Introduction  

  United Arab Emirates Top of Page

Background: 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 Zaby, 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah, Dubayy, and
Umm al Qaywayn - merged to form the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
They were joined in 1972 by Ra's al Khaymah. The UAE's per capita
GDP is on par with those of leading West European nations. Its
generosity with oil revenues and its moderate foreign policy stance have
allowed the UAE to play a vital role in the affairs of the region.
   Geography    United Arab Emirates Top of Page
Location: Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between
Oman and Saudi Arabia
Geographic 24 00 N, 54 00 E
coordinates:
Area: total: 83,600 sq km
land: 83,600 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - slightly smaller than Maine
comparative:
Land boundaries: total: 867 km
border countries: Oman 410 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
wasteland; mountains in east
Elevation lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
extremes: highest point: Jabal Yibir 1,527 m
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas
Land use: arable land: 0.77%
permanent crops: 2.27%
other: 96.96% (2005)
Irrigated land: 760 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards: frequent sand and dust storms
Environment - lack of natural freshwater resources compensated by desalination plants;
current issues: desertification; beach pollution from oil spills
Environment - party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
international Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine
agreements: Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - note: strategic location along southern approaches to Strait of Hormuz, a vital
transit point for world crude oil
   People    United Arab Emirates Top of Page
 Population: 4,444,011
note: estimate is based on the results of the 2005 census that included a
significantly higher estimate of net inmigration of non-citizens than
previous estimates (July 2007 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 20.6% (male 467,931/female 447,045)
15-64 years: 78.5% (male 2,558,029/female 932,617)
65 years and over: 0.9% (male 24,914/female 13,475)
note: 73.9% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national
(2007 est.)
Median age: total: 30.1 years
male: 32 years
female: 24.5 years (2007 est.)
Population growth 3.997% (2007 est.)
rate:
Birth rate: 16.09 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate: 2.16 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate: 26.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.047 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 2.743 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.849 male(s)/female
total population: 2.19 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality total: 13.52 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: male: 15.77 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 11.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at total population: 75.69 years
birth: male: 73.16 years
female: 78.35 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.43 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Nationality: noun: Emirati(s)
adjective: Emirati
Ethnic groups: Emirati 19%, other Arab and Iranian 23%, South Asian 50%, other
expatriates (includes Westerners and East Asians) 8% (1982)
note: less than 20% are UAE citizens (1982)
Religions: Muslim 96% (Shi'a 16%), other (includes Christian, Hindu) 4%
Languages: Arabic (official), Persian, English, Hindi, Urdu
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 77.9%
male: 76.1%
female: 81.7% (2003 est.)
   Government    United Arab Emirates Top of Page
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
 Government type: federation with specified powers delegated to the UAE federal
government and other powers reserved to member emirates
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)
Administrative 7 emirates (imarat, singular - imarah); Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi), 'Ajman,
divisions: Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah (Sharjah), Dubayy (Dubai), Ra's al Khaymah,
Umm al Qaywayn (Quwayn)
Independence: 2 December 1971 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 2 December (1971)
Constitution: 2 December 1971; made permanent in 1996
Legal system: based on a dual system of Shari'a and civil courts; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: none
Executive branch: chief of state: President KHALIFA bin Zayid al-Nuhayyan (since 3
November 2004), ruler of Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) (since 4 November
2004); Vice President and Prime Minister MUHAMMAD bin Rashid al-
Maktum (since 5 January 2006)
head of government: Prime Minister and Vice President MUHAMMAD
bin Rashid al-Maktum (since 5 January 2006); Deputy Prime Ministers
SULTAN bin Zayid al-Nuhayyan (since 20 November 1990) and
HAMDAN bin Zayid al-Nuhayyan (since 20 October 2003)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
note: there is also a Federal Supreme Council (FSC) composed of the
seven emirate rulers; the FSC is the highest constitutional authority in the
UAE; establishes general policies and sanctions federal legislation; meets
four times a year; Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) and Dubayy (Dubai) rulers
have effective veto power
elections: president and vice president elected by the FSC for five-year
terms (no term limits); election last held 3 November 2004 upon the
death of the UAE's Founding Father and first President ZAYID bin
Sultan Al Nuhayyan (next to be held in 2009); prime minister and deputy
prime minister appointed by the president
election results: KHALIFA bin Zayid al-Nuhayyan elected president by a
unanimous vote of the FSC; MUHAMMAD bin Rashid al-Maktum
unanimously affirmed vice president after the 2006 death of his brother
Sheikh Maktum bin Rashid al-Maktum
