Portal:United Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirates
الإمارات العربية المتحدة (Arabic)
*al-ʾImārāt al-ʿArabīyah al-Muttaḥidah*
United Arab Emirates الإمارات العربية المتحدة (Arabic); al-ʾImārāt al-ʿArabīyah al-Muttaḥidah
	Flag Coat of arms
ISO 3166 code	AE

The United Arab Emirates Portal

The United Arab Emirates (UAE), also known simply as the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, situated at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a federal semi-constitutional monarchy made up of seven emirates, with Abu Dhabi serving as its national capital. The UAE borders Oman to the east and northeast, and Saudi Arabia to the south and southwest. It shares maritime borders with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Iran in the Persian Gulf, and with Oman in the Gulf of Oman. In 2024, the UAE had an estimated population of over 11 million. Dubai is the country's largest city. Islam is the state religion. Arabic is the official language while English remains the most spoken language and the language of business.

The present-day United Arab Emirates is located within the historical region of Eastern Arabia, which was oriented to maritime trade and seafaring. The Portuguese arrived in the region around 1500 and set up bases on the territory while waging wars against the Persians. By the 19th century, with pearling becoming a major economic activity, piracy became rampant in the gulf, prompting British intervention. Local sheikhdoms formed a pact with the United Kingdom to create the Trucial States, a British protectorate that was effectively shielded from attempted Saudi and Omani suzerainty. The Trucial States remained under British influence until full independence as the United Arab Emirates in 1971. Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, ruler of Abu Dhabi and the country's first president (1971–2004), oversaw rapid development of the Emirates by investing revenues from newly found oil into healthcare, education, and infrastructure.

The United Arab Emirates is considered a middle power in global affairs; Dubai serves as an international hub of finance, tourism, and commerce. Only 11% of the population are native Emiratis; the vast majority of inhabitants are expatriates and migrant workers, most of whom are from South Asia. The UAE has the world's seventh-largest oil reserves and seventh-largest natural gas reserves. The UAE has the most diversified economy among the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), having become less reliant on natural resources in the 21st century and increasingly focusing on tourism and business. The UAE is a member of the United Nations, Arab League, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Non-Aligned Movement, World Trade Organization, and BRICS; it is also a dialogue partner of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. (Full article...)

Selected article -

View of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque from the courtyard, 2018

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque (Arabic: جَامِع ٱلشَّيْخ زَايِد ٱلْكَبِيْر Jāmiʿ Aš-Šaykh Zāyid Al-Kabīr) is a mosque located in Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates. It is the country's largest mosque, and is the key place of worship for daily Islamic prayers. There is a smaller replica of this mosque in Surakarta, a city in Indonesia.

The Grand Mosque was constructed between 1994 and 2007 and was inaugurated in December 2007. The building complex measures approximately 290 by 420 m (950 by 1,380 ft), covering an area of more than 12 hectares (30 acres), excluding exterior landscaping and vehicle parking. The main axis of the building is rotated about 12° south of true west, aligning it in the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. (Full article...)

