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Policy profile on 12 axes

How the United Arab Emirates Is Governed

United Arab Emirates is a federal state that scores 0.08 out of 1 on the V-Dem Liberal Democracy Index (2025). Government spending is 22% of GDP (IMF, 2025), the death penalty remains in law, with no executions in the last five years and same-sex relations are criminalized. Below: the laws, institutions and public spending of the United Arab Emirates, scored on the same 12 axes as the test, with every indicator and source.

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Policy profile

The 12 axes, indicator by indicator

This profile describes the country's policy regime (laws, institutions and public spending) from published indices, not the views of its people or its current leaders. Data as of October 2026; each value shows its own year.

Ownership-0.25PublicPrivate4 indicators and sources
  • State ownership of the economy (coded tier): State dominates strategic sectors and much of large enterprise (2026). Federal and emirate holdings (ADNOC, Mubadala, ADQ, Dubai Holding) dominate strategic sectors. Source
  • Index of Economic Freedom 2026: Property Rights (0-100): 62.9 (2026). Source
  • Index of Economic Freedom 2026: Investment Freedom (0-100): 50 (2026). Source
  • Index of Economic Freedom 2026: Financial Freedom (0-100): 60 (2026). Source
Markets+0.30PlannedFree5 indicators and sources
  • Index of Economic Freedom 2026: Business Freedom (0-100): 84.5 (2026). Source
  • Index of Economic Freedom 2026: Labor Freedom (0-100): 63.2 (2026). Source
  • Index of Economic Freedom 2026: Monetary Freedom (0-100): 81.2 (2026). Source
  • Regulatory Quality, estimate (-2.5 to 2.5): 1.17 (2025). Source
  • State ownership of the economy (coded tier): State dominates strategic sectors and much of large enterprise (2026). Federal and emirate holdings (ADNOC, Mubadala, ADQ, Dubai Holding) dominate strategic sectors. Source
Welfare+0.70SharedSelf-reliant3 indicators and sources
  • General government total expenditure (% of GDP): 21.81 (2025). Source
  • Domestic general government health expenditure (% of GDP): 3.32 (2023). Source
  • Index of Economic Freedom 2026: Tax Burden (0-100): 99.9 (2026). Source
Authority+0.90DemocraticStrong leader2 indicators and sources
  • Liberal Democracy Index (0-1): 0.08 (2025). Source
  • Judicial constraints on the executive (0-1): 0.14 (2025). Source
Security+0.40LibertyOrder4 indicators and sources
  • Freedom in the World civil liberties score (0-60): 13 (2025). Source
  • World Press Freedom Index score (0-100): 30.86 (2026). Source
  • Death penalty status: Retentionist, no executions in the last 5 years (2025). Executions are rare and poorly reported. Review whether any took place in 2021-2025. Source
  • Prison population per 100,000 people: 104 (2014). Source
Structure0.00LocalCentral2 indicators and sources
  • Territorial form of the state: Federation (2025). Source
  • Strong elected regional governments index (0-1): 0 (2025). Source
Morality+0.85ProgressiveTraditional3 indicators and sources
  • Same-sex marriage law (0 marriage, 1 civil union or partnership, 2 no recognition, 3 constitutional or statutory ban): Same-sex relations criminalized (2026). Source
  • Abortion law: Prohibited, or only to save the woman's life (2025). Source
  • Women, Business and the Law: Legal Framework Index (0-100): 53.58 (2025). Source
Religion+0.75SecularReligious2 indicators and sources
  • Religion and the state: Official religion that is a main source of legislation, or religious courts control marriage and family law (2025). Source
  • Blasphemy or religious-insult law in force: In force (2025). Source
Technology-0.20EmbraceCaution3 indicators and sources
  • Research and development expenditure (% of GDP): 1.49 (2021). Source
  • Nuclear power policy: Operating reactors, no new build under way (2025). Source
  • Genetically modified crop cultivation: None grown, no ban (2025). Source
Culture+0.30MulticulturalNational identity4 indicators and sources
  • International migrant stock (% of population): 73.97 (2024). Source
  • Citizenship by birth in the territory: None: citizenship by descent only (2025). Source
  • Residence required for ordinary naturalization (years; 0 = no ordinary route): No ordinary route (2025). Naturalization only by decree; no ordinary route for most residents. Source
  • Dual citizenship for naturalizing adults: Restricted (some countries only, permission, or exceptions) (2025). Source
Trade-0.55GlobalProtected4 indicators and sources
  • Tariff rate, applied, weighted mean, all products (%): 2.63 (2021). Source
  • Tariff rate, applied, simple mean, all products (%): 4.11 (2021). Source
  • Index of Economic Freedom 2026: Trade Freedom (0-100): 78.6 (2026). Source
  • Trade (exports + imports) (% of GDP): 199.05 (2023). Source
Foreign policy+0.55CooperationStrength5 indicators and sources
  • Military expenditure (% of GDP): 5.64 (2014). Source
  • Military conscription: Universal compulsory service (2025). Source
  • Nuclear weapons status (0 none, 1 considers, 2 pursues, 3 possesses): No nuclear weapons program (2023). Source
  • Party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court: Not a party (never joined, signed only, or withdrew) (2026). Source
  • Collective defense commitments: Other mutual defense commitment only (EU Treaty art. 42.7, Rio Treaty, Arab League treaty, bilateral pact) (2026). Source

