert climate which is known to have a summer and a winter. The average temperature is 26.9 degrees Celsius or 80 degrees Fahrenheit. This makes the United Arab Emirates the 19th warmest state in the world. 

The average high temperature is 32.7 degrees Celsius or 91 degrees Fahrenheit. 

The average low temperature is 21.1 degrees Celsius or 70 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Its rainfall mainly occurs in its winter period between October to March. On average, the United Arab Emirates receives 13.1 centimetres or 5.1 inches of rainfall per year which ranks it as the 188th highest in the world. 

The capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, is home to roughly 1 million people. The closest capital is Doha, Qatar, with a distance of 314 kilometers or 195 miles. The capital that is the furthest removed is Apia, Samoa, with a distance of 15.016 kilometers or 9.330 miles.  

Despite making sizable investments over the last five decades, the United Arab Emirates is still heavily reliant on the export of oil and gas. Other threats to its economy are its large foreign working population which increases its cash outflow. Most of the products that are currently being exported are oil, gas and metals which are mainly exported to the United States and China which combined represent roughly 20 percent of all exports. Most of its imports comes from China and India which combined represent 25 percent of all imports. 

The United Arab Emirates is a member of 13 international economic organizations. This makes it the 86th most connected state in the world. It is a member of the following organizations: 

  • Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank 
  • Bank for International Settlements 
  • Federation of Euro-Asian Stock Exchanges 
  • International Monetary Fund 
  • Islamic Development Bank 
  • OPEC   Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries  
  • World Bank Group 
  • World Customs Organization 
  • World Trade Organization 
  • Indian Ocean Rim Association 
  • International Renewable Energy Agency 
  • International Solar Alliance 
  • Group of 77 

It has a GDP of US$394.690 million, which makes it the 31st highest in the world and represents 0.47 percent of total global GDP.  

Its GDP per surface area is the 31st highest in the world with US$4.697.678 per square kilometer or US$12.158.696 per square mile.  

Its GDP per capita is the 25th highest in the world with US$40.255. 

The absolute earnings (GDP per capita) reflect the average yearly income. The figure below shows how much, on average, an inhabitant of another state earns for every $1 earned by a citizen of this state.

Its purchasing power parity per capita is the 10th highest in the world with US$65.585. 

The relative Gross Domestic Product in Purchasing Power Parity compares the purchasing power of this state with that of the rest of the world. The graph on the left shows how much purchasing power of 1$ compared to the purchasing power of other states

It is the 91st most populous state in the world with a total population of 9.8 million people. Roughly 10 percent of its population are official citizens of the United Arab Emirates with the remaining 90 percent consisting of foreign workers. More than 95 percent of its citizens are of Arab origin, and it has Arab as its official language. 

It has the 70th highest population density in the world with 116 people per square kilometer or 301 people per square mile.  

4.4 percent of its population, or just over 425,000 people, have migrated to other states. This makes the United Arab Emirates the 113th state with the highest number of emigrants and represents 0.17 percent of total global emigration. The main destinations for emigration have been Western English-speaking states such as Australia, New Zealand, the United States and the United Kingdom. 

Immigration to the United Arab Emirates is represented by 85.2 percent of its population, or 8.3 million people. This makes United Arab Emirates to sixth state with the highest number of immigrants and represents 3.32 percent of total global immigration. The main reason for migration has been economic with a large labour demand from the United Arab Emirates in all sectors of its economy. The largest supplier of labour migrants has been India which is solely responsible for roughly 45 percent of all migrants. 

With a total literacy rate of 92.9 percent, the United Arab Emirates is the 109th most literate state in the world. This literacy rate is, despite large funding, mostly explained by a lower share of women in education due to cultural reasons. 

Because of large investment in healthcare, the United Arab Emirates has been able to eradicate communicable diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis. With this, a change in health risks has shifted to noncommunicable diseases. More than half of the population is obese and leading causes of death are currently related to diabetes as well as high smoking rates. The average life expectancy is 78.5 years which is the 41st highest in the world. Women have an average life expectancy of 79.8 years, while men have an average life expectancy of 77.8 years. 

The government of the United Arab Emirates has Islam as its official religion but allows the practice of other religions if they do not conflict with Islamic values. 

Christianity is represented by 10.5 percent of the population which makes it the 151st most Christian state in the world. These Christians have been present in the United Arab Emirates since the first century and are currently allowed to publicly display their Christianity. 

 

On the right, the global share of Christians per state is displayed 

Islam is the largest religion in the United Arab Emirates and is represented by 76.6 percent of the population which makes it the 36th most Islamic state in the world. The vast majority adheres to the Sunni branch of Islam, with a sizable Shia minority. During the seventh century, the Arab conquest brought Islam to the Arabian Peninsula and the by the ninth century, it became the dominant religion. 

Buddhism is represented by two percent of the population and mainly consists of migrant workers. 

Hinduism is represented by six percent of the population and mainly consists of Hindu migrant workers. 

Judaism is represented by 0.01 percent of the population and are mainly situated in larger cities. 

Other religions are represented by 0.57 percent of the population and are largely adherents to the Baha'i faith. 

Irreligion is represented by 0.74 percent of the population. This number is likely higher, but Muslims who want to become irreligious can face the death penalty.