The United Arab Emirates (UAE), home to the world’s sixth-largest oil reserves and seventh- largest natural gas reserves, is the world’s sixth-largest oil exporter.[1] With a total land area of about 71,023 square kilometers, and with a coastline that extends for about 1,318 kilometers,[2] the UAE is comprised of seven Emirates that encompass a coastal plain that transitions into expansive desert, and mountains located in the eastern part of the country.[3] Despite continued oil production, the UAE has been proactive in diversifying its economic base and it stands out in the GCC for having the most diversified economy.[4] The UAE achieved a remarkable increase in the contribution of non-oil sectors in the country’s total economic output, accounting for 72.3% of GDP in 2021[5] (oil rent accounted for 15.7% of GDP in 2021),[6] coupled with a substantial 50.8% contribution from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).[7] Characterized by low rainfall and high evaporation rates,[8] it has limited freshwater resources with increasing water supply from desalination. The UAE is currently under the water poverty threshold of 1,000m . Renewable freshwater per person per year currently stands at 103m on average.[9] The UAE sources nearly 80-90% of its food from imports.[10]

A survey consisting of 112 questions grouped under 24 categories was used to measure youth perception of climate change in the UAE. The survey targeted youth in the age bracket of 18 – 35 years old to better represent the highest fraction of the population in this study area and give a comprehensive understanding of youth perception. To ensure that we have a representative sample, the survey targets a minimum of 400 respondents per country. It draws from different categories of affiliations: students, working- or non-working groups. The survey was offered in two languages: English and Arabic.

The survey consisted of nine measures: Risk perception, knowledge about climate change, generalized effect of climate change, personal experience with extreme weather, broad value orientation, social norms, socio-demographic, mitigation response inefficiency, and behavioral willingness. The questionnaire was pilot tested, in March 2022, in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Saudi Arabia, with seven people, to gain feedback for further improvement of the questionnaire.

The survey was conducted via YouGov company which has access to youth aged between 18-35 in different parts of the UAE.

[1] “United Arab Emirates - Country Commercial Guide: Oil and Gas,” Country Commercial Guides (Washington, D.C.: International Trade Administration, November 25, 2023), https://www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/united-arab-emirates-oil-and-gas.

[2] “UAE Information,” Facts and Figures (Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: United Arab Emirates: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, November 15, 2023), https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/the-uae/facts-and-figures.

[3] Gary R. Feulner, “Geography and Geology of the United Arab Emirates: A Naturalist’s Introduction,” in A Natural History of the Emirates, ed. John A. Burt (Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland, 2024), 13–64, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-37397-8_2.

[4] Saima Shadab, “The New Arab Gulf: Evaluating the Success of Economic Diversification in the UAE,” in Social Change in the Gulf Region: Multidisciplinary Perspectives, ed. Md Mizanur Rahman and Amr Al-Azm (Singapore: Springer Nature, 2023), 415–30, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-7796-1_25.

[5] Adam Lucente, “UAE Reports Slight Growth in Non-Oil GDP,” Al-Monitor, April 20, 2022, https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2022/04/uae-reports-slight-growth-non-oil-gdp.

[6] “Oil Rents (% of GDP) - United Arab Emirates” (World Bank’s The Changing Wealth of Nations, 2021), https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PETR.RT.ZS?locations=AE.

[7] “Statistics of Micro, Small, Medium and Large Enterprises in Abu Dhabi: 2013” (Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: Statistics Centre, July 2015), https://www.scad.ae/Release%20Documents/SME%202013%20Report%20-%20En.pdf.

[8] Ahmed Ali Murad, Hind Al Nuaimi, and Muna Al Hammadi, “Comprehensive Assessment of Water Resources in the United Arab Emirates (UAE),” Water Resources Management 21, no. 9 (September 2007): 1449–63, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-006-9093-4.

[9] “Renewable Internal Freshwater Resources per Capita (Cubic Meters) - United Arab Emirates” (Food and Agriculture Organization, AQUASTAT data, 2020), https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/ER.H2O.INTR.PC?locations=AE.

[10] Samantha Bartz, “Opportunities for U.S. Agricultural Exports to the UAE,” International Agricultural Trade Report (Washington, D.C.: Foreign Agricultural Service: U.S. Department of Agriculture, January 11, 2022), https://fas.usda.gov/data/opportunities-us-agricultural-exports-uae.