The United Arab Emirates (UAE), sometimes known simply as the Emirates, is a country on the Persian Gulf. It is made up of seven emirates (states), each ruled by an emir with absolute power. Most of the land in the UAE is desert, and the climate is arid, making it extremely hot all year round. Along the coast is a region of wide salt flats known as the sabkha. Inland, a dry, windy desert plain merges with the rolling sand dunes of the Rub' al Khali (“Empty Quarter”). A small area of uplands in the east is the only place in the country that receives rain. A number of small islands lie offshore, many fringed by coral reefs. The UAE’s economy has grown rapidly since the discovery of oil in the 1950s. Today, the UAE is one of the world’s wealthiest countries and many of its inhabitants have a very high standard of living.

People

Emirati people are an Arab people, whose ancestors come from the Arabian Peninsula, Iran and East Africa. The UAE has an unusual population: only around 11% are Emirati citizens, while the rest are expatriates, foreign workers who come to work in its oil, construction and finance industries. The largest group are from South Asian countries such as India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, and most of them are male.

Life in the UAE

The majority of the UAE's population lives in towns and cities along the Gulf coast. The desert is home to small numbers of nomads. Emirati people wear traditional clothing: men wear a long white cotton tunic and cover their heads with a chequered scarf called a ghutrah, while most women wear a dark cloak, or abayah, along with a headscarf. In cities, many people work in service industries, such as tourism, education and finance, while in rural villages, people live a more traditional lifestyle, fishing and growing fruit such as dates.

Oil

For much of the UAE’s history, people in the region lived as they had done for centuries—fishing, pearl-diving, herding and trading. In 1958, the country’s fortunes changed as huge reserves of oil were discovered, both offshore and on the mainland around Dubai and Abu Dhabi. By the 1970s, large-scale oil production had begun, bringing in hundreds of millions of dollars of income every year.

Life in the city

Lying on the edge of the desert, the UAE’s cities lack natural resources of fresh water. The only way to supply them with water is by a process called desalination, which removes the salt from seawater, making it drinkable. It is extremely hot; temperatures can reach as high as 50°C (120°F) in summer. Air conditioning cools most buildings—and even some bus shelters. Nearly everyone uses cars or buses to get from place to place in the city, as walking can be just too hot.

Seven states

The UAE is made up of seven states, called emirates: Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm al-Quwain. More than two-thirds of the country’s population lives in either Abu Dhabi or Dubai. Abu Dhabi is the largest, taking up over 85% of the country’s land area. Dubai is the most populous. Each state is ruled by an emir and controlled by a ruling family. Although emirs have absolute power over their states, the seven emirs come together regularly as the Supreme Council to make decisions that affect the whole country. The Supreme Council selects one of the emirs to become the UAE’s president.

Facts about the United Arab Emirates

Population 11,027,129 (2024 estimate)

Area 83,600 sq km (32,280 sq miles)

Highest point Jabal Yibir 1527 m (5009 ft)

Capital Abu Dhabi (population 2,189,860)

Other major cities Dubai (3,625,223), Sharjah (1,872,200)

Languages Arabic (official language), Persian, English

Religions Muslim 76%, Christian 9%, other 15%

Ethnicity Emirati 19%, Iranian and other Arab 23%, South Asian 50%, other 8%

Currency United Arab Emirates dirham (AED)

Chief exports Crude oil, natural gas, dried fish, dates