The United Arab Emirates is a high-income country in Middle East and North Africa with 11.5 million people, most of them living in cities. Heat makes up 57% of the energy it uses, well above the world average of about 47%.
Natural gas is the largest source of heat (91%). Almost all of the heat, 100%, comes from coal, oil and gas. Electricity makes up 22% of energy use and is generated mainly from fossil fuels (72%).
The country
| Population | 11.5 million2025 |
|---|---|
| GDP per capita | US$ 50,3002024 |
| Area | 98,600 km²2024 |
| Urban population | 86%2025 |
| Access to electricity | 100%2024 |
| Access to clean cooking | 99%2024 |
| Final energy use | 705 TWh2023 |
Where the energy goes
Final energy use in the United Arab Emirates, 2023: 705 TWh.
- Heat57%
- Electricity22%
- Transport21%
Heat in five numbers
| Heatshare of all final energy use | 57% |
|---|---|
| Fossil heatshare of heat that comes from coal, oil and gas | 100% |
| Natural gasthe largest single source of heat | 91% |
| Electricityshare of final energy use, excluding transport | 22% |
| Fossil electricityshare of electricity generated from coal, oil and gas | 72% |
Heat is all fuel and district heating used in industry, buildings and agriculture. Electricity that becomes heat, for example in electric cookers and water heaters, is counted as electricity because no data is available, so the true heat share is somewhat higher.
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