United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in <a href="/facts/West_Asia/xXM15vIz">West Asia</a>, in the <a href="/facts/Middle_East/8CD6pLWv">Middle East</a>, at the eastern end of the <a href="/facts/Arabian_Peninsula/x1fDka2b">Arabian Peninsula</a>. It is a <a href="/facts/Federal_monarchy/G7S6eX1N">federal</a> semi-constitutional <a href="/facts/Monarchy/Kg1vY7tt">monarchy</a> made up of <a href="/facts/Emirates_of_the_United_Arab_Emirates/SrgWSBAE">seven emirates</a>, with <a href="/facts/Abu_Dhabi/0fXh0jQ2">Abu Dhabi</a> serving as its capital. It shares land borders with <a href="/facts/Oman/yNr7BPbm">Oman</a> to the east and northeast, and with <a href="/facts/Saudi_Arabia/uyUpe1J2">Saudi Arabia</a> to the southwest; as well as maritime borders in the <a href="/facts/Persian_Gulf/W78AfnC1">Persian Gulf</a> with <a href="/facts/Qatar/K4EkNXJE">Qatar</a> and <a href="/facts/Iran/24yukge8">Iran</a>, and with Oman in the <a href="/facts/Gulf_of_Oman/vFwyABLE">Gulf of Oman</a>. As of 2024, the UAE has an estimated population of over 10 million, of which 11% are <a href="/facts/Emiratis/p22Jymnj">Emiratis</a>; <a href="/facts/Dubai/v44jdkJK">Dubai</a> is <a href="/facts/List_of_cities_in_the_United_Arab_Emirates/1chR8G6v">its most populous city</a> and is an international hub. <a href="/facts/Islam/zDLbL45C">Islam</a> is the <a href="/facts/State_religion/K7E28FLL">official religion</a> and <a href="/facts/Arabic/A1e66hVV">Arabic</a> is the official language, while English is the most spoken language and the language of business.
The United Arab Emirates <a href="/facts/Oil_reserves_in_the_United_Arab_Emirates/V6GKpXpH">oil</a> and natural gas reserves are the world's <a href="/facts/List_of_countries_by_proven_oil_reserves/1TqTuhrp">seventh</a> and <a href="/facts/List_of_countries_by_natural_gas_proven_reserves/xEqpQMoE">seventh-largest</a>, respectively. <a href="/facts/Zayed_bin_Sultan_Al_Nahyan/xJtzwWtL">Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan</a>, ruler of Abu Dhabi and the country's first president, oversaw the development of the Emirates by investing oil revenues into healthcare, education, and infrastructure. The country has the most diversified economy among the members of the <a href="/facts/Gulf_Cooperation_Council/6DDyFPRX">Gulf Cooperation Council</a> (GCC). In the 21st century, the UAE has become less reliant on oil and gas and is economically focusing on tourism and business. The UAE is considered a <a href="/facts/Middle_power/ku44qNYY">middle power</a>. It is also a member of the <a href="/facts/United_Nations/fgXLnmgT">United Nations</a>, <a href="/facts/Arab_League/15f9WWWM">Arab League</a>, <a href="/facts/Organisation_of_Islamic_Cooperation/wWSQSzfF">Organisation of Islamic Cooperation</a>, <a href="/facts/OPEC/aQ9cxyG6">OPEC</a>, <a href="/facts/Non-Aligned_Movement/PIdnjRvD">Non-Aligned Movement</a>, <a href="/facts/World_Trade_Organization/p7hgb1lP">World Trade Organization</a>, and <a href="/facts/BRICS/FzdNoxGQ">BRICS</a>. The UAE is also a dialogue partner of the <a href="/facts/Shanghai_Cooperation_Organisation/8ovtWDzP">Shanghai Cooperation Organisation</a>.
Human rights organisations consider the UAE substandard on human rights, ranking only 6.06 in the <a href="/facts/Human_Freedom_Index/BEqcxeg2">human freedom index</a>, citing reports of government critics being imprisoned and tortured, families harassed by the state security apparatus, and cases of <a href="/facts/Forced_disappearance/9hKI94ns">forced disappearances</a>. Individual rights such as the freedoms of <a href="/facts/Freedom_of_assembly/zDxVFral">assembly</a>, <a href="/facts/Freedom_of_association/YoGAN8cB">association</a>, <a href="/facts/Freedom_of_expression/jYakwGMP">expression</a>, and the <a href="/facts/Press_Freedom_Index/UmhxMaGt">freedom of the press</a> are severely repressed.

United Arab Emirates open-in-new

United Arab Emirates