List of selected articles

General images

The following are images from various United Arab Emirates-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 11813 painting of the 1809 sacking of the port of Ras Al Khaimah. (from History of the United Arab Emirates)
Image 2Sheikh Maktoum house courtyard featuring the common architecture of wind-catchers called Barjeel. (from Culture of the United Arab Emirates)
Image 3Meeting room where the first constitution was signed on 2 December 1971 in Dubai, now part of the Etihad Museum. (from History of the United Arab Emirates)
Image 41838 Map of Oman, showing the peninsula that became the United Arab Emirates in 1971 (from History of the United Arab Emirates)
Image 5Kuboos (flatbread) being prepared in Abu Dhabi (from Emirati cuisine)
Image 6A dallah is a traditional Arabic coffee pot for serving Arabian coffee. It is a symbol of the Emirati culture, featuring on the United Arab Emirates dirham coin (from Culture of the United Arab Emirates)
Image 7Majlis (from Culture of the United Arab Emirates)
Image 8Gold jewellery from the Saruq Al Hadid archaeological site
Image 9Hafit-era "beehive" tomb in Mezyad, Al-Ain's Jebel Hafeet Desert Park in the Eastern Region of Abu Dhabi (from History of the United Arab Emirates)
Image 10Roman statue of a griffin found in Mleiha (from History of the United Arab Emirates)
Image 11Decorated stone cup from the Umm Al Nar era on display at the Louvre Abu Dhabi.
Image 12Doba Fort, built by the Portuguese Empire in Dibba Al-Hisn in 1620. (from History of the United Arab Emirates)
Image 13Flag of the Trucial States Council (from History of the United Arab Emirates)
Image 14Map of the United Arab Emirates (from List of cities in the United Arab Emirates)
Image 15The proposed Federation of Arab Emirates, which included present-day Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates
Image 161813 painting of Laft under attack by British forces in December 1809. (from History of the United Arab Emirates)
Image 17Hazza Al Mansouri, the first Emirati astronaut, who was launched on the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft to the International Space Station on 25 September 2019. (from History of the United Arab Emirates)
Image 181635 painting of the Portuguese fortress Khor Fakkan (Corfacão) (from History of the United Arab Emirates)
Image 19Portuguese colonies in Arabia (from History of the United Arab Emirates)
Image 20Women flip their hair sideways and wear brightly coloured traditional dress while performing an Emirati folk dance. (from Culture of the United Arab Emirates)
Image 21Dubai, the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (from List of cities in the United Arab Emirates)
Image 22Pearls from Rams. Pearls were central to the economy of the Trucial States. (from History of the United Arab Emirates)
Image 23First conference on the Gulf federation in Abu Dhabi, 1968. (from History of the United Arab Emirates)
Image 24The Dubai Tennis Championships in 2006. (from Culture of the United Arab Emirates)
Image 25Luqaimāt (pronounced (lu)gēmāt in the Emirati dialect), a traditional Emirati dessert, served with Arabic coffee. (from Emirati cuisine)
Image 26The first hoisting of the United Arab Emirates flag by the rulers of the emirates at the Union House in Dubai on 2 December 1971. (from History of the United Arab Emirates)
Image 27Photo of Mars taken by the Emirates Mars Mission's Hope probe. (from History of the United Arab Emirates)
Image 281870 map of the Trucial Coast (from History of the United Arab Emirates)
Image 29An old Emirati woman making Luqaymāt (from Emirati cuisine)
Image 30A band performs the Ayyala, which is a cultural dance derived from Arab tribes sword battles. (from Culture of the United Arab Emirates)
Image 31Sidade de Julfar in Lázaro Luís' 1563 map of Arabia (from History of the United Arab Emirates)
Image 32The Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest structure and building since its topping out in 2009. (from History of the United Arab Emirates)
Image 333rd-century BCE bilingual funerary inscription in South Arabian and Aramaic script: "Memorial and tomb of ʿAmud, son of Gurr, son of ʿAli, inspector of the king of Oman, built over him his sonʿAmud son of ʿAmud son of Gurr, inspector of the king of Oman..." (from History of the United Arab Emirates)

WikiProjects

WikiProject United Arab Emirates

Geography

Northern Emirates

Emirates

WikiProject Abu Dhabi
Ajman work group
WikiProject Dubai
Fujairah work group
Ras Al Khaimah work group
Sharjah work group
Umm Al Quwain work group

Things you can do

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Selected picture -

Image 1The Landmark, a postmodern supertall skyscraper in Abu Dhabi^[1]
Image 2A view of the Khor Fakkan beach and port in the distance. The Khor Fakkan Container Terminal is the only natural deep-sea port in the region, and one of the major container ports in the UAE.
Image 3The night skyline of Abu Dhabi
Image 4A view of Sharjah
Image 5A view of the interior of Ski Dubai, an indoor ski resort in Dubai
Image 6A view of the Emirates Towers in Dubai. The towers are the tallest two buildings on the right.
Image 7An aerial view of Ajman, 2009
Image 8A view of Dubai Maritime City in 2008, a multipurpose maritime zone
Image 9Buildings in Al Qusais

Did you know (auto-generated)

... that Emirati princess Mahra Al Maktoum invoked the triple talaq to divorce her husband, which is traditionally done only by the husband?
... that almost half of the invasive species in the United Arab Emirates are birds?
... that a government had to intervene after 80 percent of all personal loans taken out were to cover wedding expenses?
... that abortion in the United Arab Emirates has been described by Newsweek as less restrictive than some American states following the overturning of Roe v. Wade?
... that the Dark Millennium, which suddenly followed the Neolithic in the United Arab Emirates around 4000 BC, has furnished virtually no evidence of human activity?
... that Viktor Pylypenko ended a relationship with his Emirati boyfriend and returned to Ukraine to fight in the Russo-Ukrainian war?

Related portals

Religions in United Arab Emirates

Arab states

Other countries

Topics

Cities

Largest cities or towns in the United Arab Emirates 2023 Calculation
Rank	Name	Emirate	Pop.
1	Dubai	Dubai	3,564,931
2	Abu Dhabi	Abu Dhabi	1,807,000
3	Sharjah	Sharjah	1,405,000
4	Al Ain	Abu Dhabi	846,747
5	Ajman	Ajman	490,035
6	Ras Al Khaimah	Ras al Khaimah	191,753
7	Fujairah	Fujairah	118,933
8	Umm Al Quwain	Umm Al Quwain	59,098
9	Khor Fakkan	Sharjah	53,000
10	Kalba	Sharjah	51,000