Home/Countries/United Arab Emirates

Arabian Peninsula

United Arab Emirates

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

Muslim population74.5%of the population

Population11.0 millionpeople (current)

CapitalAbu DhabiUTC+4

Currency3.67 = $1Emirati dirhams (AED) (2024)

Country basics

The United Arab Emirates is a federation of seven emirates on the Arabian Peninsula, bordering Oman.

The United Arab Emirates is a federation formed in 1971, with Abu Dhabi as its capital and Dubai as its largest city. Arabic is the official language, the dirham is the currency, and petroleum, trade, aviation and tourism drive its economy.

Official name

United Arab Emirates

Region

Asia · Western Asia

Government

Federal semi-presidential elective semi-constitutional monarchy

Time zonesCheck the offset for your own city

UTC+04:00

Driving side

Right

Phone code

+971

Currency

United Arab Emirates dirham (AED, د.إ)

Member of

Arab League; UN; OPEC; BRICS

Website

https://www.government.ae

Faith and language

Religions

Muslim 74.5% (official) (Sunni 63.3%, Shia 6.7%, other 4.4%), Christian 12.9%, Hindu 6.2%, Buddhist 3.2%, agnostic 1.3%, other 1.9%

Languages

Arabic

People and cities

Population

11.0 million (current)

Median ageHalf the population is younger than this

35.8 years (2025)

Living in cities

87.8% (2023)

Largest cities

Dubai 3.008 million · Sharjah 1.831 million · Abu Dhabi (capital) 1.567 million

Money and cost of living

Exchange rateYearly average; check today’s rate before you budget

3.67 Emirati dirhams (AED) per US dollar (2024)

Income per personGDP per person, adjusted for local prices (2021 dollars)

$68,600 (2024)

InflationHow much prices rose over the year

1.7% (2024)

Unemployment

2.2% (2024)

Spent on foodShare of an average household’s spending

12.2% (2023)

Health and daily life

Life expectancy

79.9 years (2024)

Doctors

2.99 per 1,000 people (2023)

Hospital beds

2 per 1,000 people (2021)

Safe drinking water

100% of people (2022)

Electricity

100% of people (2022)

Internet users

100% of people (2023)

Literacy

98.8% of adults (2024)

Land and climate

Climate

Desert; cooler in eastern mountains

SizeSlightly larger than South Carolina; slightly smaller than Maine

83,600 sq km

Natural hazards

Frequent sand and dust storms

National holiday

Independence Day (National Day), 2 December (1971)