The Burj Khalifa is in Southeast Asia.
The United Arab Emirates -LRB- -LSB- juːˌnaɪtᵻd ˌærəb ˈɛmɪrᵻts -RSB- دولة الامارات العربية المتحدة -RRB- , sometimes simply called the Emirates or the UAE , is a federal absolute monarchy in Western Asia at the southeast end of the Arabian Peninsula on the Persian Gulf , bordering Oman to the east and Saudi Arabia to the south , as well as sharing maritime borders with Qatar to the west and Iran to the north .. Arabian Peninsula. Arabian Peninsula. Persian. Persian language. absolute monarchy. absolute monarchy. Western Asia. Western Asia. Persian Gulf. Persian Gulf. Oman. Oman. Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia. Qatar. Qatar. Iran. Iran. In 2013 , the UAE 's population was 9.2 million , of which 1.4 million are Emirati citizens and 7.8 million are expatriates .. Emirati. Emirati people. Emirati citizens. Emirati people. expatriates. Expatriates in the United Arab Emirates. The country is a federation of seven emirates , and was established on 2 December 1971 .. The constituent emirates are Abu Dhabi -LRB- which serves as the capital -RRB- , Ajman , Dubai , Fujairah , Ras al-Khaimah , Sharjah and Umm al-Quwain .. Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi. Dubai. Dubai. Umm al-Quwain. Umm al-Quwain. Ajman. Emirate of Ajman. Sharjah. Emirate of Sharjah. Ras al-Khaimah. Ras al-Khaimah. Fujairah. Fujairah. Each emirate is governed by an absolute monarch ; together , they jointly form the Federal Supreme Council .. Federal. Federal monarchy. emirate. emirate. Federal Supreme Council. Federal Supreme Council. One of the monarchs is selected as the President of the United Arab Emirates .. President. President of the United Arab Emirates. President of the United Arab Emirates. President of the United Arab Emirates. Islam is the official religion of the UAE and Arabic is the official language -LRB- although English and Indian-language dialects are widely spoken , with English being the language of business and education particularly in Abu Dhabi and Dubai -RRB- .. Arabic. Modern Standard Arabic. Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi. Dubai. Dubai. English. English language. Indian. Indians in the United Arab Emirates. Islam. Islam. The UAE 's oil reserves are the seventh-largest in the world while its natural gas reserves are the world 's seventeenth-largest .. seventh-largest in the world. List of countries by proven oil reserves. seventeenth-largest. List of countries by natural gas proven reserves. Sheikh Zayed , ruler of Abu Dhabi and the first President of the UAE , oversaw the development of the Emirates and steered oil revenues into healthcare , education and infrastructure .. Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi. President. President of the United Arab Emirates. Sheikh Zayed. Sheikh Zayed. The UAE 's economy is the most diversified in the Gulf Cooperation Council , while its most populous city of Dubai is an important global city and an international aviation hub .. Dubai. Dubai. Gulf Cooperation Council. Gulf Cooperation Council. global city. global city. Nevertheless , the country remains principally reliant on its export of petroleum and natural gas .. The UAE is criticised for its human rights record , including the specific interpretations of Sharia used in its legal system .. human rights record. United Arab Emirates#Human rights. specific interpretations of Sharia. United Arab Emirates#Law. The UAE 's rising international profile has led some analysts to identify it as a regional and middle power .. middle power. middle power