🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates: Politics & Democracy
By V-Dem's measure, no — United Arab Emirates scores 7.7 on the 0–100 liberal democracy index, which places it firmly in the autocratic range.
Current leaders
Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Head of State
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Head of Government
Democracy trend
Voting alignment
United Arab Emirates's closest UN General Assembly voting partners since 1946:
Frequently asked questions
Is United Arab Emirates a democracy?
By V-Dem's measure, no — United Arab Emirates scores 7.7 on the 0–100 liberal democracy index, which places it firmly in the autocratic range. It ranks #155 of 179 countries in 2025.
Is democracy in United Arab Emirates improving or declining?
United Arab Emirates's V-Dem liberal democracy score has declined by 1.3 points over the past decade, standing at 7.7 in 2025 (1-year change: 0.0).
Who leads United Arab Emirates?
Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan is United Arab Emirates's head of state; Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum serves as head of government.