The Government of United Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirates - Government

Based on the etymolgy of United Arab Emirates, it was self-descriptive country name; the name Arabia can be traced back at least as far as the ancient Egyptians, who referred to the region as "Ar Rabi;" "emirates" derives from amir, the Arabic word for "commander," "lord," or "prince;" the former name, Trucial States, refers to a maritime truce from 1820 between the British and the Arab sheikhdoms. The Government system in this country is the federation of monarchies type and the different Administrative divisions includes: 7 emirates (imarat, singular - imarah); Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi), 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah (Sharjah), Dubayy (Dubai), Ra's al Khaymah, Umm al Qaywayn

National symbols

Golden falcon.

The flag

The National flag of United Arab Emirates has .

The National Anthem

Title
Lyric/music

More about the government of United Arab Emirates

Constitution
Date of Independence	2 December 1971 (from the UK)
National holiday	Independence Day (National Day), 2 December (1971)
Legal system	mixed system of Islamic (sharia) law and civil law
International law organization participation	has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
History	Previous 1971 (provisional); latest drafted in 1979, became permanent May 1996
Amendment process	Proposed by the Supreme Council and submitted to the Federal National Council; passage requires at least a two-thirds majority vote of Federal National Council members present and approval of the Supreme Council president
Citizenship
Citizenship by birth	no
Citizenship by descent only	the father must be a citizen of the United Arab Emirates; if the father is unknown, the mother must be a citizen
Dual citizenship recognized	no
Residency requirement for naturalization	30 years
Executive Branch
Chief of state	President MUHAMMAD BIN ZAYID Al Nuhayyan (since 14 May 2022)
Head of government	Prime Minister and Co-Vice President MUHAMMAD BIN RASHID Al Maktum (since 5 January 2006)
Cabinet	Council of Ministers announced by the prime minister and approved by the president
Election/appointment process	president and vice president indirectly elected by the Federal Supreme Council -- composed of the rulers of the 7 emirates -- for a 5-year term (no term limits); prime minister appointed by the president
Most recent election date	unscheduled election held on 14 May 2022, after the death of President KHALIFA bin Zayid Al-Nuhayyan
Election results	2022: MUHAMMAD BIN ZAYID Al-Nuhayyan elected president; Federal Supreme Council vote - NA
Expected date of next election	2027
Legislative branch
Legislature name	Federal National Council (Majlis Watani Itihadi)
Legislative structure	Unicameral
Number of seats	40 (20 indirectly elected; 20 appointed)
Electoral system	Other systems
Scope of elections	Full renewal
Term in office	4 years
Most recent election date	10/7/2023
Percentage of women in chamber	50%
Expected date of next election	October 2027
Judicial branch
Highest court(s)	Federal Supreme Court (consists of the court president and 4 judges; jurisdiction limited to federal cases)
Judge selection and term of office	Judges appointed by the federal president after approval from the Federal Supreme Council, the highest executive and legislative authority consisting of the 7 emirate rulers; judges serve until retirement age or the expiration of their appointment terms
Subordinate courts	Federal Court of Cassation (determines the constitutionality of laws); the emirates of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Ra's al Khaymah have parallel court systems; the other 4 emirates have incorporated their courts into the federal system
Diplomatic representation in the US
Chief of mission	Ambassador Yousif AL OTAIBA (since 28 July 2008)
Chancery	3522 International Court NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20008
Telephone	[1] (202) 243-2400
FAX	[1] (202) 243-2408
Email address and website	[email protected] https://www.uae-embassy.org/
Consulate(s) general	Houston, Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US
Chief of mission	Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Eric GAUDIOSI (since August 2025)
Embassy	Embassies District, Plot 38, Sector W59-02, Street No. 4, Abu Dhabi
Mailing address	6010 Abu Dhabi Place, Washington DC 20521-6010
Telephone	[971] (2) 414-2200
FAX	[971] (2) 414-2241
Email address and website	[email protected] https://ae.usembassy.gov/
Consulate(s) general	Dubai
National heritage
Total World Heritage Sites	1 (cultural)
Selected World Heritage Site locales	Cultural Sites of Al Ain (Hafit, Hili, Bidaa Bint Saud, and Oases Areas)