United Arab Emirates
Al Imarat al Arabiyah al Muttahidah
federation with specified powers delegated to the UAE federal government and other powers reserved to member emiratesIndependence 2 December 1971 (from UK)
United Arab Emirates as the 2000 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 110 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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 UAE. They were joined in 1972 by Ra's al Khaymah. The UAE's per capita GDP is not far below the GDPs of the leading West European nations. Its generosity with oil revenues and its moderate foreign policy stance have allowed it to play a vital role in the affairs of the region.
Geography
Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia
18 fieldsLand useshare of 82,880 sq km
Terrain
flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert wasteland; mountains in east
Environment - current issues
- lack of natural freshwater resources being overcome by desalination plants;
- desertification;
- beach pollution from oil spills
Environment - international agreements
- party to:
- Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection
- signed, but not ratified:
- Biodiversity, Law of the Sea
Geography - note
strategic location along southern approaches to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil
People
15 fieldsPer 1,000 population(2000 est.)
Male · female
Ethnic groups(1982)
Age structure
- 0-14 years:
- 30% (male 359,134; female 345,518)
- 15-64 years:
- 68% (male 1,029,898; female 582,783)
- 65 years and over:
- 2% (male 35,928; female 15,892) (2000 est.)
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1.04 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 1.77 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 2.26 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 1.51 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Government
Federation with specified powers delegated to the UAE federal government and other powers reserved to member emirates; President ZAYID bin Sultan Al Nuhayyan (since 2 December 1971), ruler of Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) (since 6 August 1966) and Vice President MAKTUM bin Rashid al-Maktum (since 8 October 1990), ruler of Dubayy (Dubai); Prime Minister MAKTUM bin Rashid al-Maktum (since 8 October 1990), ruler of Dubayy (Dubai)
19 fieldsCountry 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 States
- abbreviation:
- UAE
Government type
federation with specified powers delegated to the UAE federal government and other powers reserved to member emirates
Administrative divisions
7 emirates (imarat, singular - imarah); Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi), 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah (Sharjah), Dubayy (Dubai), Ra's al Khaymah, Umm al Qaywayn
Legal system
- federal court system introduced in 1971;
- all emirates except Dubayy (Dubai) and Ra's al Khaymah have joined the federal system;
- all emirates have secular and Islamic law for civil, criminal, and high courts
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President ZAYID bin Sultan Al Nuhayyan (since 2 December 1971), ruler of Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) (since 6 August 1966) and Vice President MAKTUM bin Rashid al-Maktum (since 8 October 1990), ruler of Dubayy (Dubai)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister MAKTUM bin Rashid al-Maktum (since 8 October 1990), ruler of Dubayy (Dubai);
- Deputy Prime Minister SULTAN bin Zayid Al Nuhayyan (since 20 November 1990)
- cabinet:
- Council of Ministers appointed by the president
note: there is also a Federal Supreme Council (FSC) which is composed of the seven emirate rulers; the council is the highest constitutional authority in the UAE;
establishes general policies and sanctions federal legislation, Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) and Dubayy (Dubai) rulers have effective veto power; meets four times a year
- elections:
- president and vice president elected by the FSC (a group of seven electors) for five-year terms;
- election last held NA October 1996 (next to be held NA 2001);
- prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president
- election results:
- ZAYID bin Sultan Al Nuhayyan reelected president;
- percent of FSC vote - NA, but believed to be unanimous;
- MAKTUM bin Rashid al-Maktum elected vice president;
- percent of FSC vote - NA, but believed to be unanimous
Legislative branch
unicameral Federal National Council or Majlis al-Ittihad al-Watani (40 seats; members appointed by the rulers of the constituent states to serve two-year terms); elections: none note: reviews legislation, but cannot change or veto
International organization participation
ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Muhammad bin Husayn al-SHAALI
- chancery:
- Suite 700, 1255 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20037
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 955-7999
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Theodore H. KATTOUF
- embassy:
- Al-Sudan Street, Abu Dhabi
- mailing address:
- P. O. Box 4009, Abu Dhabi;
- American Embassy Abu Dhabi, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-6010 (pouch);
- note - work week is Saturday through Wednesday
- telephone:
- [971] (2) 436691, 436692
- FAX:
- [971] (2) 434771
- consulate(s) general:
- Dubai
Flag description
three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and black with a thicker vertical red band on the hoist side
Economy
The UAE has an open economy with a high per capita income and a sizable annual trade surplus.
31 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(1996 est.)
Electricity
Economy - overview
The UAE has an open economy with a high per capita income and a sizable annual trade surplus. Its wealth is based on oil and gas output (about 33% of GDP), and the fortunes of the economy fluctuate with the prices of those commodities. Since 1973, 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.
At present levels of production, oil and gas reserves should last for over 100 years. Despite higher oil revenues in 1999, the government has not drawn back from the economic reforms implemented during the 1998 oil price depression. The government has increased spending on job creation and infrastructure expansion and is opening up its utilities to greater private-sector involvement.
Industries
petroleum, fishing, petrochemicals, construction materials, some boat building, handicrafts, pearling
Exchange rates
Emirian dirhams (Dh) per US$1 - central bank mid-point rate: 3.6725 (from 1998); 3.6711 (1997), 3.6710 (1995-96)
Communications
8 fieldsTelephone system
modern system consisting of microwave radio relay and coaxial cable; key centers are Abu Dhabi and Dubai
- domestic:
- microwave radio relay and coaxial cable
- international:
- 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
Transportation
9 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right
Networkskm
Ports and harbors
'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Das Island, Khawr Fakkan, Mina' Jabal 'Ali, Mina' Khalid, Mina' Rashid, Mina' Saqr, Mina' Zayid, Umm al Qaywayn
Merchant marine
- total:
- 68 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,107,442 GRT/1,795,235 DWT
- ships by type:
- bulk 1, cargo 18, chemical tanker 3, container 8, liquified gas 1, livestock carrier 1, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 27, roll-on/roll-off 7, specialized tanker 1 (1999 est.)
Military
Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense, paramilitary (includes Federal Police Force)
7 fieldsTransnational Issues
2 fieldsDisputes - international
- location and status of boundary with Saudi Arabia is not final, de facto boundary reflects 1974 agreement;
- no defined boundary with most of Oman, but Administrative Line in far north;
- claims two islands in the Persian Gulf occupied by Iran: Lesser Tunb (called Tunb as Sughra in Arabic by UAE and Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Kuchek in Persian by Iran) and Greater Tunb (called Tunb al Kubra in Arabic by UAE and Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Bozorg in Persian by Iran);
- claims island in the Persian Gulf jointly administered with Iran (called Abu Musa in Arabic by UAE and Jazireh-ye Abu Musa in Persian by Iran) - over which Iran has taken steps to exert unilateral control since 1992, including access restrictions and a military build-up on the island;
- the UAE has garnered significant diplomatic support in the region in protesting these Iranian actions
Illicit drugs
growing role as heroin transshipment and money-laundering center due to its proximity to southwest Asian producing countries and the bustling free trade zone in Dubai [Country Listing] [ The World Factbook Home]
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “United Arab Emirates.” The World Factbook 2000. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/united-arab-emirates/2000.