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Policy neighbours

Governed most like the United Arab Emirates

Every other country with a profile, tinted by how close its laws, institutions and public spending are to those of the United Arab Emirates on the same 12 axes. The percentage uses the 12 Axes match formula.

  1. 1Saudi Arabia81%
  2. 2Indonesia80%
  3. 3Pakistan78%
  4. 4Russia74%
  5. 5Egypt73%
Least similarLuxembourg41%
World map of countries by how similar their policy regime is to United Arab EmiratesClosest: 1. Saudi Arabia 81%, 2. Indonesia 80%, 3. Pakistan 78%, 4. Russia 74%, 5. Egypt 73%, 6. India 72%, 7. Turkey 72%, 8. Iran 71%, 9. Philippines 71%, 10. Nigeria 68%. Least similar: Luxembourg 41%. Every country is in the list after the map.United Arab Emirates
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  • Under 55%
  • 65 to 74%
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FAQ

United Arab Emirates: questions

How is the United Arab Emirates governed, on the 12 axes?

United Arab Emirates is a federal state that scores 0.08 out of 1 on the V-Dem Liberal Democracy Index (2025). Government spending is 22% of GDP (IMF, 2025), the death penalty remains in law, with no executions in the last five years and same-sex relations are criminalized. Its policy regime leans furthest toward Strong leader on Authority (+0.90), Traditional on Morality (+0.85) and Religious on Religion (+0.75), on a scale from -1 to +1.

Which countries are governed most like the United Arab Emirates?

On the same 12 axes, the closest policy regimes are Saudi Arabia (81%), Indonesia (80%) and Pakistan (78%). The furthest is Luxembourg (41%). Matches use the same formula as the 12 Axes test.

Where does the data on the United Arab Emirates come from?

From 41 indicators dated 2014 to 2026, published by V-Dem, Freedom House, the Heritage Foundation, the IMF, the OECD, the World Bank, SIPRI, Reporters Without Borders, the World Prison Brief, UN DESA and others. Among them: a press freedom score of 30.9 out of 100 (RSF, 2026), 104 prisoners per 100,000 people (2014), military spending of 5.6% of GDP (SIPRI, 2014) and 74% of residents born abroad (UN DESA, 2024). Every value, year and source is listed in the profile above.

Does the profile describe what people in the United Arab Emirates think?

No. It describes the policy regime: laws, institutions and public spending. It does not measure public opinion or the speeches of the current government. To see which country is governed closest to your own views, take the 12 Axes test and open the country match on your result.

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