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United Arab Emirates

American  
[yoo-na-tid ar-uhb uh-meer-its, em-er-its] / juˈnæ tɪd ˈær əb əˈmɪər ɪts, ˈɛm ər ɪts /

noun

(usually used with a singular verb)
  1. an independent federation in E Arabia, formed in 1971, now comprising seven emirates on the southern coast formerly, Pirate Coast, thenTrucial Coast of the Persian Gulf, formerly under British protection: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Qaiwain, Ras al-Khaimah (joined 1972), and Fujairah. About 32,300 sq. mi. (83,657 sq. km). Abu Dhabi. U.A.E., UAE


United Arab Emirates British  

plural noun

  1. Former name (until 1971): Trucial States.   UAE.  a group of seven emirates in SW Asia, on the Persian Gulf: consists of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al Qaiwain, Ras el Khaimah, and Fujairah; a former British protectorate; became fully independent in 1971; consists mostly of flat desert, with mountains in the east; rich petroleum resources. Official language: Arabic. Official religion: Muslim. Currency: dirham. Capital: Abu Dhabi. Pop: 5 473 972 (2013 est). Area: 83 600 sq km (32 300 sq miles)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

United Arab Emirates Cultural  
  1. A federation of seven kingdoms on the Persian Gulf coast of the Arabian Peninsula, bordered to the east by Oman, the south and west by Saudi Arabia, and the northwest by Qatar.


Discover More

Oil reserves have been exploited since the early 1960s.

Once the domain of pirates, the area was subdued by the British in 1820. It was a British protectorate from 1892 until the late 1960s.

Example Sentences

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See Examples For:

Chinese suppliers can also make private-label products for companies in Indonesia, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates that know their local markets but lack China’s manufacturing scale.

From MarketWatch Aug. 12, 2026

The U.S. military footprint in the Gulf expanded in recent decades, reaching 30,000 troops at bases in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 8, 2026

That said, the company had some bright spots this year, including the successful launch of the Wegovy pill in the U.S., plus more recent launches in the U.K. and United Arab Emirates.

From MarketWatch Aug. 4, 2026

The serial tech founder, who has lived outside Russia for years and holds French and United Arab Emirates passports, has frequently clashed with the Russian authorities as Moscow has tightened its grip on the internet.

From Barron's Jul. 30, 2026

Dubai is a city in the United Arab Emirates.

From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri

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