Overview of Human Rights in United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a federation of seven emirates. There are no democratically elected institutions or political parties in the UAE. Citizens do not have the right to change their government peacefully. Citizens, who only make up about 21 percent of the total population, are able to express their concerns to the government at open majilis, or councils. The government’s respect for human rights remains low in many areas and systematic abuses are committed by the government and security forces. The government of the UAE is considered corrupt.  Impunity for human rights abuses is widespread for those in the government or those who act on behalf of the government. The government restricts freedoms of speech, press, assembly, association, and religion. There is legal and societal discrimination against women and non-citizens (who make up about 79 percent of the population). Workers rights are also restricted. Police and security forces are known to arbitrarily arrest and detain people. Incommunicado detention is permissible by law and flogging is a sanctioned punishment for certain offences. Domestic abuse of women and foreign domestic servants is often enabled by the police. Trafficking in women and children is also an area of concern in the region.  Overall, the UAE has a poor human rights record.

Human Development Index (HDI) Rank:

50th out of 177

Note: Human Development Index (HDI) is a composite index that measures the level of well-being of nations in the world. It uses factors such as poverty, literacy, life-expectancy, education, gross domestic product, and purchasing power parity to assess the average achievements in each nation. It has been used in the United Nation’s Human Development Report since 1993.