Middle East / Africa
Country profile: United Arab Emirates
| Location: | Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia |
| Climate: | desert; cooler in eastern mountains |
| Terrain: | flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert wasteland; mountains in east |
| Size: | 83600 sq. km total (Land area: 83600 sq. km ) |
| Population: | 4,621,399 |
| Languages: | Arabic (official), Persian, English, Hindi, Urdu |
| Government: | federation with specified powers delegated to the UAE federal government and other powers reserved to member emirates |
| Capital city: | Abu Dhabi |
| Legal system: | based on a dual system of Shari'a and civil courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
| Currency: | Emirati dirham (AED) |
| Licensing: |
Country profile
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is an important oil producer with the fifth largest proven oil reserves in the Middle East. The UAE is a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) since joining in 1967. The emirate of Abu Dhabi is the center of the oil and gas industry, followed by Dubai, Sharjah, and Ras al Khaimah. In 2004, natural gas supplied 64 percent of the country’s total energy consumption, and oil supplied the remaining 36 percent. The UAE is a high-income, stable federation of seven emirates with the second largest Arab economy in the Middle East.
The non-oil sectors grew 18.6 percent in 2006 and have tripled during the last three years. Good relations with Asian trading partners and a growing domestic population have helped diversify the thriving economy. However, the country remains dependent on oil revenue, and the government has announced large oil production capacity increases within the next seven years. Abu Dhabi is the major hydrocarbon and industrial power while Dubai is the trading, financial, and tourist center of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai account for 80 percent of the UAE’s income. Hydrocarbon revenues account for around one-third of the UAE’s GDP, though the non-oil finance and service sectors in Dubai are making the city a favored base for multinational corporations in the Gulf.
Energy production and consumption
| Oil | Gas | |
| Production: | 2 million bbl/day (2006 est.) | 45 billion cu m (2005 est.) |
| Consumption: | 372,000 bbl/day (2005 est.) | 39 billion cu m (2005 est.) |
| Exports: | 2 million bbl/day (2006 est.) | 6 billion cu m (2005 est.) |
| Imports: | 137,200 bbl/day (2005 est.) | 1 billion cu m (2005 est.) |
| Reserves: | 97 billion bbl (2007 est.) | 5 trillion cu m (1 January 2006 est.) |
| Major fields: |
United Arab Emirates - recent news
| 15 Jul 24 |
UAE: ADNOC Gas awards $550 million contracts to expand UAE gas infrastructure and increase customer reach ADNOC Gas has announced the award of engineering, procurement & construction (EPC) contracts for the next phase of the UAE sales gas pipeline network enhancement ESTIDAMA Project. Separately, ownership of ESTIDAMA is being transferred from ADNOC Gas to ADNOC. |
| 12 Jul 24 |
UAE: bp to join ADNOC’s Ruwais LNG development bp has confirmed that it intends to take a 10% interest in the planned Ruwais liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Al Ruwais Industrial City in Abu Dhabi, subject to obtaining any necessary regulatory approvals. The project will be led by ADNOC, holding a 60% interest, alongside bp, Mitsui & Co, Shell and TotalEnergies, each with a 10% interest. ADNOC announced in June that it had taken final investment decision for development of the project. |
| 11 Jul 24 |
UAE: TotalEnergies strengthens its position in the Emirates through its partnership in Ruwais LNG TotalEnergies joins, with a 10% interest, the Ruwais LNG project alongside national company ADNOC (60%), Shell (10%), bp (10%) and Mitsui (10%). Launched by ADNOC in June 2024, Ruwais LNG is a liquefied natural gas (LNG) project located in Al Ruwais Industrial city, in Abu Dhabi. |
| 10 Jul 24 |
UAE: Shell to invest in Ruwais LNG project in Abu Dhabi Shell Overseas Holdings, a subsidiary of Shell, has signed an agreement to invest in the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company’s (ADNOC) Ruwais liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Abu Dhabi through a 10% participating interest. LNG deliveries are expected to start in 2028. |
| 05 Jul 24 |
UAE: ADNOC and JBIC sign $3 billion green financing agreement Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) has signed a general agreement with the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) for a $3 billion (AED11 billion) green financing facility. It follows the signing of a Heads of Agreement (HOA) between ADNOC and JBIC in January this year and builds on their long-standing successful partnership. |
United Arab Emirates - more news
Other countries in this region
- Algeria,
- Angola,
- Bahrain,
- Benin,
- Botswana,
- Burundi,
- Cameroon,
- Central Africa Republic,
- Chad,
- Comoros,
- Congo (Brazzaville),
- Congo (Democratic Rep.),
- Cote d'Ivoire,
- Djibouti,
- Egypt,
- Equatorial Guinea,
- Eritrea,
- Ethiopia,
- Gabon,
- Gambia,
- Ghana,
- Guinea (Republic),
- Guinea Bissau,
- Iran,
- Iraq,
- Israel,
- Jordan,
- Kenya,
- Kuwait,
- Lebanon,
- Liberia,
- Libya,
- Madagascar,
- Malawi,
- Mali,
- Mauritania,
- Mauritius,
- Morocco,
- Mozambique,
- Namibia,
- Niger,
- Nigeria,
- Oman,
- Palestine,
- Qatar,
- Rwanda,
- Sao Tome,
- Saudi Arabia,
- Senegal,
- Seychelles,
- Sierra Leone,
- Somalia,
- Somaliland,
- South Africa,
- South Sudan,
- Sudan,
- Syria,
- Tanzania,
- Togo,
- Tunisia,
- Uganda,
- Western Sahara,
- Yemen,
- Zambia,
- Zanzibar,
- Zimbabwe