Legislative branch: unicameral Federal National Council (FNC) or Majlis al-Ittihad al-
Watani (40 seats; 20 members appointed by the rulers of the constituent
states, 20 members elected to serve two-year terms)
elections: elections for one half of the FNC (the other half remains
appointed) held in the UAE on 18-20 December 2006; the new electoral
college - a body of 6,689 Emiratis (including 1,189 women) appointed by
the rulers of the seven emirates - were the only eligible voters and
candidates; 456 candidates including 65 women ran for 20 contested FNC
seats; one female from the Emirate of Abu Dhabi won a seat
note: reviews legislation but cannot change or veto
Judicial branch: Union Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president)
 Political parties none
and leaders:
Political pressure NA
groups and
leaders:
International ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
organization ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,
participation: IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM,
OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Saqr Ghobash Said GHOBASH
representation in chancery: 3522 International Court NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC
the US: 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 243-2400
FAX: [1] (202) 243-2432
consulate(s): New York, Houston
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Michele J. SISON
representation embassy: Embassies District, Plot 38 Sector W59-02, Street No. 4, Abu
from the US: Dhabi
mailing address: P. O. Box 4009, Abu Dhabi
telephone: [971] (2) 414-2200
FAX: [971] (2) 414-2603
consulate(s) general: Dubai
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and black with a wider
vertical red band on the hoist side
   Economy    United Arab Emirates Top of Page
Economy - The UAE has an open economy with a high per capita income and a
overview: sizable annual trade surplus. Despite largely successful efforts at
economic diversification, about 30% of GDP is still directly based on oil
and gas output, and the fortunes of the economy fluctuate with the prices
of those commodities. Since the discovery of oil in the UAE more than
30 years ago, the UAE has undergone a profound transformation from an
impoverished region of small desert principalities to a modern state with
a high standard of living. The government has increased spending on job
creation and infrastructure expansion and is opening up its utilities to
greater private sector involvement. In April 2004, the UAE signed a
Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) with Washington
and in November 2004 agreed to undertake negotiations toward a Free
Trade Agreement (FTA) with the US. Higher oil revenue, strong
liquidity, and cheap credit in 2005-06 led to a surge in asset prices (shares
and real estate) and consumer inflation. Rising prices are increasing the
operating costs for businesses in the UAE and degrading the UAE's allure
to foreign investors. Dependence on a large expatriate workforce and oil
are significant long-term challenges to the UAE's economy.
GDP (purchasing $129.5 billion (2006 est.)
power parity):
GDP (official $109.3 billion (2006 est.)
exchange rate):
GDP - real growth 8.9% (2006 est.)
rate:
GDP - per capita $49,700 (2006 est.)
(PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 2%
composition by industry: 62.7%
sector: services: 35.2% (2006 est.)
Labor force: 2.968 million (2006 est.)
Labor force - by agriculture: 7%
occupation: industry: 15%
services: 78% (2000 est.)
Unemployment 2.4% (2001)
rate:
Population below NA%
poverty line:
Household income lowest 10%: NA%
or consumption by highest 10%: NA%
percentage share:
Inflation rate 13.5% (2006 est.)
(consumer prices):
Investment (gross 20.2% of GDP (2006 est.)
fixed):
Budget: revenues: $54.64 billion
expenditures: $34.91 billion; including capital expenditures of $5.9
billion (2006 est.)
Public debt: 16.2% of GDP (2006 est.)
Agriculture - dates, vegetables, watermelons; poultry, eggs, dairy products; fish
products:
Industries: petroleum and petrochemicals; fishing, aluminum, cement, fertilizers,
commercial ship repair, construction materials, some boat building,
handicrafts, textiles
Industrial 4% (2000)
production growth
rate:
Electricity - 49.52 billion kWh (2004)
production:
Electricity - 46.05 billion kWh (2004)
consumption:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2004)
exports:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2004)
imports:
Oil - production: 2.54 million bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - consumption: 400,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - exports: 2.54 million bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - imports: 137,200 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - proved 97.8 billion bbl (2006 est.)
 reserves:
Natural gas - 46.29 billion cu m (2004 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 40.31 billion cu m (2004 est.)
consumption:
Natural gas - 7.18 billion cu m (2004 est.)
exports:
Natural gas - 1.2 billion cu m (2004 est.)
imports:
Natural gas - 6.006 trillion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)
proved reserves:
Current account $35.16 billion (2006 est.)
balance:
Exports: $142.5 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Exports - crude oil 45%, natural gas, reexports, dried fish, dates
commodities:
Exports - partners: Japan 25.6%, South Korea 10.2%, Thailand 5.8%, India 4.5% (2006)
Imports: $86.11 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Imports - machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, food
commodities:
Imports - partners: US 11.4%, China 11%, India 9.8%, Germany 6.2%, Japan 5.8%, UK
5.5%, France 4.1%, Italy 4% (2006)
Economic aid - since its founding in 1971, the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development has
donor: given about $5.2 billion in aid to 56 countries (2004)
Reserves of $27.62 billion (2006 est.)
foreign exchange
and gold:
Debt - external: $38.31 billion (2006 est.)
