United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates | |
|---|---|
| Motto: الله، الوطن، الرئيس | |
| Anthem: عيشي بلادي Īshī Bilādī "Long Live My Country" | |
.svg) Location of United Arab Emirates (green) in the Arabian Peninsula | |
 United Arab Emirates | |
| Capital | Abu Dhabi 24°28′N 54°22′E / 24.467°N 54.367°E |
| Largest city | Dubai 25°15′N 55°18′E / 25.250°N 55.300°E |
| Official languages | Arabic[1] |
| Common languages | Emirati Arabic, English[a] |
| Ethnic groups (2015)[4] |
|
| Religion (2020)[4] |
|
| Demonym(s) | Emirati[4] |
| Government | Federal semi-constitutional monarchy[5][6][7] |
| Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan | |
| Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum | |
| |
| Legislature | |
| Establishment | |
• British protectorate as part of Trucial States | 1820 and 1892 |
• Independence from the United Kingdom | 2 December 1971 |
• Admission of Ras Al Khaimah | 10 February 1972 |
| Area | |
• Total | 83,600 km2 (32,300 sq mi) (114th) |
• Water (%) | negligible |
| Population | |
• 2024 estimate | 11,027,129[8] |
• 2005 census | 4,106,427 |
• Density | 132/km2 (341.9/sq mi) (83rd) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2024 estimate |
• Total |  $849.8 billion[9] (34th) |
• Per capita | $77,251[9] (14th) |
| GDP (nominal) | 2024 estimate |
• Total | $545.1 billion[9] (26th) |
• Per capita | $49,550[9] (21st) |
| Gini (2018) | 26[10][11](figures exclude migrant workers) low inequality |
| HDI (2022) | 0.937[12] very high (17th) |
| Currency | UAE dirham (AED) |
| Time zone | UTC+04:00 (GST) |
| Calling code | +971 |
| ISO 3166 code | AE |
| Internet TLD | |
The United Arab Emirates[b] (UAE), or simply the Emirates,[c] is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a federal elective monarchy made up of seven emirates, with Abu Dhabi serving as its capital.[13] It shares land borders with Oman to the east and northeast, and with Saudi Arabia to the southwest; as well as maritime borders in the Persian Gulf with Qatar and Iran, and with Oman in the Gulf of Oman. As of 2024[update], the UAE has an estimated population of over 10 million, of which 11% are Emiratis; Dubai is its most populous city and is an international hub.[14][15] Islam is the official religion and Arabic is the official language, while English is the most spoken language and the language of business.[2]
The United Arab Emirates oil and natural gas reserves are the world's seventh and seventh-largest, respectively.[16][17] Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, 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.[18] The country has the most diversified economy among the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).[19] 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 middle power. It is also a member of the United Nations, Arab League, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, OPEC, Non-Aligned Movement, World Trade Organization, and BRICS. The UAE is also a dialogue partner of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
Human rights organisations consider the UAE substandard on human rights, ranking only 6.06 in the human freedom index, citing reports of government critics being imprisoned and tortured, families harassed by the state security apparatus, and cases of forced disappearances.[20] Individual rights such as the freedoms of assembly, association, expression, and the freedom of the press are severely repressed.[21]
History
Antiquity
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Stone tools recovered reveal a settlement of people from Africa some 127,000 years ago and a stone tool used for butchering animals discovered on the Arabian coast suggests an even older habitation from 130,000 years ago.[22] In time, lively trading links developed with civilisations in Mesopotamia, Iran, and the Harappan culture of the Indus Valley. This contact persisted and became wider, probably motivated by the trade in copper from the Hajar Mountains, which commenced around 3,000 BCE.[23] Sumerian sources talk of the Magan civilisation, which has been identified as encompassing the modern UAE and Oman.[24]
There are six periods of human settlement with distinctive behaviours in the region before Islam, which include the Hafit period from 3,200 to 2,600 BCE, the Umm Al Nar culture from 2,600 to 2,000 BCE, and the Wadi Suq culture from 2,000 to 1,300 BCE. From 1,200 BCE to the advent of Islam in Eastern Arabia, through three distinctive Iron Ages and the Mleiha period, the area was variously occupied by the Achaemenids and other forces, and saw the construction of fortified settlements and extensive husbandry thanks to the development of the falaj irrigation system.
Islam
The spread of Islam to the northeastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula is thought to have followed directly from a letter sent by the Islamic prophet Muhammad to the rulers of Oman in 630 CE. This led to a group of rulers travelling to Medina, converting to Islam, and subsequently driving a successful uprising against the unpopular Sassanids, who dominated the coast at the time.[25] Following the death of Muhammad, the new Islamic communities south of the Persian Gulf threatened to disintegrate, with insurrections against the Muslim leaders. Caliph Abu Bakr sent an army from the capital Medina which completed its reconquest of the territory (the Ridda Wars) with the Battle of Dibba in which 10,000 lives are thought to have been lost.[26] This assured the integrity of the Caliphate and the unification of the Arabian Peninsula under the newly emerging Rashidun Caliphate.
In 637, Julfar (in the area of today's Ras Al Khaimah) was an important port that was used as a staging post for the Islamic invasion of the Sasanian Empire.[27] The area of the Al Ain/Buraimi Oasis was known as Tu'am and was an important trading post for camel routes between the coast and the Arabian interior.[28]
The earliest