Capital

Vereinigte Arabische Emirate

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 "gazelle"; the name may derive from an abundance of gazelles that used to live in the area, as well as a folk tale involving the "Father of the Gazelle," Shakhbut BIN DHIYAB AL NAHYAN, whose hunting party tracked a gazelle to a spring on the island where Abu Dhabi was founded

Citizenship

Vereinigte Arabische Emirate

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

Legal system

Vereinigte Arabische Emirate

mixed legal system of Islamic (sharia) law and civil law

Suffrage

Vereinigte Arabische Emirate

limited; note - rulers of the seven emirates each select a proportion of voters for the Federal National Council (FNC) that together account for about 12 percent of Emirati citizens

Area

Vereinigte Arabische Emirate

total: 83,600 sq km

land: 83,600 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Land use

Vereinigte Arabische Emirate

agricultural land: 4.6% (2018 est.)

arable land: 0.5% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0.5% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 3.6% (2018 est.)

forest: 3.8% (2018 est.)

other: 91.6% (2018 est.)

Location

Vereinigte Arabische Emirate

Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia

Age structure

Vereinigte Arabische Emirate

0-14 years: 16.23% (male 829,266/female 789,187)

15-64 years: 81.77% (male 5,840,920/female 2,314,683)

65 years and over: 2% (2023 est.) (male 15,1340/female 48,053)

Birth rate

Vereinigte Arabische Emirate

10.8 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

Vereinigte Arabische Emirate

1.6 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Languages

Vereinigte Arabische Emirate

Arabic (official), English, Hindi, Malayam, Urdu, Pashto, Tagalog, Persian

major-language sample(s):
كتاب حقائق العالم، المصدر الذي لا يمكن الاستغناء عنه للمعلومات الأساسية (Arabic)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

Vereinigte Arabische Emirate

total population: 79.8 years (2023 est.)

male: 78.4 years

female: 81.2 years

Major urban areas - population

Vereinigte Arabische Emirate

3.008 million Dubai, 1.831 million Sharjah, 1.567 million ABU DHABI (capital) (2023)

Median age

Vereinigte Arabische Emirate

total: 35.7 years (2023 est.)

male: 37.9 years

female: 29.9 years

Net migration rate

Vereinigte Arabische Emirate

-3.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution

Vereinigte Arabische Emirate

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

Population growth rate

Vereinigte Arabische Emirate

0.58% (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

Vereinigte Arabische Emirate

1.62 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Vereinigte Arabische Emirate

urban population: 87.8% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 1.5% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Education expenditures

Vereinigte Arabische Emirate

3.9% of GDP (2020 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Vereinigte Arabische Emirate

total: 16 years

male: 15 years

female: 17 years (2020)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

Vereinigte Arabische Emirate

-0.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

Vereinigte Arabische Emirate

2.54% (2021 est.)

Labor force

Vereinigte Arabische Emirate

6.074 million (2021 est.)

note: expatriates account for about 85% of the workforce

Population below poverty line

Vereinigte Arabische Emirate

19.5% (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate

Vereinigte Arabische Emirate

3.36% (2021 est.)

3.19% (2020 est.)

2.23% (2019 est.)

Public debt

Vereinigte Arabische Emirate

19.7% of GDP (2017 est.)

20.2% of GDP (2016 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Vereinigte Arabische Emirate

-2.08% (2020 est.)

-1.93% (2019 est.)

3.07% (2018 est.)

Exports

Vereinigte Arabische Emirate

$335.238 billion (2020 est.)

$308.5 billion (2017 est.)

$298.6 billion (2016 est.)

Exports - partners

Vereinigte Arabische Emirate

India 14%, Japan 8%, China 8%, Saudi Arabia 8%, Iraq 5% (2021)

Imports

Vereinigte Arabische Emirate

$246.886 billion (2020 est.)

$229.2 billion (2017 est.)

$226.5 billion (2016 est.)

Imports - partners

Vereinigte Arabische Emirate

China 17%, India 9%, United States 6%, Saudi Arabia 5%, Germany 3% (2021)

Airports

Vereinigte Arabische Emirate

43 (2021)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Vereinigte Arabische Emirate

total: 3,245,123 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 33 (2020 est.)

Internet users

Vereinigte Arabische Emirate

total: 9.4 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 100% (2021 est.)

Roadways

Vereinigte Arabische Emirate

total: 4,080 km (2008)

paved: 4,080 km (2008) (includes 253 km of expressways)

Telephones - fixed lines

Vereinigte Arabische Emirate

total subscriptions: 2.2 million (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 24 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

Vereinigte Arabische Emirate

total subscriptions: 18 million (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 190 (2021 est.)

Disputes - international

Vereinigte Arabische Emirate

UAE-Oman: boundary agreement was signed and ratified with Oman in 2003 for entire 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

UAE-Iran: Iran and UAE dispute Tunb Islands and Abu Musa Island near the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has occupied since 1971

UAE-Saudi Arabia: the UAE has differences with Saudi Arabia over their border and the sharing of a major oilfield there, although the issue is seldom mentioned publically