Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of AE: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna grade (MBA, ranked #20 of 195).
AE is a federation of monarchies in Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia. The country's capital is Abu Dhabi; it covers 83,600 sq km. Independence: 2 December 1971 (from the UK). Terrain: flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert; mountains in east. Climate: desert; cooler in eastern mountains. Population: 10.1 million (2025 estimate). Population growth: +0.62% per year. Median age: 35.8 years. Life expectancy: 79.9 years (2024 est.). Languages: Arabic (official), English, Hindi, Malayalam, Urdu, Pashto, Tagalog, Persian Religions: Muslim 74.5% (official) (Sunni 63.3%, Shia 6.7%, other 4.4%), Christian 12…
| 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% |
| Unemployment | 2.2% |
| 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 |
| 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 |
MBA · 67/100 — The Magna grade is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — five dimensions, 100+ 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.
Oil, Natural gas.
None. President MUHAMMAD BIN ZAYID Al Nuhayyan (since 14 May 2022)
AE 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 |
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
MBA · 67 Ranked #20 of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for AE.
