In the 21st century, the country has become less reliant on oil and gas and is economically focusing on tourism and business. The United Arab Emirates has the most diversified economy among the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council. Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, ruler of Abu Dhabi and the country's first president, oversaw the development of the Emirates by investing oil revenues into healthcare, education, and infrastructure. The United Arab Emirates' oil and natural gas reserves are the world's sixth and seventh-largest, respectively. Islam is the official religion and Arabic is the official language.

As of 2023, the United Arab Emirates has an estimated population of roughly 10.2 million. In 2013, the country had a population of 9.2 million, of which 1.4 million were Emirati citizens and 7.8 million were expatriates. In practice, the ruler of Abu Dhabi serves as president while the ruler of Dubai is vice president and also prime minister.

The members of the Federal Supreme Council elect a president (as of, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan) and vice president ( Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan) from among their members. Each emirate is governed by a ruler and together the rulers form the Federal Supreme Council. The United Arab Emirates is an elective monarchy formed from a federation of seven emirates, consisting of Abu Dhabi (the capital), Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm Al Quwain. Abu Dhabi is the nation's capital, while Dubai, the most populous city, is an international hub. It is located at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula and shares borders with Oman and Saudi Arabia, while also having maritime borders in the Persian Gulf with Qatar and Iran. The United Arab Emirates ( UAE Arabic: الإمارات العربية المتحدة al-ʾImārāt al-ʿArabiyya l-Muttaḥida ), or simply the Emirates ( Arabic: الإمارات al-ʾImārāt), is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East.

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