United Arab Emirates — Country Profile
Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of United Arab Emirates: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna Power score (--/100, ranked #-- of 195).
Last updated: October 2026
AE is in Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia. It covers 83,600 sq km. Terrain: flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert; mountains in east. Climate: desert; cooler in eastern mountains.
| Capital | Abu Dhabi |
|---|---|
| Population | 10,093,593 (2025 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $745.994 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $68,600 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 3.8% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 1.7% (2024 est.) |
| Unemployment | 2.2% (2024 est.) |
| Public debt | 19.7% of GDP (2017 est.) |
| Exports | $558.402 billion (2023 est.) |
| Imports | $481.852 billion (2023 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 79.9 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 35.8 years (2025 est.) |
| Urbanization | 87.8% of total population (2023) |
| Government | federation of monarchies |
| Independence | 2 December 1971 (from the UK) |
| Languages | Arabic (official), English, Hindi, Malayalam, Urdu, Pashto, Tagalog, Persian |
United Arab Emirates’s GDP is $745.994 billion (2024 est.) in purchasing-power-parity terms. At official exchange rates it stands at $537.079 billion (2024 est.). Real GDP grew 3.8% (2024 est.). See where United Arab Emirates ranks among all 195 countries by GDP.
POWER --/100 — The Magna Power score is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — nine components, 135 indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
The Emirates ran their familiar playbook: steady trade flows, diplomatic visibility, and the quiet accumulation of position as the Gulf's connective hub.
No shocks, no breakthroughs — a quarter of consolidation that keeps the country exactly where it wants to be.
- What our model rewards: public debt under 20% of GDP — room to maneuver; inflation tamed at 1.7%
Oil, Natural gas.
Energy is the physical base of economic power — what a country can generate, move and burn decides what it can build, sell and defend.
| Electricity access | 100% (2022 est.) |
|---|---|
| Installed capacity mix (CIA) | fossil fuels: 75.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); nuclear: 19.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 4.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) |
| Energy consumption per capita (CIA) | 450.432 million Btu/person (2023 est.) |
| Primary energy consumption (OWID) | 1,522.0 TWh (2024) |
| Electricity generation (OWID) | 177.3 TWh (2024) |
| Energy per capita (OWID) | 138,027 kWh per person (2024) |
| Electricity generation mix (OWID) | Gas 68.3%, Nuclear 22.9%, Solar 8.6%, Wind 0.1%, Oil 0.0% (2024) |
| Low-carbon share of electricity (OWID) | 31.7% (2024) |
Sources: CIA World Factbook, Energy section; Our World in Data (IEA/Ember), 2024.
Trade shows what the world buys from a country and what the country must buy from the world — the balance between the two is a direct measure of economic leverage.
| Exports | $558.402 billion (2023 est.) |
|---|---|
| Imports | $481.852 billion (2023 est.) |
| Trade balance (calculated) | Surplus of $76.5 billion (2023), calculated from the CIA export and import figures above. |
| Key industries | petroleum and petrochemicals; fishing, aluminum, cement, fertilizer, commercial ship repair, construction materials, handicrafts, textiles |
Source: CIA World Factbook, Economy section.
Mohamed bin Zayed — President. President MUHAMMAD BIN ZAYID Al Nuhayyan (since 14 May 2022)
United Arab Emirates maintains 98 embassies and 18 consulates abroad, hosts 97 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to ASEAN Jakarta, UN New York, UN Geneva. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 98 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 18 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 97 |
| Multilateral missions | ASEAN Jakarta, UN New York, UN Geneva |
Source: Outbound: Consular Affairs Center (Yonsei Univ.), diplomatic & consular networks database, March 2026 report (Zenodo). Hosted: Wikipedia 'List of diplomatic missions in the United Arab Emirates' (numbered embassy list). Multilateral: Wikipedia 'List of diplomatic missions of the United Arab Emirates' (crawled 2026-10-02).
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Coastal — 1318 km of coastline. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 42 + 204 heliports (registration prefix A6) |
| Major seaports | Abu Zaby, Jabal Az Zannah/Ruways, Khawr Fakkan, Mina Jabal Ali, Zirkuh |
Major airports
Al Ain International Airport (AAN) — Al Ain; Al Bateen Executive Airport (AZI) — Abu Dhabi; Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) — Dubai(Jebel Ali); Dubai International Airport (DXB) — Dubai; Fujairah International Airport (FJR) — Fujairah; Ras Al Khaimah International Airport (RKT) — Ras Al Khaimah; Sharjah International Airport (SHJ) — Sharjah; Zayed International Airport (AUH) — Abu Dhabi.
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28)
| Political system | federal absolute monarchy |
|---|---|
| Last election | 2023 — Federal National Council (advisory); 2023-10-07; winner: n/a — no parties permitted (n/a); Advisory consultative body; hereditary rulers retain full authority The National (UAE) |
| Next election | 2027 — FNC (advisory) (scheduled) |
Source: constitutional schedule / public election calendar
POWER --/100 Ranked #-- of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for United Arab Emirates.
Historical timeline of United Arab Emirates
This profile covers the population, economy, natural resources, leaders, and history of United Arab Emirates — with the Bureau’s live national-power score of --/100, ranking #-- of 195 countries.
What is United Arab Emirates's power score?
United Arab Emirates has a Magna Power score of --/100. The score measures structural power — the proven capacity to shape events — across nine components.