National Digital Intelligence Platform

United Arab Emirates

S-SECTOR

Religion & Interfaith Affairs

Comprehensive data on religious demographics, tolerance initiatives, interfaith infrastructure, and restrictions

Total Population

9.4M

2.2% from last period

Religious Sites

100+

5.3% from last period

Non-Muslim Worship Centers

73+

12.3% from last period

Ramadan Economy

$16.4B

NaN% stable

Religious Demographics

Population composition by faith

Religious Composition

UAE population breakdown by faith

Population Overview

Key demographic metrics

Total Population9.4 million (2022)

Source: State Dept Report

UAE Citizens~20% (1.88 million)

Source: Multiple sources

Expatriates~80% (7.5 million)

Source: Multiple sources

Nationalities RepresentedOver 200

Source: UAE Embassy

Religious Composition Breakdown

Detailed demographics by religion

Islam (Total)

Est. Pop: ~7.1 million

74.5-76.9%

Percentage

Sunni Muslims

Est. Pop: ~5.9 million

63-85%

Percentage

Shia Muslims

Est. Pop: ~470,000-1.4 million

5-15%

Percentage

Christianity

Est. Pop: ~1.2 million

12.6-12.9%

Percentage

Hinduism

Est. Pop: ~580,000-620,000

6.2-6.6%

Percentage

Buddhism

Est. Pop: ~300,000

3.2%

Percentage

Agnosticism

Est. Pop: ~122,000

1.3%

Percentage

Sikhism

Est. Pop: ~68,000

0.72%

Percentage

Baha'i

Est. Pop: ~46,000

0.49%

Percentage

Atheism

Est. Pop: ~14,000-375,000

0.15-4%

Percentage

Judaism

Est. Pop: ~3,000

~0.03%

Percentage

Other/Druze/Zoroastrian

Est. Pop: ~178,000

~1.9%

Percentage

Historical Timeline

Key events in UAE religious inclusion

1951

Delegation with Sheikh Zayed visited Vatican and Notre Dame

Early interfaith outreach

Late 1950s

Sheikh Shakhbut welcomed first Christian workers

Early religious tolerance

1958

First Hindu temple built in Dubai

Hindu presence established

1960

First Roman Catholic mass in Abu Dhabi

Christian worship begins

1965

St. Joseph's Church opened

First permanent Catholic church

1968

St. Andrew's Anglican Church opened

Land donated by government

1971

UAE founded; Constitution guarantees religious freedom

Legal framework established

1970s

Vatican moved See of Southern Arabia to Abu Dhabi

Catholic institutional presence

1992

Christian monastery discovered on Sir Bani Yas Island (built ~600 CE)

Ancient Christian heritage

1996

Constitution permanently adopted

Religious freedom reaffirmed

2007

UAE established diplomatic relations with Vatican

Formal Vatican ties

2012

Guru Nanak Darbar opened in Dubai

First Sikh temple in UAE

2015

Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed announced land for Hindu temple

Major interfaith gesture

2016

Ministry of Tolerance established

Government institution

2019

Year of Tolerance; Pope Francis visit

Peak interfaith moment

2020

Abraham Accords signed

Historic peace agreement

2022

Dubai Hindu Temple opened

Hindu worship space

2023

Abrahamic Family House inaugurated

First purpose-built synagogue

2024

BAPS Hindu Mandir opened

First traditional stone Hindu temple

Data Quality & Sources

Report compiled: 2026-04-27

Fetch Success Rate

News/Media:80%

Religious Institutions:50%

Other:65%

Total:~73%

Enrichment Statistics

URLs Processed: 77

Data Points: 500+

Tables: 30+

Organizations: 25+

Confidence Level

High for government/official sources; Medium-High for NGOs/academic; Variable for news