Currency (code): Emirati dirham (AED)
Exchange rates: Emirati dirhams per US dollar - 3.673 (2006), 3.6725 (2005), 3.6725
(2004), 3.6725 (2003), 3.6725 (2002)
note: officially pegged to the US dollar since February 2002
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communication
      United Arab Emirates Top of Page
s
Telephones - main 1.31 million (2006)
lines in use:
Telephones - 5.519 million (2006)
mobile cellular:
Telephone system: general assessment: modern fiber-optic integrated services; digital
network with rapidly growing use of mobile cellular telephones; key
centers are Abu Dhabi and Dubai
domestic: microwave radio relay, fiber optic and coaxial cable
international: country code - 971; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1
Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; submarine cables to
Qatar, Bahrain, India, and Pakistan; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain;
microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia
Radio broadcast AM 13, FM 8, shortwave 2 (2004)
 stations:
Television 15 (2004)
broadcast stations:
Internet country .ae
code:
Internet hosts: 6,001 (2007)
Internet users: 1.709 million (2006)
   Transportation    United Arab Emirates Top of Page
Airports: 39 (2007)
Airports - with total: 22
paved runways: over 3,047 m: 10
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 3 (2007)
Airports - with total: 17
unpaved runways: over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 5 (2007)
Heliports: 5 (2007)
Pipelines: condensate 520 km; gas 2,580 km; liquid petroleum gas 300 km; oil
2,950 km; oil/gas/water 5 km; refined products 156 km (2006)
Roadways: total: 1,088 km
paved: 1,088 km (includes 253 km of expressways) (1999)
Merchant marine: total: 60 ships (1000 GRT or over) 617,519 GRT/858,519 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 6, cargo 10, chemical tanker 5, container 6, liquefied
gas 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 25, roll on/roll off 5,
specialized tanker 1
foreign-owned: 11 (Greece 3, Kuwait 8)
registered in other countries: 281 (Bahamas 20, Belize 4, Cambodia 2,
Comoros 5, Cyprus 10, Georgia 1, Gibraltar 2, Hong Kong 1, India 2,
Iran 1, Jordan 15, North Korea 4, Liberia 22, Malta 10, Marshall Islands
14, Mexico 1, Mongolia 5, Norway 1, Panama 108, Philippines 1, Saudi
Arabia 1, Sierra Leone 7, Singapore 8, Somalia 1, St Kitts and Nevis 22,
St Vincent and The Grenadines 12, Turkey 1, unknown 5) (2007)
Ports and Al Fujayrah, Khawr Fakkan, Mina' Jabal 'Ali, Mina' Rashid, Mina' Saqr,
terminals: Mina' Zayid, Sharjan
Military branches: Army, Navy (includes Marines and Coast Guard), Air and Air Defense
Force, paramilitary forces (includes Federal Police Force)
Military service 18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2001)
age and obligation:
Manpower males age 18-49: 653,181
available for females age 18-49: 497,394 (includes non-nationals; 2005 est.)
military service:
Manpower fit for males age 18-49: 526,671
military service: females age 18-49: 419,975 (2005 est.)
 Manpower males: 30,706
reaching military females age 18-49: 29,617 (2005 est.)
service age
annually:
Military 3.1% (2005 est.)
expenditures -
percent of GDP:
Transnational
      United Arab Emirates Top of Page
Issues
Disputes - boundary agreement was signed and ratified with Oman in 2003 for entire
international: border, including Oman's Musandam Peninsula and Al Madhah enclaves,
but contents of the agreement and detailed maps showing the alignment
have not been published; Iran and UAE dispute Tunb Islands and Abu
Musa Island, which Iran occupies
Trafficking in current situation: the United Arab Emirates is a destination country for
persons: men, women, and children trafficked from South and East Asia, Eastern
Europe, Africa, and the Middle East for involuntary servitude and for
sexual exploitation; an estimated 10,000 women from sub-Saharan
Africa, Eastern Europe, South and East Asia, Iraq, Iran, and Morocco
may be victims of sex trafficking in the UAE; women also migrate from
Africa, and South and Southeast Asia to work as domestic servants, but
may have their passports confiscated, be denied permission to leave the
place of employment in the home, or face sexual or physical abuse by
their employers; men from South Asia come to the UAE to work in the
construction industry, but may be subjected to conditions of involuntary
servitude as they are coerced to pay off recruitment and travel costs,
sometimes having their wages denied for months at a time; victims of
child camel jockey trafficking may still remain in the UAE, despite a July
2005 law banning the practice; while all identified victims were
repatriated at the government's expense to their home countries, questions
persist as to the effectiveness of the ban and the true number of victims
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - UAE is placed on the Tier 2 Watch List
for its failure to show increased efforts to combat trafficking in 2005,
particularly in its efforts to address the large-scale trafficking of foreign
girls and women for commercial sexual exploitation
Illicit drugs: the UAE is a drug transshipment point for traffickers given its proximity
to Southwest Asian drug-producing countries; the UAE's position as a
major financial center makes it vulnerable to money laundering; anti-
money-laundering controls improving, but informal banking remains
unregulated