World Factbook
United Arab Emirates
Al Imarat al Arabiyah al Muttahidah
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
Area
land
83,600 sq km
water
0 sq km
total
83,600 sq km
Climate
desert; cooler in eastern mountains
Terrain
flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert; mountains in east
Land use
other
89.7% (2023 est.)
forest
4.6% (2023 est.)
agricultural land
5.5% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 0.7% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 0.6% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 4.2% (2023 est.)
Location
Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia
Coastline
1,318 km
Elevation
lowest point
Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point
Jabal Bil 'Ays 1,905 m
mean elevation
149 m
Irrigated land
940 sq km (2022)
Map references
Middle East
Land boundaries
total
1,066 km
border countries
Oman 609 km; Saudi Arabia 457 km
Maritime claims
contiguous zone
24 nm
territorial sea
12 nm
continental shelf
200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone
200 nm
Natural hazards
frequent sand and dust storms
Geography - note
strategic location along southern approaches to Strait of Hormuz, a transit point for crude oil; Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) and Dubayy (Dubai) together account for over 90% of UAE's area and two-thirds of the population
Natural resources
petroleum, natural gas
Area - comparative
slightly larger than South Carolina; slightly smaller than Maine
Geographic coordinates
24 00 N, 54 00 E
Population distribution
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